Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1886-11-13
WHAT DEMOCRACY HAS DONE.
From the st. Louis Republican.

The republican leaders are never
e of reminding the people OF the
glories and achievements that mark
the twenty four years period OF re-
publican ascendency. They press all
the nine numerals into the service and
supplement them with ciphers till the
people are bewildered with the hun
dred thousands, millions and billions
which the long lines of figures express.
Mr.. Blame tells them that from 1860 to
1880 the republican party increased the
savings bank deposits in the nine east
ern manufacturing states from $780,
900 900 to ST., 020 900 ,000-an increase
of nearly 800 per cent while the pop
ulation increased only So per cent;
that while in the eighty-four years
from the Declaration of independence
to 1860 all our foreign shipments ag-
gregated only 81 200, 900 900, in the
twenty years of republican rule from
1869 to 1885, they aggregated Sl2,OOO,-
600 200; and that our total foreign
trade in 1885 amounted to S1,4O0, O0O,-
600, and our internal trade to $50,
OOO,O And Senator Logan comes
to the support of his chief and re-
minds the people that our country
snow extends from the Atlantic TO the
Pacific and embraces 100000 square
miles," that in the twenty years. per-
iod of republican rule from 1860 to
1880, the 144,0 900 manufacturing estab-
lisbments increased to 253,S52, and
their product from $l,8S5, 900 900 to
$3.50, O0O, 900.
These figures are brilliant and stag
gering. Let us admit-what is not
true-that the republican party de-
serves all the credit for the growth in
wealth in. which they imply, and that
nothing whatever is due to the energy
aud spirit of a great people planted
on q vast and rich continent; let it be
conceded that the country owes its
progress in the last twenty-tive years
exclusively to the republican party;
then the question naturally comes up,
has the democratic party done nothing
to be proud Of and thankful for? Is its
history unmarked by achievements? Is
its reign before republicanism came
into power a total blank? Let us see.
Mr.. Blaine, III his sketch of the re-
markable growth in wealth OF the
s'nine eastern manufacturing states,"
alludes incidentally to the progress of
s'the northwestern states-OhiO, lndi-
ana, Michigan, Illinois and Wisconsin,"
but he refuses to tell his northern
countrymen where these great states
came from-that their magnificent ter
ritory of 250, 000, 900 acres once belong
ed to the state of Virginia and even
gratuitously coded along with Ken
lucky by that noble commonwealth to
the national government. He might
have told them also that another south
ern democratic state, North Carolina,
coded to the government the territory |
embraced in the present state of Ten
nessee, and that still another southern
democratic state, Georgia, coded to the
national government the territory now
embraced in Alabama and Mississippi. |
Senator Logan says the country snow
extends from the Atlantic to the
Pacific" But there was a time when
it did not have this magnificent and
imperial scope-a time when it eX-
tended only from the Atlantic to the
Mississippi. To whom do we owe the
successive purchases and annexations
that extended it to the Pacific? To the
democratic party.
1t was the democratic administration
of Jefferson that added the territory of
Louisiana, 1885, 900 square miles in
ares and embracing the present states
and territories of Arkansas, Dakota,
Idaho, the Indian Nation, Iowa, Kan
saa, Louisiana, a part of Minnesota,
Missouri, Nebraska, Oregon, Washing
ton territory and Wyoming.
1t was under the democratic admin
istration OF Monroe that we acquired
Florida and other territory Oh the gulf
embracing 10000 square miles.
1t was under the democratic admin
lstrations of Tyler and Polk that we
added the state of Texas, with its mag
nificent area of $4,000 square miles, to
the Union.
1t was under the democratic admin
istration of Polk that we acquired
Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New
Mexico, having an area of 636, 1000
square miles.
1t was under the democratic admin
istration OF Pierce we effected the
Gadsden purchase from Mexico, there
by adding $4,000 square miles to
Arizona.
1t was under the democratic admin
lstration of Andrew johnson that we
acquired Alaska, thus adding all area
of ST 900 square miles to the national
domain and extending it to the Arctic
cea
By these successive acquisitions, die
tated by a wise and f%ar-sighted policy,
the original area of the Union has
been increased more than four-fold-
from 1927 900 square miles to 1908 900,
and given the mighty scope it pre-
sents at this day.
Aud how much territory has repub-
licanism added to the Union? Not an
acre.