San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1886-08-26
WHY NOT A STRAIGHT TIcKETp

|
OF the coming ages, when, passion and
prejudice shall alike die out of the mem
cries of men and an unimpassiOned judg-
ment shall be rendered upon the merits
of the actors who occupy the stage of
to-day. The republican party enjoys
the honorable distinction Of hearing the
principles and undermining the work OF
the old Wing party, which for so many
years withstOOd the encroachments OF
the slavocrals of the old democracy.
The republican party is the successor OF
the old free soil party having for its pur-
pose the exclusion of slavery from the
Territories of the United States and the
admission OF no more slave states into
the union. The republican party is the
successor of the abolition party of this
| country, whose work, begun in OBSCURE
ty, continued under obliquy and dis
couragement such as no political party
ever before endured, became successful
only when the shareholders rebellion was
inaugurated to perpetuate the curse OF
human slavery. The republican party is
| the exponent of the national idea In
American politics as distinct from the
states rights idea, and is entitled to the
distinction of having prosecuted sue
cessful war for the establishment Of the
principle that this republic is nation
and not mere cOnglomeratiOn of states
The republican party is the party OF
educational progress; the party of pro-
gressive and enlightened legislation In
the interests Of the masses; the party
that, in its platforms and in Its
legislative enactments, has done more
for government Of the people, by the peo-
pie, for the people than during the years
of it's existence than was ever dreamed
of outside of its ranks. Whatever ideas
of progressive legislation have been ac-
cepted by the democracy of this nation,
they have borrowed from the ideas and
usages of republican states. The repub-
lican party has ever faced towards the
future; the democratic party has ever
lived in the past, regretting the old con-
ditiOns, mourning over the good old
days of Adam and of Eve, lOating around
the door stones of regret in the temple
of wasted opportunities and vainly in
voking the dethroned duties of other
days. Wherever republican majoritIes
are found, there will be found the larg-
est liberty of speech, the freest express
sion of opinion, the most generous pro-
visions for education, the most humane
laws for the government OF society,
the most ample guarantees for
the protection of labor-in a word,
the most advanced, liberal and
enlightened humanitarianism.
Is here any valid reason in these
things for being ashamed of the record
of the republican party? If NOT, why
then refuse to make straight out nOmi-
nations? Will not the history Of the
party impartially considered bear out
this assertion, that only in departure
from its standards as expressed in its
platforms has the party failed to reach
the high water mark of Lincoln's claim
for it, as over and above and beyond all
else the party Of the people. All then
that remains is for us to hold fast the
principles and aims Of the republi-
cal pioneers and restore the an
cient landmarks wherever in any
wise they have been broken down.
TO accomplish this let us not
seek amalgamatiOns but reservations.
The laborers who want reform legisla-
ton will find it at the hands OF the re-
publican party or nowhere. They must
come to us-we cannot go to them.
They have no organized opposition to
the encroachments of democracy; the re-
publican party has. No party rises
higher than its platform, none fully
comes up to its best declarations. The
democratic platforms are not free labor
platforms, they never have been. The
republican party was founded upon
free labor platform and the fight for
American labor will never be fought
successfully on any other. We want
straight out republican nominations on
u straight republican platform, because
the democratic party is the party of re-
PROGRESSION; the republican party the
party of industrial and national progress.
The storm of last Friday blew out all
the cotton that was open in the path
that it traversed, and must have dam
aged the cotton crop fully % per cent.
Without this disaster, the crop would
have been short on account of the pro-
tracted drouth.
THERE Is one branch Of industry that
is shamefully neglected in San Antonio,
which might be made exceedingly pro-
fitable we're it energetically prosecuted
we allude to the cultivation of vegeta-
bles on irrigable lands and on lands, that
with n small outlay of money, might be
irrigated. Raising vegetables is most
profitable business where 1t is intelli-
gently prosecuted-it beats raising cot
ton all to pieces. San Antonio ought to