The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1886-10-23

enlargement at times, and great |
deal of encouraging triumph at other
times, that they knew something
about that question pertaining to
themselves. But suddenly great !
light flashed upon them, and the
third party was organized to instruct
the people of Maine that the way to
promote Temperance was to divide
its friends into factions and commit
that great virtue and grace to the
tender mercies and the friendly EN-
brace of temperance party. Now,
your situation in Pennsylvania is
not unlike the same, and | am not
here to argue what it should be; l
am discussing the situation just as it
is presented. AS I understand it the
Republican party in Pennsylvania
has said through it's Organized con-
vention that the people of the State
shall decide that matter. [Applause.
That is what the people of Maine
said thirty years ago. 1t is the very
essence and strength of Republican
institutions that the majority shall
govern. That won't suit the lem.
perance men who are running the
third party at all. I believe that,
while there are many honest and up
right men in Pennsylvania, as in
Maine and other states. and some
who may be misled and exercise mis-
judgment-I believe from my expe-
rience in Maine and my knowledge
of what has TRANSFERRED in the state,
believe it is the deliberate attempt
and Obvious purpose of the leaders of
the third party movement to secure
by moral treason the triumph of
the Democratic party. Applause
NOT DIVERTED BY THIRD PARTY.
IL believe that the people of Penn
sylyania, who above all other people
in any state, have given to the peo-
pie of the country the immeasurable
blessings of a doctrine of protection,
will not be diverted by movement
of this kind, and | say here-for l am
repeating what l have often said in
my own state-that if they should
succeed in breaking down the pro-
tectiYe tariff of this country and in
Producing free trade. they would
give more deadly blow to the cause
of Temperance than any other fact
that could happen to the country.
"Why is far less liquor consumed
among the laboring men of the Unit
ed States than of Great Britain ?
Why, if you grind man down with
low wages until he sees no hope, the
FIRST suggestion to large number of
minds, is /: "Well, l might just as
well get drunk and if a man sees no
hope beyond he can't earn enough to
put a good roof above his family.
When the time of fate has so turned
against him that he sees no way out
and has no hope, he is fitted for any
desperate deed, and it may be lucky
for society that he does no greater
crime than simply get drunk. So
that any man in Pennsylvania to day
who risks free trade crisis in a
vague clutch for the third party is
most unwise, if he doesn't deserve a
more significant epithet.
THE SOUTHERN QUESTION.
zone of the honorable speakers
who preceded me referred to the
question which in many of our pre-.
ceding years has been debated as the
Southern question, and which, |
grieve to say, from the discussion of
which the Republican party has been
somewhat slammed by unworthy in
fiuences. beg to present one or two
ideas upon that question. do it the
more readily because | am here as
the guest of the Young Republicans,
and | want to speak of some facts
that antedate their experience. One
of the most common accusations is
that 1.-THE Republican party got no
more than it deserved for forcing ne.
gro suffrage on the South. Now l
stand here to deny that. and | call
all men beyond fifty years of aye to
attest what l say. And l specially
call upon my friend, with whom l
served years in Congress Judge KEEL
ley). to attest the accuracy of my
narrative. When the Republican
party approached the question of re-
construction there was not one man
in ten thousand that then thought of
forcing suffrage upon the colored men
of the South. They practically said
You have a very large number of
men without education suddenly
made free they need education ;they
need experience they need training,
and We will readmit you into the
Union and leave that question for
you to solve YOURSELF And in that
spirit and to that end we submitted