The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-10-13

the american saloon ana It's deadly lntlu-
ence in American politics. Again and
again he reads the tale of the "Mayflow-
err and her gallant crew; of the heroic
days of the last century; of the not less
sublime struggles and victories of our own
times; and then he assures himself that
God has not forgotten Americans that He
will save us; the dream of the ages shall
be realized on these shores.
Every lover of his country and of her
mission among the nations seeks response
to his patriotic desires; with eagerness he
cries to the passers by: "If thy heart be
as my heart, give me thy hand" while
from the temples of religion comes the
prayer:
"Our fathers God, to Thee,
Authtr of liberty,
70 Thee we call.
Long may our lands be bright
With I. Ccdom's holy light,
Protect US by Thy IN ght,
Great God, our King"
With these solemn convictions and in
these crucial times political duties become
sacred, even as religious vows; and the
ballot-box holy shrine. He who disre
CARDS these duties, despiscs those vows,
or sets up false gods which can neither
hear nor save, must stand at the bar of
outraged patriotism and show cause why
he be not decreed a felon, a traitor
Political monasticism and political de-
bauchery mu It give account of themselves.
1t is Of political monasticsm that we first
inquire; it is co conspirator with political
debauchery, with the powers of darkness,
but may rightly demand separate trial
In the administration Of government po-
litical parties have come to have rccog-
nized place and acknowledged potency.
Political parties are voluntary associations
of voters to secure the election of men to
offices of public trust who shall make and
administer government according to a gen
eral policy set forth in party records and
party declarations.
The great parties will divide the mass of
voters at the November election, but hui
manly speaking, General Benjamin Harri-
son will be the next President, or Presi-
dent Cleveland will be his own successor.
| Every citizen will cast his vote with these
conditions and certainties in his mind.
The character of the candidates and set of
principles for which each stands arc the
considerations which will determine
among conscientious men-the choice of
the tickets.
The best types of American manhood are
represented in the persons of General Har-
rison and Mr.. Morton; pages have been
written of life-records illustrating this; it
is only necessary here to make the I'M
challenged statement. For what princi-
pies do they stand! In general and COM
prehensive terms-fOr the principles of the
Republican party. This party was the
political org nization which first went to
baltic under the shibboleth: mo extern
sion of slave territory" Freedom IS
national, slavery sectional" 1t triumphed
in the line of battle while cannon thun-
ueIeu; Inc Union must ana snail be pre-
SerEeu'
me cry lor human loerty and against
Alrlctn slavery lau Deen uttered by the
ChIlNtlan ana the phllanthroplst; the
masses mad been rallied by the rcformer
ana the preacher; they had been Mortified
by the aGgreSSlonS OF the slave oligarchY;
i'll Gods time, under Lincoln and Grant
and the boys in blue,n slavery was over
thrown and the Union was preserved.
The Democratic party during these cru
cial years stood against every measure by
which these results were accomplished; it
now gives its honors to Southern disunion-
lists and their Northern sympataizors; it
| holds the administration to-day by crimes
against the alIot-boX; it defends these
practices as political virtues.
The Republican party undertook and &C
COmplISHcu inc WOrR OF Reconstruction; IL
began and carried out great works of in
ternal improvements; it has established a
monetary system which transforms our
paper into gold in anv corner of the earth.
under its Industrial system American
labor commands better wages and better
conditions Of living than anywhere else on
the round globe. The States of the North
where Republicanism has its seat of mower
sustain free-school systems without which
permanence to popular povernment can
not be assured. The Democratic Sontb etiIl
loves the darkness of illteracv for its
masses better than the light of nonnlar
education.
The liquor traffic finds its open political
ally in the Democratic party: that marty
makes no contrary claim. At the South.
where much temperance legislation h as
been enacted by the votes of Democrats,
that legislation has been non partisan. At
the North the strong Republican States are
the ones where most stringent laws have
been enacted and enforced. In Kansas,
Iowa, Vermont, Maine and Rhode Island
the Republican party boldly declares for
the total suppression of the liquor traffic.