Helena weekly herald., 1888-09-13
IMAGINATIVE Villas.

As high wrought example of imagina-
tive writing, the reported speech of Secre-
tary Villas at Milwaukee yesterday is fine
specimen, equal to the btst of Black or
Wilkie Collins. It's rhetoric is certainly
vigorous and shows that the author missed
a great destiny as writer of fiction to
make very poor statesman.
| There are occasional flashes of truth IN
describing the genesis of the Republican
party. 1t was great popular uprising
hey opd doubt in heavens own appointed
time and way to wipe out great national sin,
and there is no further doubt that it puri-
fed the Republic as by a whirlwind Of fire.
| We are not so certain that the evil which
engendered this uprising of the people was
more than destroyed 1t looks very much
as if the condition of the Southern blacks
was not very materially altered or i'm
proved.
There was something of a wreck when
the war ended, that is certain; a wreck of
confederacy whose corner stone
was slavery, but the confusion
was certainly fantastic and among all
this wide-fyiDg havoc of war the seals of
the constitution and people," lay around
promiscuously. We may charitably infer
that Villas referred here to the constitution
of the Southern Confederacy.
Though Villas says this was the logical
period" of the existence of the Republican
party, he insists that it neither stood
upon nor possessed any doctrine of govern
ment, and no principles for the guidance of
the institutions of freedom in the repOse of
peace" If Villas had not been so intent in
looking for other things he would have
discovered that the Republicans had plenty
of principles better adapted for the "repose
of peace" than the turmoil of war. While
the Democratic party for years before the
civil war acted as the wet nurse for slav-
cry, and abandoned the ship of state in
shattered and sinking condition, the Re-
publicans proclaimed free speech for free
men on free soil. They passed home
stead act, encouraged system of internal
improvements and home industries that has
filled the land with plenty and pros
perity.
One would almost imagine from Villas
chaotic rhetoric that the Republican party
was a special creation Of Providence, sort
of Melchisideck, without beginning of
days or end of time, raised up to destroy
what the Democratic party had devoted
itself to sustain. But the sober truth is
that the Republican party was made up in
about equal portion of Conscience" Wings
and Free Soil" Democrats, and these men
had about as full equipment OF "the doc
trine of government and principles forthe
guidance of the institutions of freedom in
the repose of peacs" as those who believed
in the divine institution of slavery, and
that this government was weak compact
of sovereign States that could be dissolved
at the whim of the weakest member. In
fact all the principles of freedom held by
anybody in the country, whether for
activity in war, or repose in peace, were
concentrated in the Republican party.
1t is true that some corrupt men at
tached themselves to the Republican party.
1t is the best coin that is always counter
feited. But the difference is this, that the
Republicans repudiated and punished its
corrupt members, while in the Democratic
party the worst men were always sure to
be in control The country was told that
during the twenty years that the Re-
publicans held control there were count
less robberies and frauds that would be
exposed as soon as the Democrats had
chance to look over the books and count
the cash. Did they ever find anything
short or crooked? They are not the ones
to keep still about such things if they had
found them.
No, Mr.. Villas, you have let your i'm
run away with your judgment.
You have suffered your diseased fancy to
belle all the facts of history. You admit
that the Republican party was heaven
born to wipe out the curse of slavery. But
great as have been the achievements of
that party in time of war, its achievements
in peace have been greater still. The
wastes of war have been covered with the
lilies and harvests Of peace. There is no
land like ours OF overrunning with wealth
and prosperity; nowhere else are TO be
found SO many happy, thrifty homes, SO
many brave, intelligent men and women,
A policy that has wrought out such results
is not a policy to be abandoned