The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-05-02
THE REPUBLICAN, CLUBS.


The convention Of Republican clubs that
meets to-day will be largely composed. and
still more largely representative Of. young Re-
publicans. By young Republicans is meant
those who have become voters within the last
tan or twelve years and who are approaching
middle age These, with the new crop con-
stantly coming in, furnish large proportion
of the active political workers at any given
time. 1t is now nearly thirty years since the
Republican party first carried Indiana, and the
enthusiastic young Republicans of that day
are getting along in years. There has never
been a greater campaign or more glorious Re-
publican victor; in Indiana than that of 1860,
when Abraham Lincoln carried the State by
$4,000 majority. Four years before the Dem.
ocrats had carried it by $4,000. That was
revolution indeed. Young Republicans Of
the present day, those who have become vot-
ers in the last dozen or fifteen years,
can hardly appreciate the inspiration of
those times or the grandeur of the
ground swell that swept the Democracy out
of power and started the Republican party on
its long and brilliant career. The Republican
party has achieved many victories since then,
and has enrolled many hundred thousands of
recruits in its ranks, but it never appeared
grander or greater than it did in 1860, when
it won its first decisive victory. Whyf Be-
cause 1t represented great principles and was
instinct with great moral ideas. The ideas
Of universal liberty, equality and justice in
their broadcast sweep and fullest application
were its inspiration and its life. In this sign
it conquered. and continued to conquer for
many years. If it has lost the art of victory or
achievements 1t is because it has fallen away
from the ideas that inspired them. The Re-
publican party owes q debt to its origin. It
is law of its being that 1t is strong only as
IL is true to the right and to the ideas of uni
versal liberty, equality and justice. The Re-
publican party, inspired by a sentiment is in
vincible; without such inspiration II is pow.
erless. The great sentiments that have in
spired It in the past were, first, the restriction
of slavery, then the preservation Of the Union,
then the abolition Of slavery. then the resto
ration of the Union, and SO on. Where can
1t find inspiration nowi Not exclusively in
tho tariff question nor In civil-serv-
Ice reform, nor in any other
question of mere governmental policy. These
have their important bearings and must not
be neglected; but the great unsettled question
of the day, the one that challenges the atten-
ton of the Republican party, aud the only
one that can furnish an inspiration for young
and old Republicans Is that of fair elections
and equal suffrage in every part of the United
States. This means the investment of the
colored voters in the South with their consti-
tutional rights and the breaking up of the
present oligarchy there by which the vote Of
one Democrat in Georgia counts as much
as the votes of six Republicans in Indiana
The overthrow of this system is as important
and necessary as was the abolition of slavery
Its continuance is an insult to the Constitu-
tion, libel on free government, and a stand
ing menace to the peace Of the country. It
must cease. Here is an issue in which Re-
pu blicans can find inspiration.