The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1888-06-22
IS56-1SSS.

Nearly third of a century has rolled
between the first Republican National
Convention, which met in Philadelphia
in 1856, and that which will assemble
this day Tuesday, in Chicago. When
the first Republican Convention met in
this city its delegates were, politically
speaking, strangers in a strange town.
Although ths Republican PARTY had al
ready attained immense vigor in the
West. it was scarcely recognized in
Philadelphia. The Democrats of the
city dreaded anti-slavery agitation in
every form as dangerous TO the Union,
and their Whig and KnOw-NOthing op-
pOnents were hardly less conservative.
This conservatism was not seriously
shaken until the civil war suspended all
commercial intercourse between the
North and the South. But Philadei-
phia amply compensated for her hesita-
tion aud reluctance to join the Republi-
can party by becoming. when the civil
war and its issues had been settled, the
only intensely Republican city in the
country.
When the Republican party came into
existence the tariff, which now consri-
tutes its only platform, was rarely DIS
cussed, thanks to the success of the
''free-trade" tariff act which had been
in operation for ten years. The tariff
question was completely ignored in the
first Republican platform, and the par
ty in its origin was ANYTHING but what
il has now become-an organization
given up body and soul to the service Of
monopoly and special privilege. Many
of the early Republican leaders who had
abandoned the d amOcratic party on the
slavery issue, includirgs such men as
SaTu ID
were as ardently 10 favor of commercial
as of personal freedom. Others, like
John Sherman and Henry Wilson, in
their speeches went almost TO the verge
OF free trade. William II. Seward. the
the foremost leader of the Republican
party, voted for the tree-trade tariff OF
1857, the lowest tariff in the last sixty
years, and he was followed by nearly
every Republican Representative in both
Houses OF Congress from New England
and New York.
Subsequently, when it became neces-
sarY 20 raise enormous revenues from
every available source for meeting the
expenditures OF the civil war. the word
''pTNtectiOn" was rarely used in the
tariff discussion. In the high tariff scts
Of 1862 and 1864 the ostensible purpose
was To raise revenues, not to protect in
dustries, although this patriotic object
was frequently defeated bv greed in
7 Imposing pTOhibtory duties which
I yielded no revenues To the embarrassed
I Treasury. Under no other condition
/ but the necessity OF war would it have
been possible to establi b the existing
Z tariff system. In building it up Gun
ming and Iapacity took advantage of the
generous patriotism OF the people.
Z IL
upon creating revenues in order
70 prosecute the war for the Union.
Monopoly and its agents eagerly availsd
/ themselves of the opportunities for
plumber and self ACKNOWLEDGMENT at the
i expense of the bleeding country II
was not till years after the civil conflict
and until monopoly had obtained com
/ plete control of the Republican party
/ ;ha: It's present tariff policy VAS boldly
( ayowed.
: These facts and considerations indis
/ cate the tremendous backward strides
/ OF the Republican party in reaching its
present reactInnary position. In the
early history of the party its watch
words we're "free men. free soil aud free
/ speech - and in their ardent zeal for
freedom in every form the original Re-
/ pu6iicans obtained from their opponents
} The derisive sppellstion of Freedom
/ Shriekers." But now, in a strange per-
/ version OF ideas, their Republican sue
! cessors regard every effort to remove re-
straints upon commercial freedom as
inspired by the spirit OF slavery. The
early Republicans. as their fist distinct
political act, reduced the tariff below
the average Of 20 per cent and now
their deceudaDts are thrown into spasms
over bill which proposes, in reforming
the tariff. 70 leave the average rate OF
protective duties as high as 40 per cent.
The party OF freedom has become 10 il.
decline the devotee OF Industrial and
! commercial slavery.
Under this reactiOnary condition thu
Republican National Convention meet'
at Chicago to day Tuesday and the sit
uation may we'll cause concern among It.
rejecting members for the future exist
ence of the party. For the first time IL
the history of the country q politica
party proclaims its devotion TO a system
of legislative spoilatiou, and its deter
mined hostility 20 every measure for tn,
substantial reform of that system Their,
are many members OF the party who re
gard this policy as suicidal. but thei
voices of warning will be smother edb'
the clsmors of the assent oled vOtaries o
Tariff Monopoly. The question which
the Convention at Chicago will deter
mine in its platform and choice of candi
dates IS whether the Republican part
can no longer carry this self inflicted
burden. or whether, in its subserv:enc'
to policy OF spoilation and greed, i
shall sink forever below the poIitica
horizon next November, 10 join the Fed
eralis.s, the Wings and other parties tha
could not keep pace with the onward
march of the American people.-PhiIa
Record.