Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-04-11
HARRISON AT CHICAGO.

His Recent Trip to the Garden City for
Electioneering Purposes Chicago Re-
His Presence.
General Harrison was in Chicago the
other day on an electioneering mission, SAYS
the indianapolis Sentinel. He found all the
Republican papers of the city industriously
booming Gresham for the Presidency, and
pretty much all the Republican leaders do
ing the same thing, The day before he ar
rived the Republicans of the Twenty-first
ward-one of the strongest Republican
wards of the city-passed resolutions by q
unanimous vote indorsing Gresham for the
Presidency, and elected delegates to the
State convention pledged to his support.
Altogether we imagine that General Harri.
son must have found the atmosphere in
Chicago very chilly-very chilly, indeed.
However, he mustered up the nerve to
make a speech before the Marquette Club,
whatever that may be. And what a speechi
The topic was the Republican party. Gen.
eral Harrison told the Marquette clubbers
that the Republican party is the only party
that has ever been prescribed and perse-
cuted for humanity's sake" He also told
them that 81 in the darkest days of the re-
bellion the Republican party saw Appomat-
tox through the smoke of Bull Run" Also,
that it had "always been able to handle the
greatest questions presented to American
craftsmanship for solution" And that il
"has committed itse to the doctrine of
protection" Also that "the present pros
porous voyage OF tho ship of state is ac-
counted for by the fact that the course Of
the ship was marked out before the present
captain went aboad.n
There are a good many school boys in
Indiana who could make better speech on
the Republican party than this-better be-
cause more truthful, more candid, moro
just. The Republican party has never been
prescribed nor prosecuted for humanity's
sake nor for any other cause. II was in con-
troll of the Government almost uninterrupt-
edly for twenty-four years. Except during
the period of the rebellion, when the Re-
publican party practically ceased to exist,
and union party, composed of Wings,
Democrats, Free -soilcrs, Republicans and
persons of all shades OF political belief DOM
mated the country, these history Of those
twenty-four years is not one that can be re-
viewed with pride by any patriot II pre-
sents q melancholy record of class legisla-
ton, economic laundering, corrupt admin
istration and the prostitution of the highest
and most sacred functions OF the Govern
ment to the service of unworthy personal
ambition, inordinate greed and insane par
tisanship.
Who can read the story of the recon-
struction era-even as narrated by James
G. Blainc-without blushing for the Repub-
lican party! Who can review the impeach-
ment proceedings against Andrew Johnson
without sensations of indignation and dis
gustl Who can recall the eight years of
Grantism, with their crowding scandals and
their ever-multiplying abuses, without
wishing that the disgraceful chapter could
be blotted forever from the country's an
nalsl Who can look back upon the electoral
villainy of 49, "a and remember that r. B.
Hayes, from his stolen seat, rewarded the
participants with the choicest morsels their
knavery had put 1t In his power to bestow
without feeling Inundated that fraud and
perjury were permitted TO triumph over the
will of the American peoplel
The Republican party, when it was in
power, builded up great monopolies, legis-
lated in the interest Of the rich and against
the poor, systematically degraded American
labor, squandered untold millions of the
public treasure IN jobbery and extravaganza,
gave away the choicest parts of the public
domain to corporations and spectators,
demonetized silver for the benefit of the
money lords of Europe and America,
licensed a ravenous hord of freebooters to
levy tribute upon the great masses of the
people, drove American shipping from the
high seas, plundered tho South, stole the
Presidency and committed more offenses
against public morals and private rights
than were ever committed by all the other
political organizations that ever existed in
the United States combined. 1t never gave
the country but two respectable admins
trations-those of Lincoln and Arthur And
yet we arc forever to DO deiuged with drivel
from politicians Of the Harrison sort about
s'the glorious record Of the Republican
party"
Well, so be it, If General Harrison Is
really so proud of his party's record we
don't begrudge him the pleasure he derives
from its contemplation But we think even
the most bigoted Republican will feel like de-
manding something else of his candidate for
the Presidency this year than the fulsomc
laudation of the party's pasti What of the
present, General Harrisonl And what of
the futurei How about the coinage of
silver, and Chinese immigration, and Gov
ernment regulation of railroads, and the
spoliation tariffs How do YOU stand on
these questions. Are you in favor of re-
tanning the taxes on clothing, fuel and
shelter, and making whisky FREQ, Are YOU
for free shipst Do you believe that the cor
poratinns should continue to run the coun-
try, or do you think 1t is about time for the
country to begin running the corporationsi
These and similar questions are what the
people are interested in now