The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1888-11-03
The Party Of Progress.
'ritten for THE REPUBLICAN.


things, and naturally he fell to won
dering what in the world all the fuss
ls about, and whether it is really
worth the candle anyway. Yester-
day Ben encountered his uncle-a
man up to his head and ears in busi-
ness, but just then on his way to the
railroad station, with about a minute
tomake the last square. Ben made
hBuncle understand that he wanted
to!talk with him, and his uncle, after
nasty glance at his watch and lis
tenipg to hear if the train was near,
srTted Ben to take the train with
80, as he was going only a'shosti
dFsnce and return.
/ What / want to know first" said
Be, when he and his uncle were
seaed in the car" is whether you
area Republican or a Democrat"
"'m neither one," said his uncle,
thogh l always vote on election
day. 1t is the duty of every citizen
to dGhat."
(Which way do you vote on cleo
tion dy ?" demanded Ben, thinking
he wa. about to corner his uncle
down t. particulars.
II VOC for thu party of progress"
was the reply. "And now, | sup
pose," c.ntinuedhis UNCLE" you will
want to know which party is the
party Of progress. In that case |
shall answer that it is not the party
that has opposed very great reform
for the last-Well, ever since | have
known anything 0out public affairs
and long befOre-fom the freeing Of
the coIored race tothe purging of the
civil service of political control"
Ben was little befogged by these
generalities, but heessayed one more
question. (which are the better
men ?" he asked, Harrison and
Morton or Cleveland and Thurman ?
"They are all honest men," re-
spOnded his uncle. Don't put any
faith in the accounts of questionable
acts committed by our public men,
These accounts occasionally get into
.fhe newspapers, but they ought moi
isH0 do so. They are a feature o
AI uerican political warfare. They
afeeN ~ feature, but they will soor
pasre[ayby-
j. President Cleveland means well,
w Arlt on his uncle, land has tried t
d1u his duty, He is a man of fail
ability, who has drawn some of The
ablest men in the country arounC
him as his advisers. | believe these
able men have wrongly advised Mr.
Cleveland, but that does not argue
that they are wholly wrong, or tina
they and the President are not homes
in their convictions. Mr.. Thurman
is an honest man and an able man
He has had the misfortune to be OF
the wrong side of about all the grea
questions that have been successful.
settled within my remembrance, bu
in that respect he has stood with hi
party. General Harrison and Mr.
Morton are both honest and abb
men, worthy in every respect to fiji
the positions to which they have beel
nominated"
"Well, then. Uncle, what is all thi
fuss about, and what difference doe
it make, anyhow, which men ar
elected this year."
THAT is just the point, my boy
and | am glad you reach it in thi
logical manner. But, to answer il
let us go back little way in our his
tory. Ever since our goyernmen
was founded there have been tW
radically different ideas underlying
the two great OPPOSING political pal
ties. Ore of these ideas has bee
the enlargement of the national pow
ers-that we are nation, inseparabl
and ivisible-citiZens of one gran
republic, destined to lead the Ne\
to a higher and nobler civilization
The other idea has been the EN-
phasizing of State lines-that we ar
citizens of this or that locality-tha
this and that interest must be guard
ed. The man who stands for tn
former idea is Alexander Hamilton
for the latter, Thomas Jefferson
You know who both these men wer'
The former was the original Reput
lican the latter, the original DemC
crat.,
"In the course of our history it ht
happened that at some periods one
these ideas has prevailed, and
other times the other but it is a fac
? easily proven by history, that whel
t ever we have worked together "
: : have made headway whenever SCI
! arately we have lost ground. WheI
s ever the Republican idea has pr
i. l.