Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-11-17
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.


publicans. They had not antici-
pated any kind of defeat in the
National contest. They believed
that their cause was just; they
believed that Protection to Ameri-
can industries and American
labor and American farmers
Protection to the United States
was right. They believe so still.
They believed that the people
were satisfied to let we'll enough
alone. They knew that there had
been IN er. of prosperity such
as the country had never before
witnessed, under the present
administration. They knew that
millions upon millions of dollars
had been invested in new and i'm
portant industries because of the
Republican party's adoption Of
the Mckinley law. They knew
that the worst Democrat in the
country could not unfavorably
critise President Harrison's
administration.
There may be some in the party
who believe the defeat means the
last of the Republican party as an
organization, but not all believe
that; and those who do believe it
is the end of the great party's
career are proud to have been
members of it. They have no
apologies to make for having been
Republicans the past thirty-two
years. They are proud of the
party in which they have spent
most of their lives; proud of its
work from 1860 to 1865; proud
that it has honored such men as
Lincoln, Grant, Garfield and Harri-
son; proud Of the party's National
legislation; proud of its record on
the great question of finance;
proud Of its record as a constant
defender Of the great principle Of
Protection; proud of its patriotism;
proud of its leaders, proud of its
long and useful life.
There is another class of Re
publicans who are just as proud
of all of these things who are
firmly of the opinion that it is
necessary to have in the country
party, like the Republican party,
such a party as it has been ever
since its birth, for the next twenty
five years as it has been during
the past thirty-two years, and
they will rally on the colors,
fighting in the future as they have
fought in the past, in the full be-
lief that in fighting under that
flag, for such party, with such
principles, they are doing their
country as good service as they
would do were they in line of
battle defending the honor of their
country and its flag from the
assaults of a foreign foe. Repub-
licans should keep in mind that
i'll their rally on Tuesday last
there was an army of more than
five million men, and in that army
were as good heart and as good
brain as ever was found in any
political party anywhere under
the sun. Shall such a army
disband with important work be-
fore it-strike tents and scatter
unorganized? Not a bit of it.
The Republican party is not dead.
1t will move into line with the
same zeal, earnestness and deter
minasion that has characterized
Republicans ever since the party
was born.
The Democratic party stands
between the deep sea and the
devil. 1t has pledged its word of
honor to return to a system OF
tariff for revenue only, or the
same kind of Free Trade that
England has-the same kind of
Free Trade that we have had on
several occasions, and on all of
which occasions it has resulted
disastrously to the country. 1t
must keep its word or must make
a complete back down. That a
complete back down on that