The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1892-10-27

dustrlal prosperity OF the country, also w.
dertook work which has been neglected
of the merchant marine. The founders Of
the American republic. ~ soon q the con-
sti.ution was adopted, legislated at once in
| both directions. They levied duties in the
| interest Of domestic manufactured and e.
tablished discriminating imposts aud ton-
| mage dues in favor Of American shipping.
They recognised the TACT that merchant
| but required special measures Of protection.
Under this legislation American shipping
made rapid progress and rivaled the English
hipping merchant fleet on the high
seas. From 1915 to 1850 there was . re-
versal Of poiicy.by which projection MAS
gradually withdrawn from American bot
TOMS. The discriminating imposts and
in .reighting was established a. The rule OF
the high seas. With the equalization III
the flags The American merchant marine
was brought into composition With foreign
ships manned by cheaper labor. The de-
cline in the American carrying trade on the
ocean, which was most noticeable under the
low tariff preceding the civil war, was &C.
| sail, by the introduction Of iron shiu build
ing. by the piratical raids OF English built
Confederate cruisers, and, above all, BY the
generous assistance given by every mari
lime state in Europe to ito own shipping.
The fleets In the coasting trade
and in internal waters prospered be-
cause they were protected by law.
languished from sheer lack of protection.
The great work OF the Republican con.
gress in its second session was the passage
Of shipping bill by which the prosperity
OF this neglected interest might be restored
by agencies similar to those enjoyed by
maritime Europe. The Democratic par.y
offered strenuous resistance: only one Of
the proposed protection measure, was en-
acted. and even that was seriously weak
ened by amendment; bu enough has been
done to secure the establishment OF direct
mail service in steamships OF the highest
speed between Now York and French.
Belgian and English ports, and to offer as
tons to the merchant marine. While Re-
publican policy Is content with nothing
less than an AMerican-built feet. which
can he converted in an emergency Of
.oreign war into an auxiliary navy OF high
power, he>Demo cratic party WANTS Tree
rade In ships as we'll - in ocean freight
ing. lis shipping policy is embodied in
purchaser OF q foreign ship to put it under
the American flag Such policy involves
characteristic lack Of patriotic feeling.
The Democratic party il asked to do some.
;hinx to rescue and build I'D our merchant
marine. Straishtway it looks about for
come timc-honor.d and useful statute that
can be repealed. and then by opening the
registry ~ ioreiGn.built. ships it threatens
the destruction OF American shipbuildin1,
The Republican party stands to-day for
the protection of home industries and the
restoration OF the flag to the seas hecau e
it is national rather than sectional in the
tendencies OF its legislation. The tariff
and shipping bills affected the welfare and
the honor OF all the states, anu were enact
Nevertheless, one Of the chief attacks upon
the majority Of tho FlGy-tirst congress was
that they were sectional. That has always
been a iavOrite Democratic criticism; but
it was especially bitter in consequence
Of the strenuous efforts made by
tile Republican majority to secure an
honest election of members of congress.
The election bill was denounced a. an in
vasion OF Southern rights and liberties. II
honest e. eclions arc sectional, so much the
worse or that portion 0! the country which
opposes reasonable measure for the pro-
lection Of the ballot and the vindics,ion ot
majority rights. The Republican party
has no cause to be ashamed Of tho stand
made in the Fifty first con ress against Ia w.
lessness and minority usurpation in ma.
t;onal elections 1t was courageous pro.
test against fragrant wrongdoing, and it
counted for the right.
The same political influences which on.
forced the principle Of minority domino
ton In .ederal elections deliberately sou hit
to establish min O:ity rue in the Fifty first
congress: They repeated the attempt
minority faction, at er being defeated on
the appropriation for the worlds iair, sue
cceded after desperate stru gle by resort
to the most obnoxious Of the old rules in
debating to the majority their own condi-
tons OF surrender. In the Fifty first COLI
gress the minority fight against majority
rule was suppressed, and the result was the
by industry almost unexampled.
There was work to do, and it was DONE
There was no Sinking, no waste of the
public time. but q continuous pressure of
we'll ordered legislation. Among the I'M
portant laws enacted were the customs nd
ministrative, the tariff and internal revenue,
the coinage, the anti. lottery, the anti.
trust, the worlds fair; the meat inspe2-
ton. the intermediate court of appeals.
the land for. eiture, the private land claims
court, the eight hour. the refund ny of the
direct tax, the reapportionn,ent, the ad-
mission Of Idaho and Wyoming, the inter
national copyright and many other acts.
II was an exhibition of working power long
-
Such industry as this Is characteristic OF
the party which during the last thirty years
had been the one great political working
force in American civilization. The RI.
publican party has to do VII at need> to be
done. The Democratic party hangs back,
obstructs legislation, and threatens to r.
peal it. In minor policies under the press
reconclled to what 10 done. In great poll
cies affecting the prosperity of home indus
tries and American work men, or the stabil-
ity of financial order. it 10 never reconciled
to tho conditions of Republican progress
In its indictment Of protection ss unconsti-
tutional it takes up the old Modification
doc rine Of John Z. Calhoun: In it. de-
tho free coinage Of silver. and that
the tax on state bank issues shall be
repealed, it seeks to undo all that the Re
publican party has done Tor sound casr-
rency, honest finance and the national
banking system. Consciously or uncon-
the country, to bring in silver monometa:-
lisn,, and TO open the doodga es for ire
dcemable bank issues,
In the evolution of poll ical tendencies
Repubicanis,n is the survival Of what Is
conservative and progressive III American
public life, Decade q ter decads it has to
fight the battle o! industrial Independence,
s"O Doss.S W VVSPSAOAS WI A1uS5 SA3oSSS
against the DEGRADATION Of cheap labor, the
battle of honest finance againsitiat money,
lightweight coin and wildcat banking;
and it has always to struggle increasingly
against those abhorrent forces by which
suffrage and citizenship are debauched,
electors intimidateu and de:rauded and
majority rights usurped by minority con-
spiracy. Repu5licanism with its inherent
conservatism holds fast that which il coed
and goes forward in . spirit Of enlight-
ened preparedness. Toitlhe country owes
the sy nm etrical development Of industrial
interests, the increasing efficiency OF the civil
service and all administrative processes, and
the essential originality Of the work of
American civilization Republican policies
are comprehensive and national, yet a.ways
conservative and safe, and never LACKING il
creative energy and constructive p 'wer.
Their tertil zinR influences are distrl outed
through the length and breadth Of the land.
They yield hundred old. like the Western
prairies. They stand Tor what is NEST use
Jul and necessary in material progress and
in moral influence upon enlightened public
opinion.