The Republican journal., 1892-12-22
The Future of the Republican Party

mas voted the straight ticket at every na
tional election since 1856, to offer brie
summary of the political situation as he
views it, for the consideration of his broth
er Republicans?
The defeat we have undergone is no or
dinary swing of the political pendulum
which we may hope speedily to reverse
1t is return to the political conditions
which prevailed in this country, with only
a few brief intermissions, from 1900 to
1860. During that period of sixty years,
America was ruled by the Democratic
party on the theory of States rights, Ma
| uonal banks and national currency We're
prescribed; State banks and State curren-
cies were universal. The result was fl
nanclal chaos, reckless speculation, ruin
GUS panics, and periodical bankruptcy
/ he tarf then, as now, was made a po-
! litical football; changed, increased and
lowered without any enlightened regard
| for American interests. The government
was controlled by coalition of the South
and the West, with the cooperation of
! the importers and the slums OF the North
! eln cities. That coalition was broken up
! thlfty two years ago by the anti slavery
movement and a solid North. precise
~ similar coalition has again been formed
and proposes to inaugurate a similar pol
icy.
We have practically lost the West. The
Democrats and the Populsts hold India
ma, Illinois, Wisconsin, Missouri, Ken
tucky, Kansas, Nebraska Colorado. Ne
vada, Idaho, Montana and the Dakotas.
Ohio, Iowa and California hang by a
thread. Michigan is divided Even Re
! publican Wyoming, saved to Harrison by
, the heroic efforts of her women has a
legislature wherein the Democrats and
Populists hold the balance of power, and
VIII elect |. :. Senator. Only Mime
sofa and Washington are left. IN the East
we have lost Connectcur; in the Middle
States, New \ ork, New Jersey and Della
ware are in the hands of the enemy
Once in power the Democrats will
lose no time in bringing in the four re-
naming organized territories. Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Arizona. and Utah-all
Democratic. This will give it eight addi-
tional senators, and six additional Repre-
sentativcs 1t will further strengthen it.
self 10y adopting the district system of
choosing presidential electors. thereby en-
surlng the presence of Democrats in the
electoral college, even from Republican
! States.
- et'iiA
lost States. especially our former Western
strongholds, upon the mere tariff issue.
| The Wings could not hold them on that
issue, even when they were ii powerful
party disputing control Of every Southern
State, with kentucky, the home of Hen
lN Clay, solid for protection. Now we
have arrayed against MS a solid South, en-
bittered by defeat and repudiating recon-
strurtion-a South which cares first, last
and above all else tor the suppression OF
the negro vote, and Il solid phalanX Of
! mining States, which cares first, last and
only for free coinage Of silver.
W hen the elements which now compose
the RepubIican party regain national
power, it will be on some new and radical
issue which can win support everywhere
North, South, East and West: which
can stir the hearts, and enlist the moral
sympathies of men and women. What
shall it be? There are three such issues
Labor, Temperance and Equal SUFFRAGE
But labor reform, in its present attitude
towards capital, is an impracticable alIv
To side with the Homestead strikers
against their EMPLOYERS. is to side against
the fundamental structure of society," and
would array against us the business inter-
eNlS and sober sense Of the country 70
side with the Prohibitionists, with such
voting constituencies us now exist would
incur certain defeat Suffrage reform
seems to me the only basis for A new de-
partule. 1t is imperatively needed
/ What is suffrage? 1t is an authoritative
expression of opinion on questions Of uni
Nersd interest. How can such an expres-
sion be best attained? BY taking the
\ opinions of all who have rights to protect.
and wrongs to remedy, and interests to
promote, In the words of our platform
1--WE demand the ballot for every citizen
OF the nited States'
But suffrage is a duty as well as a right
/ 1t can only be exercised by persons of d
certain degree OF intelligence, under reason
4 apie conditions OF age residence, time and
place- lliltelacy is our greatest menace
Even III Massachusetts, notwithstanding
our educational qualification, there is rea-
! son to believe that our candidate for Gov
ernor has just been defeated by practical
lllteracy and incapacty to mark a ballot
correctly, %, 9OS blank ballots for Cover
nor! How much more likely would be
/ such an occurrence in States where no
educational qualification is imposeLa Such
a qualllcaton can be attained by any one
at the public cost. Why not adopt as our
/ leading issue, Free Suffrage for all citi-
4 zens who can read and write. irrespective
OF race, color OF seX?' This platform
would be adapted to every locality. 1t is
not lable to the objections brought against
a Federal Election Bill In New ENGLAND
and the Middle States and the West. there
are more American women who can read
and write than ali the voters of foreign
olth. In The South there are more white
/ women who can read and write than all
the negro voters. In the United States
there are more women who can read and
write than all the iliterate voters. We
cannot dls1IanchiSe illiterate men who now
/ have the ballot But we can establish a
higher standard in the extension of suf
frase to class hitherto excluded
! 1t you want to know what this jsst1e
would do for the Republican party in Bos
ton, look at the facts. OF the women who
can read and write in this city. Il ma iority
ot l3,0o0 are native born. Mavur Hart
says THAT he owed his election both wears
to the efforts of the women voters for
school committee. In Massachusetts
three foHrth> of all the women who can
read and write are Americans.
Educated suffrage, irrespective of sex.
should become the leading Republican
issue. Why not test it this winter in
Name, by enacting a law enabling women
qualified to vote i'll all city and town elec-
tons? If the result meets the anticipa-
tons OF its friends. it will become a new
departure, which every Republican State
i VIII hasten to follow. For myself, | am