Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-12-22
The Future Of the Republican Party.
Editor american.

Editor american:
Will you allow an original Republican,
who has voted the straight ticket at every
national election since 1856, to offer brief
summary of the political situation as he
views it, for the consideration of his
brother Republicans?
The defeat we have undergone Is no
ordinary 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
few brief intermissions, from 1900 tn
1860. During that period of sixty years,
America was ruled by the Democratic
party on the theory of State nights. N,-
tional banks and national currency we've
proscribed; State banks and State cur
rencies were universal. The result was
financial chaos. reckless speculation. ruin.
Gus panics, and periodical bankruptcy.
The tariff then. as now. WAS made polit
ical football; ...anged. Increased and
lowered without any enlightened regar
for American interests. The governneui
was controlled by coalition of the South
and the West, with the cooperation Of
the importers and the siums of the North
ern cities. That coalition was broken up
thirty-two years ago by the anti-slavery
movement and 8 solid North. precisely
similar coalition has again been formed,
and proposes to inaugurate a similar
policy.
We have practically lost the West The
Democrats and the Populists hold Indiana
Illinois. Wisconsin, Missouri, Kentucky.
Kansas, Nebraska. Colorado, Nevada
Idaho, Montana, and the Dakotas Ohio,
Iowa and California hang by a thread
Michigan is divided. Even Republican
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 will elect l..
5. Senator Only Minnesota and WASH
ington are left In the east We have lost
Connecticut; In the middle states. New
York, New Jersey aud Delaware are ia the
hands of the enemy.
Once in power the Democratic party
will lose no time 10 bringing in the four
remaining organized territories, Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Arizona. and Utah-all
Democratic. rhs will give 1t eight adj
dttional Senators, and six additional Rep
resentatiyes. 1t will further strengthen
Itself by adopting the district system Of
choosing presidential electors, thereby
en>uring the presence of Democrats 10 the
electoral college, even from Republican
States.
1t Is certain that we cannot regain these
lost States, especially our former Western
stronghold, upon the mere tariff Issue
The Wings could not hold them. on that
issue, even when they were powerful
party dt-puiing control of every southern
State. with Kentucky, the home OF Henry
Clay, solid for protection. Now We have
arrayed against US solid South, embit-
tered by defeat and repudllting rrconstruc-
Hon -, hk,t
above all else Tor the suppression of the ne.
gro vote, and a solid phalanx Of mining
States, which cares first. last and only for
the free coinage of silver
W hen the elements which now compose
the Republican party regain national pow
er, 1t Will De on some new and radical is
sue which can win support eyeryw here
North. South, East aud West; which can
stir the hearts. and enlist the moral sym
pathies OF men and women. What shall 1t
be! There are three such issues-Labor,
Temperance and Equal Suffrage. But Ia
Dor reform, in its present attitude towards
capital, l. an impracticable ally To side
with the Homestead strikers against their
employers, Is 10 side against the funda-
mental structure of society, and would ar
ray against US the business interests and
sober sense Of the country To sid, with
the Prohlbitioni>ts, with such voting con
stituencies rs now exist, would incur Ger
tain defeat. Suffrage reform seems to me
the only basis for new departure 1t is
iinperatiSely needed. What Is suifrageg
1t IL an authoritative expression of opiu
ion on questions OF universal interest.
How can such an expression be best at
tainedl BY takng the opinions Of all who
have rights to protect, and wrongs to rem
In In, ~.
words of our platform, We demand the
ballot for every citizen Of the United
States"
But suffrage is duty as we'll as right
1t can only be exercised by persons Of a
certain degree Of intelligence under rea-
sonable conditions OF age, residence. time
and place. llliteracy is our greatest men
ace. Even in Massachusetts, potwith.
standing our educational qualification,
there Is reason to believe that our candi-
date for Governor has Just been defeated
by practical iliteracy and incapacity to
mark ballot correctly. 90 90S blank
ballots for Governor. How much more
likely would be such an occurrence 10
States where no educational qualification
is imposed? Such a qualification can be
attained by any one at the public cost
Why not adopt as our leading Issue. Free
write, irrespective OF race. color or ,ex?"
This platform would be- adapted to every
locality. 1t is not liable to the objection,
brought against Federal Elections Bill
In New England and the Middle States and
the West there are more American WON
en- who can read and write than all She
voters of foreign birth. In the South
there are more white women who can read
and write than all the negro voters. la
the United States there are more women
who can read and write than all the Hitter
ate voters. We cannot disfranchise Hitter
ate men who now have the ballot. But we
can establish higher standard In the ex-
tension OF suffrage TO class hitherto ex-
cluded.
If you want to know what this issue
would do for the Republican party in Bos-
ton, look at the facts. OF the women who
can read and write in this city, a majority
of $4,000 are native born. Mayor Hart
says that he owed his election both years
to the efforts of the women voters for
school committee. In Massachusetts three
fourths of all the women who can read
and write are Americans.
Educated suffrage, irrespective of sex,
should become the leading Republican is
sue. Why not test it this winter in Maine,
by enactiDg law enabling women quail
fled, to vote in all city and town elections?
If the result meets the anticipations of its
friends, 1t will become new departure
which every Republican State will hasten
to follow. For myself | am for free suf-
frage for every citizen Of the United States
who can read and write, irrespective of
race, color or sex, as In Republican Wy
oming. In this sign we conquer. There
is no political salvation but in "liberty and
union, now and forever. one and insepara-
ble.' HENRY B. BLACKWELL
Boston, Mass.