Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1892-03-03
APPELLANT SPEECH.
Republican Courage and Deeds in
Contact With Democratic
Dodging and Sinking.
What the Democratic Party has
Done and What it Pro-
poses to do.
It's Record Now Before the World,
is One Of High Endeavor and
Great Achievements.
From Speech by Isaac FL Bromley before the
MiddlesaX Club. Boston. Feb ~.

From Speech by Isaac 81 Bromley before the
Middlesex Club, Boston, Feb. 12l
Between the close of the war aud 1888,
the country was slowly passing out of com
plications which had resulted from the
conflict and gradually swinging back into
the domain of purely economic questions.
In 1888, thanks to the persistent effort of
the revenue sreformer who had corraled
Mr. Cleveland, the democratic party was
led out into the open, and for the first
time in all it's history il made a
square stand-up fight. 1t was on the
tariff We had got back to business.
When the polls closed the people had
given the republican party another vote of
confidence by the be8towal into its hands
o. power in all the departments of the
national government. There was NO mis-
taking the meaning of that vote. II was
a decision after a full hearing upon the
merits of the question. Wisely or un.
wisely, Inteligently or unintellIgently, the
people had voted in favor Of a protective
tariff and had committed to the republi-
can party the responsibility for its enact
ment. No one knew better than the ex-
perienced and sagacious leaders upon
whom this responsibility fell how great
were the risks of the experiment;
none knew b2tter than they the inpossi-
bility of framing measure that would
not be for a time at least source of
weakness to its authors. 1t uncovered
the whole front to a cunning, persistent
and INSCRIPTIONS enemy, who, having no
line of It's own to defend, mad nothing to
do but bring It's heaviest guns to bear on
the adversary's vulnerable points.
From the democratic point of view, it
was not good politics to pass the Nc
kinley bill. A hasty Judgment upon what
followed it In the election of the present
congress might confirm that view. 1t
could have been easily avoided. 1t only
needed that the rules of a democratic CON
gress should be continued SO that the
minority IN the house could obstruct
business, as has been their habit. The
democrats would then have been responsi.
BILE for defeating the wishes of the people
and the republicans would have been freed
from the risks of the experiment. This
was clear 10 the republican leaders in the
hfty-frst congress as it is to any of us
looking back over it to-day. And what
did they do2 Dodge? Take to the cover
of democratic preredents TO excuse in
action? Not much. They just unfuided
their front and marched straight on to
what the people sent them there to do
And that was neither sudden impulse
nor the result of long deliberation 1t was
what the republican party has been doing
all its life since the people selected Abra-
ham Lincoln to oe president of the whole
country, and it cost 100000 lives and I'M
told treasure to maintain his right. 1t is
its instinct, It's birth mark. 1t answers
to the peoples will because between the
party and tie people there is mutual trust
"a trust that outlives all misunderstood
ings and survives all temporary estranee-
mentS.
II was favorlte mugwump sneer that
the Republican party is living on its past:
that 1T is ttf4te and outworn; Incapable
and corrupt; that it is not equal to present
emergencies; that having done its work it
must step down and out. It is not so
common as it was. The party stands to-
day on its very latest record. It meets
every issue, as it did in 1861, with The
steadlness OF It's fixed convictions, and the
unshrlnklng courage which is the natural
inheritance of party born out of the long
pain and travail OF the nation and Graded
amid the tempest Of war. There are to
my mind very few things in his ory
wOrthier of admiration than the magnii-
cent steadiness with which the republi
can majority of the fifty first congress
marched straight on to the work it was
elected to do. And the history of paria.
ments furnishes no nobler figure than that
of the leader who with rare combination
of quickness and forest ht, judgment and
tact. playtulnesS and power, determined
will and infinite good nature sat in the
chair, diSmissing cobweb objections,
lo,, Of Oh lol
to ITS work.
Over against this record, which may
well arouse the enthusiasm of youth and
stir the blood of age, stands what? A
motley array; but the same that for thirty
years has hung upon Our TANKS. What is
its record? 1t is not written on the sum
mltS of national achievements but hidden
In the distressful intervals. What has it
doneP Nothing of any moment, thank
God. What does it seek to do? The
answer of It's wrang ling factions is, it does
not know. What is it? Organized bum
ger and thirst What does it want ?
Victuals and drink.
So we enter on the campaign of 1892,
Before it opens we salute the sincere men
In front, with whom we are az plain and
pointed issue, and with high courtesy we
fonr years of Mr.. Cleyeland's administers
ton, IN bringing the party of bushwhack
ers and moonshlners at once into the open
Through their endeavors we had in 1888
fair, stand-up fight We won. and, as
we believe, advanced and drove our stake s
as day march further on in the nations
prosperous career. We abide around
our standards. 1t remains to he
seen whether the free traders. whose onin
ions we oppose, without doubling their
sincerity, have influence enough with the
bushwhackers to bring them once more
into the open field. That conflict we in
vite. If our opponents believe the con-
gressiopal elections Of 1890 were conclu-
sive. as the popular verdict on the McKin-
ley bill. or that they represented the
dissatisfaction of the people with the
methods of the ffty-frst congress, they.
too, should welcome such an issue.
Leaving out all claims on account of
benefits conferred in the past, waiving the
advantages of It's birthright and inherit
ance, the republican party says: I'VE are,
tor present purposes, our own ancestors;
we ask no consideration ON account Of
what was done ten, twenty, thirty years
ago; what we did yesterday ourselves we
stand up for and defend and the way in
which we did it. You say the people have
disapproved both. Very well. Your $50
majority has then one veLy plain duty; it
is to make a new tariff. Do il without
Sinking or dedging. Do what you say
the people sent you there TO do; do it as
we did our work in the ffty-frst cong1 ess
in straightforward manly fashion; and
or that let Us go the people
For the Young persons who have dur.