Morris tribune., 1893-02-08
The Future of the Republican
PARTY

made: " What Will become Oh tue ne
publican party7 VIII it go to pieces
and be merged into some other organ
ization? or will it retain its present
name?" Those who make these IN
quiries are usually Democrats, but
still we have occasionally met weak
kneed, timid Republican who ex-
pressed doubts as to whether the
Republican party could rally from its
recent defeat and again achieve vic
tory. To all such timid souls we have
to say that we should as soon have
thought of giving up the tight for the
Union because our troops were de
feated in hard Thought battle, as we
should of giving up the principles and
organization of the Republican party
because it had been defeated for the
second time in thirty-two years!
We have recently been reading an
article in the Enterprise, Democratic
paper published in East Norwich,
Queens county, n. Y, in regard to the
future of the Republican party, which
is so eminently fair, candid and just,
that we give the main portion of it
below:
"While the Enterprise does not
know what the Republican leaders
anticipate, it is reasonably assured
that there will be no such thing as
tiisiutegration, but, ra-Aer, indefati-
gable, uHtiriug, systematic work 70
recovaY power and prestige in the
nation. Ihe reason tor this is Oh
viou~. In the first pla Q the L Aru :
lean party VAS :Hs:I ,y<i ~poa lasting
prime pies, principles which may and
undoubtedly, at times, have been
turned aside, but which will never be
effaced. The first of these is the prin-
ciple of civil, individual liberty. The
maintenance of equal rights before the
law. Originally begun to oppose the
extension of slavery into the terrltor-
les, it naturally ran into freedom for
the slaves. 1t worked out the problem
of African slavery in the United States
under the masterful leadership Of Lin
coin. Incident to this came the war
Of the Rebellion, which solved the
question of states rights under the
indomitable perseverance of Grant.
With the dawn of peace it entered
upon its second phase, the establish
ment of sound and stable system of
currency. 1t proceeded to design and
carry to successful completion the fin
est and best monetary system in the
world, and when this was firmly car
ried into effect, it began the upbuild-
ing of the system of protected home
industry.
$50 far, since the days of Buchanan,
the Democracy have necessarily been
only the party of the opposition. 1t
has now won an apparent victory, but
it is very apparent that 1t is mega
tive one; in other words an examina
ton of the returns shows that it was
the stay at home Republicans vote
that defeated Mr.. Harrison. Whether
with a different candidate success
would have been assured is not now
to the point. One thing is certain,
there are as many Republicans in the
United States to-day as there were
four years ago, and, given the same
apparent necessity, they will act with
the same energy and vigor. In the
second place the Republicans, as a
party, are united, because they ale
fighting for a positive principle.
There may be some local differences,
but upon the two great cardinal
points, protection and a sound and
honest currency, there is no differ
ence of opinion. It is party nation
al, rather than sectional, in charac-
ter. This is not the case with its OPP
ponents. Already there is bitter
strife as to who shall control the diff
ferent wings of the Democracy, and
the Republicans will be very sure to
take quick advantage of any plumbers
that may be made by their adversar-
les.
In the third place there is in the |
Republican party host Of determin-
ed men, men who are not to be sway
ed 10y every passing political breeze,
but who with solid and undaunted |
front, are standing like bulwark |
against the inroads of immigration
which is Threatening the honest labor
of the land. Our readers may there
fore have no doubt as to the futu.e
of the Republican party. For moIe
than a quarter OF q century it has
been victorious, and it will take much |
more than quarter of century be.
fore the generation which has wor-
SHIPPED at its shrine will give up or
weaken in their allegiance. In the
meantime there will be new issues,
new men, new measures, and the one
which most commends itself to the !
thinking Intelligent masses will be |
the party of the future, no matter |
what its name.