Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1894-12-11
Tns OPPORTUNITY or the
RGPuolicAN PARTY.
M mxxnr cAsor lopaE.

The needs Of the country are the OPP
portunitles Of the Republican party.
1he greater the need the greater the OPP
portunity. In order. however, On under.
stand the opportunity Of the Republicans
at the present moment, and What u OF
fers and demands, 10 II necessary 10 de-
fne the situation which has created u,
and To trace the causes which have led
To its existence.
Whenever the country has wanted
something done u has turned To the Re
publican party or lie predecessors to do
Il. We are spt 10 think Of the Republi-
can party ~ beginning less than forty
years ago, but thls IL merelv because
names are mlsleading. The Democrats
have kept their name practically from
the foundation Of government, while the
Republican party has changed its name
three times. Yet despite this change OF
name, the party ~ such is fundamentally
the same ~ u MAS when Hamilton aud
Jefferson first differed, and when party
divisions began. The Republicans are
the successors Of the federslists and the
wings, and the party which At different
times has borne these three nsmes has
been In its general make up, and In lie
essential characteristics and qualities,
the same party. ~ the outset the coun-
try. disordere,i aud breaking under the
imbecility Of the old confederation, need
ed, n Il VAS To have any existence worth
having, q vigorous national government,
and the Organization Of such = govern
ment In all lts branches had become lm-
peratiye. The people committed this
task to the federalists, who held power
for twelve years, and accomplished the
mighty work % founding = nation under
the lead Of Washington aud IIsmllton
and Adams. Like all parties Of con-
structiou and progress, the fcdersli.ts
made the mistake % going too fast, and
perhaps too far. They were little
ahead Of their time, the reaction set In,
and the party ~ insction came in'o
power. Al the end Of twenty years,
however, public opinion had caught az
With the policies of the hrst two admins.
trations. aud all that the f-dersllsts h,d
conteuded for In the Organization of the
government, like an army, navy, {
vigorous foreign policy, . system ol
banking and currency, were not only 60
tAblished. but were accepted by the
Democrats. Who had come into enlstenc,
a. party because AZ the start they had
opposed the.e very things.
Then came lull, while parties formed
sgain on new Issues. These new Issue
we're Of sn economic character. The,
turned upon such questions n interns
improvements, the Industrial indepen
dence aud development of the country
on financial matters, aud upon the sub
,IdIary questions to which these large
one. gave rise. These economic issue
did not 20 To the great depths ~hici
wsie stirred by the creation Of the 90,
eminent, and by ts salvation NJ q late
period. The result, therefore, Was
close balancing Of parties, and a repcste'
.hifiing Of power between the Demo
Gratis on the one hand and the Whlg.
sho had taken the place 81 the Federal
lists, on the other. Behind these go
monte issues, however, another question
va. arising % q moral character, whlcl
was destined 10 stir the ns,lon to II
depths, and shake the very foundation
81 the government. Til. question va
slavery. A. then organized the Demo
crafts SUSTAINED slavery and the stat
rights with which u VAS bound az
while the wings shrank from the discu.
sion. such = condition could not lac,
! still lea. could such . question BE- .y,d
ed. In process. 10 time the country ds
msnded party which should stand a.
resistance TO slavery, aud for the main
t.nance 10 the Union n against III
states. Again the hour had come ~he
the country wanted something, and tia
great thing. done. IL wished, I. q mr..
step, 20 stop the extension 81 slavery
aud the Republican party ro.e up "a d.
the work, absorbing the whlgs, and tai
Ing the place which had been held b
the latter aud by the fcdersllsts.
The need 81 the country Was great
and the opportunity answered To II
. The Republicans grasped the opportun
", saved IN. Union aud abolished sls,
cry. In exact proportion 10 the m,gn|
tude 81 the issue aud the icrc.n.ss o
the struggle VAS the tenure ~ powe
which waited upon success. for tvet
ty.four years the victorious Republican
controlled the national government
During Mr.. Cleveland. first term Tia.
still retained the senate. They can
back % full power In is>s, aud In lsg
they again went out 81 power, for th
, tir.t time In thirty.two years losing COT
troll % every branch % the government
MANY cause. contributed Ia this d'
feat, but none so much q. the simple lac
that the Republican. had been In powe
for over thirty yesr. The very TAG
that they had carried great civil war I
, a victorious conclusion, while II confirm
ell them In power, had result. frot
which they were bound 10 suffer. sue
: q terrific struggle as that which went %
from lsGl 10 lsGS shook not only Oh
government, but business and society I
: their very foundations. All ordlnsr
J rules aud habits OF life and thought ~er
, pushed aside la the one absorbing an
consuming desire % the people Ia pre-
serve their national existence. A con
yulslon so great could not fall Ia d
demoraliIlng, and Oh. politics dsmoral|
ration ~ the time came upon the rullnI
party. Nowhere else could II lind ex
preston, and all the evils "a which
gave rise we're charged, justly or unjust
~, To the party In power, Who bore th
burden and suffered accordingly. Tia
long period Of success gave time too 90
the upgrowth OF an entire generation
Who had never known Democratic gu
premscy or what IL meant. IL also pro
duced all sorts Of schlsms In the rank
Of the dominant party, for upon tn
party Ia control every dissatisfaction !
always vented. Republicans Who re
garded the question of Temperance, ~hei
the issue. Of the war were once settled
as more important than anything el.'
broke away and became Prohibitionist.
Persons To whom matters OF adminl.tra
ton and reformed civil service appear
Ell IL the highest moment levelled al
their criticisms az matter OF cours'
against the party In power, holding th'
party Of opposition quite blameless IL
thi. respect, merely because the minority
party had no Offices Ia give and no adj
mlnIstration to conduct. People VIII,
we're dissatisfied With the national cur
rency held the ruling party responsible
for any business misfortunes which
overlook them, and broke away from
the Republicans In the short.llved
greenback movement, and still later Ia
that Of the Populists. In addition to al
these schisms the natural desire OF hu
mani,y for q change, and the equally
natural feeling which once banished
Ari.tide., told against the party which
had held power 80 long. In q word, the
forces Of reaction which had been gath.
ering for thirty years had ripened To &
point where they could no longer b.
withstood.
Asis usually the case, these forces
centred largely on = single question.
II Ia true that the Republicans were held