Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-09-07
FACTS AND FIGURES.
HISTORY OF REPUBLICAN, LEGISLA-
TON FOR THE MASSES.

Settlers of the Northwest, the Homestead
Act and Agricultural Department-The
Two Parties Compared.
Among the principal employments of
the modern politicians is that Of eulo-
giving party principles and contrasting
party declarations. Better than all this
is the comparing of the record of what
political parties have done. It is usual
~ said that the Republican party lives
upon its record of the war of the rebel
lion. No; this is not true. We would
blot this all out and bury it forever
among the things to be forgotten, that
our common country may rise to higher
and better things above the grave of
bitter memories, for besides the history
Of the war there is an era Of living
truths, the product of national laws
enacted by Republican authority, sane
toned by the people that have placed
our country beyond all that was expect
ed, even more than could be desired
The Republican party forced through
what seemed to be an impregnable wall
in its early history and gave the country
the homestead act, which secured to the
settlers Of the west and northwest more
than million farms, the value whereof
today is equal to all New England
In order that these great waste places
might be settled with intelligent and
law loving people, the agricultural COL
lege and institution law, including
farms and schools for agriculture, ex
perimental institutions and farmers
institutions, were crystallized into laws
by Republican votes against the protest
OF Democratic opposition. Added to this
was the great agricultural department.
created by the Republican party, 50 that
the American farmer was placed on an
equality with the professional and COM
mercial classes Of the country in the cx
ecutive interests Of the government.
Not satisfied with leaving the agri-
cultural interests Of the country to the
! manipulation Of foreign competition,
among the first tl,ings the Republican
party accomplished was the securing Of
the home market for diversified and
profitable agriculture by protective
law that secured to the United States
its factory system, whereby home mark
cts were nl<de more profitable than al
the markets Of the world
In later ycars, during the operation
Of reciprocity, after the Democrats had
attempted f>r six Cr eight ycars to
stumble uT,Cl soEIc niears IF relief NIX
ing toward ne south, the kerJubis. !
! party cI>1oed Up IN TIE Latin :znerico1
states o gzcac MARKET for farm r>re.Iucr=,
by which w taxi frC1n Europe The cl,zn~
naerce II the s1arkz:<u half Of the cs5n~
tinelit
In 1872 tie Republicans found q
highway c:E:n to the Tsa:.agc IF the ra
/. uonai interstate co-zlr1ercc acr, ~ which
. the prevention of railway dzariusinarEGss
and combinations LaEe ben zvczGEed,
and fir transportation rates have ben
secured 10 the people.
j 4 Republican antitrust law was soon
/ aterward Isass<zl. which broke down the
/ monopoly Ct tee Standard Oil and shook
! the fOundasicl Of all the great trusts in
! the country, 50 that with the asoendancy
CT the Democratic party in 1888 these
trusts began to live again and are today
!; the masters Of the Democratic majority.
especially the Sugar and Whisky trusts
The Republicans made heroic fsnt
for pure food, one Of the best laws ever
| written in the interest Of health and fair
dealing. Oleomargarine and other spuri-
| GUS food products were made to stand
! upon their own merits in the markets of
the country. These laws were forced
against great Democratic opposition.
What shall we say Of the financial
Legislation of the Republican party? It
increased the circulation Of money
among the people from $435, 600, 600,
being $13. IS per capita, in 1860, to 81, .
600, 600, 900, or $24. IA per capita, in
1892. It paid the most tremendous war
, debt ever known in less than 20 years,
reducing the rate Of interest paid more
than one-half within the same period,
| finding market for it's bonds at the
low rate Of per cent in the face Of a
sale made 80 years before by the last
| Democratic administration of bonds
bearing per cent interest at 6 per cent
discount, equal to IL per cent.
Such is the history Of what the Re-
publicans accomplished in the nation s
| financial work. In the regulating OF our
revenues through the wisdom and man.
agement Of the Republican party it found
its way To tit u11ie.1 cement Of the free
List for imports by increasing the mum,