The Coconino weekly sun., 1895-07-03
FOR OUR NATIONS VEAL.
The Principles and Purposes of the Re
 publican Party,

I
 paign which precedes the next prcsi.
 dential election will be Q battle royal
 between the two great parties, and be-
 tween the principles and leaders oi
 each. It is equally plain that the peo-
 pie of the whole country realize the
 magnitude and importance of the issue
 and are watching with strong interest
 the respective combatants as they
 move their forces into position and be-
 gin to map out their plans of campaign. | The reasons why the coming con
 test will be notable for it's opposing ar-
 ray of great principles and strong men
 are to be found in the history of the
 nation during the past three years By
 the misfortune of disturbed commer- cial system resulting from sectional and illogical revenue laws; by the re- sultant evils of stagnation in business, Of lethargy in production and of slug | gishness in internal trade; by the still greater calamity of an uncertain and insufficient financial system; by the utter negativity of the party in power
 in affording aid or encouragement to such internal improvements as the ir- rigation and opening to settlement of arid western lands, and to such large designs for augmenting the nations power and influence abroad as the
 Nicaragua canal and the Hawaiian cable; finally, by the disgrace of . timid and blundering foreign policy, the whole country has been aroused to the necessity of finding remedies for these accumulated evils and of intrust- ing its destinies to more experienced and better accredited statesmen than of late have had them in charge
 Hence it is that the people and the parties are looking forward to na- tional contest in the arena of politics between great principles and strong men.
 In view of this condition it is inter- esting to observe the difference in methods with which the two great par ties approach the issues of the cam paign, and in this very difference to read the history and character of each. It may be considered a certainty that one of the leading issues of the contest will be the financial question. The democratic party, through its official expert in finance, Mir. Carlisle, has en- tered upon what is termed "a campaign of education" with special reference to the subject of the nations financial policy. It is observable that he has committed that portion of the demo- cratic party which indorses Mir. Cleve- lands administration to the gold standard, against bimetallism, and hence against silver. This is one of the extremes of the financial problem, and the democratic party takes it be- cause it is essentially party of ex- tremes. It became so during its long punishment from power, and during its brief return it has not had sufficient sureease of worry from the important ties of its own hungry retainers to ac- the other great issues of the campaign the democratic party may be confidently expected to be the party of extremes. If these extremes of policy were on the side of public enterprise and progress the party taking them might be ex- cuscd if not commended. The demo- cratic party, however, has never been the party of national enterprise and progress, for the reason that the adop- tion of such a policy requires liberal construction of the powers conferred upon congress by the federal constitu- ton, of which liberal construction the democratic party has been a persistent enemy. It follows, first, that, in the approaching campaign the democratic party will be the party of extremes, and second, that upon every issue in- volving an enlarged exercise of federal functions the democratic party will oc- cupy the extreme which is opposed to public progress at home and abroad.
 It requires no special prescience to forecast a few of the great issues of the coming campaign. The financial question; the policy of controlling the Nicaragua canal and of expediting it's construction; the laying of a cable to the Hawaiian islands with national aid; the adoption of comprehensive plan for the irrigation and settlement of arid lands; the adjustment of the tariff upon such a fair and equitable basis as to remove the issue from our politics and set it at rest for years these are some of the great issues of the next election of which the public interest and necessity require solu- ton.
 The attitude of the republican party toward these great issues is being anxiously awaited by the people of the country at large. It is historically and essentially a party of progress, the party of liberal views of federal power and duty where the prosperity of any portion of the republic requires the exercise of national energy. It has from it's very creation been the party of bimetallism, of honest money, and of enough of it for the require ments of trade; it has been and is the party of protection in its broad and liberal sense; is and has always been the party which fostered ideas and projects for internal improvement. It has also constantly adhered to the policy of increasing the power and in- iiuence of the nation abroad. What the republican party has been in the past it is to-day and will continue to bo If foIlO,yS that upop tho op,,r,