The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1896-06-11

classes of men who have constitutional
right to vote. Nothing can be more preg-
nant with danger to the stability and per-
petuity of this free government. All acts
of this kind destroy confidence In cleo
tons, make them sham, and undermine
and debauch the public conscience. They
have been too prevalent in some parts OF
our land. They should cease. Every
consideration of honor and welfare de-
mands it. Men who hold offices and assist
in shaping the policies of this country
should be elected by honest and real
votes. Certainly, if we would perpetuate
and transmit unimpaired to the millions
yet unborn who are to succeed us the
blessings of this free government, which
has cost so much of blood and treasure,
the people must know and believe that
the verdict of the ballot box is the will of
the majority freely and fairly expressed.
This is emphatically Republican year;
and our party is marching forward to GER
tain and signal victory. 1t refers with
confidence to its record-to the grandeur
of it's achievementS-to its patriotism and
devotion to principle and the best interest
of all classes BY and through the
triumphs of its policy this Nation was
preserved and purified-the shackles were
struck from four millions of slaves, and
all attempts Of reputation and dishonor
of our obligations have been, we trust
relegated for all coming time to ''innocu-
Gus desuetudeN and our National credit
has been placed upon very high plane.
1t has successfully grappled with those
vital questions that have confronted us as
a people and has solved them all in the
interest of humanity and progress. And
when in the not far distant future the
history of our country during the last
half of this century shall be dispassion-
ately written, which is the best century
this world ever knew, for in it ''peace
hath had her victories not less renowned
than war, THE brightest pages of that
history will be that party's splendid acts
and records and the names and sacrifices
of the true and noble men who have
shaped, guided and controlled its politics.
And | confidently assert that its mission
is not yet accomplished. For when the
day shall come-as it surely will-when
the constitutional rights of every man in
every State and part of our land shall
be fully respected and enjoyed, it will
then find other fields in which to labor
for the ''myriad millions of the common
lot" Devotion to the cause of Freedom
and the downtrodden and oppressed con-
secrated and hallowed its birth. 1t has
ever championed the rights of the com
mon people, who Abraham Lincoln said
he believed the Lord loved best as he
had created most of them.
| have no unkind words for the individ-
ual members of the Democracy. 1t is
with that party as an entity, with the pol
icy of its leaders and its damaging record
for the last half century that take issue.
7 do claim, hot HOY nnnonn1u
of all the cardinal virtues. | know there
are good men in the ranks of that party;
or at least there were until this last adj
vent of Grover Cleveland to power. [ con-
fess, however, that it has been one of the
mysterious problems that / could never
solve that they should remain there. And
Judging from the elections of the past two
years | think they have nearly all left but
the Office holders. in Maine the party
seems to have very largely conferred in and
crystalized around a close corporation
known as the Plum Trust. BY some fatal
ity it has managed to be in opposition to
almost every measure calculated to pro-
mote the best interests and welfare of our
people. The monuments erected all along
its line of march sacred to the memory of
abandoned issues prove this. Its utter
inability and incompetency to govern or
to iegislate for this great country of ours
has been so fully demonstrated that | am
confident that the people will have no
more of it during this generation. 1t has
not kept faith with them. 1t has signally
failed to redeem its promises. Its foreign
policy has been such that no patriotic
American can approve, endorse, or be
specially proud OF it. 1t has been weigh
ed in the balance and found sadly want
ing.
The American people whom it deiuded
and deceived by false preteuse and prom
Uses four years ago are anxiously awaiting
the time when by their ballots they can
hurl it from power. The present dangers
to our currency come almost wholly from
that party, and it looks very much now as
if the silver craze for Il dishonest dollar
will control it's next National Convention
in Chicago. Judging its future by its
past we may reasonably, and perhaps con-
fidently, expect it to do SO. 1t pandered
to the fiat money greenback heresy;
why should it not to this?
AS Republicans we enter upon this po-
litcal campaign with everything to en-
courage us. The fires of protection to
American labor and industries of Repub-
lican victory and sound currency are be-
ing kindled in every part of our land.
The people have learned to their sorrow
and cost that it is safer, wiser and better
to trust this government to that party
that saved it in its hour of peril rather
than to one dominated by men who
sought to destroy it, and who have no
proper conception of its great industries
and wants. We are already approaching
the beginning of the end--we can even
now perceive the dawning of the day when
''the winter of our discomfort shall be
made glorious summer by the bright sun
of Republican victory when the blaze
of furnaces, the clatter of looms, the hum
of myriads OF spindles, the woods re-
sounding with the axe of the lumber
men, labor constantly and profitable en-
ployed, shall proclaim that confidence
and enterprise everywhere have returned
to rule and bless our land; and when by
proper encouragem ent and discrimination
work shall be resun ed in our ship yards,
and the American flag shall once more
float at the mastheaGs of splendid mer-
chant marine, manned by American sail
ors and seamen; and when we shall enjoy
the full fruition of this picture, with
peace and liberty wherever triumphant,
then one and all of us will heartily join
the Psalmist in singing.
"Sound the loud timbrel DER Egypt's dark