Year: 1873

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of the West have ever been with the
Republican party and this for very OBJ
vious reasons. The population of the
Western States is composed largely of
men who have made, or are yet to make,
their mark in the world by their own
unaided efforts. They came from the
thickly populated States of the East,
without money or influence. They
came to work, determined, if industry
of the most earnest and untiring char
acter could win them a competency,
that they would secure it. In the South,
where lay the chief strength of the
Democratic party, labor was looked
down upon In the East the more in
fluential had amassed property sufficient
to make work no longer necessity /;
but in the West idlers had no standing,
hard work was the badge of nobility,
and the most tireless toiler was the man
most likely to become the leader of the
people.


The Republican party, founded on
the dignity and respectability of labor,
and opposed to the aristocratic preten-
sions of slave-driyers and monopolists,
struck an answering chord in the hearts
Of Western people when it promulgated
the principles 6f its first national plat
form. This was true of the town as
well rs the country, though the great
cities, composed SO largely of the idle
| and vicious, with few exceptions, still
favored the Democratic party. Chicago
was one of these exceptions, and
throughout many years, including the
darkest period Of the war, has stood
faithfully by the party that first aroused
its fervid sympathy when Fremont led
the masses i'll sc, with Free Homes for
Free Men inscribed on his banner.


Ii the principles of the party appealed
to the hearts of the dwellers in towns,
however, they struck with deeper force
the people of the country. They or
their children were personally interest
ed hot only in maintaining the respecta-
bility of labor, but i'll keeping the fu-
ture homes of the rising generations in
the Territories free from the debasing
influences of slavery. Therefore, when
this issue became well defined, IA torrent
of public sentiment in support of the
principles of the Republican party
swept ever the West, and this sentiment
animated and sustained the masses in
the great conflict which followed, kept
them true during the settlement of the
vexed questions growing out of the war,
and now draws them with the affection
of old friends towards an organization
that has proven so faithful to them, and
has surprised even its most ardent
friends in the magnitude of its triumphs.


The great strength of the Republican
party to-day lies in the farmers of the
country. 1t is controlled largely, and
always has been, by the agriculturists,
who compose so great per cent. of its
membership But though they have
shaped i'll great degree the policy and
work of the party, they have always
been, as class, retiring and modest in
their demands for places of honor and
trust, and have rather desired that the
offices should be filed by others. The
time has come now when they should
take more active part, not only III shap-
ing the work to be done, but in doing it
themselves. We DO not mean by this that
every office should be filled by farm
mer, but that a proportionate share of
them, and especially those relating more
directly to their own interests, should
be so filed. There need be no fear of
their occupying more than their equit-
able proportion. The successful farmer
has generally Il dislike for public life,
and does not care to go from the quiet
peace of his agricultural pursuits into
the jar and wrangle of active politics or
official labor but it is desirable that,
h..Nrohnt,t fha trxy chpr,i la hava
u larger representation of the farming
interests in the public places. The agri-
culturists number almost half of all the
persons engaged in industrial pursuits
in the United States. 1t is safe to say
that they do not occupy one-tenth of the
offices. As general thing they do not
occupy them because they do not want
or seek such positions but now let them
come or be brought to the front. One
|, of the greatest evils affecting the country
is the growing prodigality of the peo-
pie, both in private and public life. The
farmers have well nigh escaped this de-
moralization. They are frugal and eco
nomical i'll their own expenditures, and
it is fair to presume will be no less care
fhl of the money of the public. We
have before referred to the fact that they
have not interested themselves in the
primary work of party politics to the
extent d sired. Let them look to this
now. The honor, the perpetuity, and
the success of the Republican organiza-
ton is largely in their hands. They
should see to It that it does not fail in
any mission because of their indifier-
ence, and that unworthy men are not
nominated through their carelessness. =