Rensselaer Republican, Volume 18, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1886 — VICTORY AHEAD. [ARTICLE]

VICTORY AHEAD.

Words of Cheer and Comfort Uttered by Republican Orators at the Detroit Banquet ETarts Points Out the Road to Sue* cess, and Foraker Excites to Patriotic Endeavor. V t Logan States the Democrats Shed Innocent Blood to Obtain Power— Blaine's Sanguine Letter. The Michigan Club—a Republican organization having its membership throughout Michi-gan-held its first anniversary at Detroit on Washington's birthday. Senator Thomas W. Palmer presided. He sat at the center of the raised table. On his right were Senators Evarts, Conger, Manderson, ex-Congressman R. G. Horr, and other Michigan men. On his left were Senator Logan, Gov. Alger, Gov. Foraker, ex-Gov. David H. Jerome, Congressman Guenther, and others. ' < The exercises were opened by Senator Palmer. He said the Michigan Club did not consist of a coterie of politicians. He paid a tribute to the party and animadverted upon the causes of its successes and failures. His first applause was received when he referred to the labor question. It was, he said, the habit of those whose council fires were once held whore this banquet was being held to place their ears to the ground to hear the approach of friend or enemy. “It is onr duty to-night to place our ears to the ground and listen to the sound of tho great wage-work-ing element of the country. Against the Republicans is pitted a pirty that, like the Chinese, is always looking over its shoulder.” Tho Senator scored the Democratic party in its rank, its file, and its leadership.

SENATOR EVARTS’ EFFORT; Gov. Alger delivered a short address of welcome, and then Senator Palmer introduced Senator Evarts, who spoke to the toast, “Washirgton, tho Nationalist." The Senator was greeted with tumuliubus applause as he stood up, which continued for several moments. He was listened to with the closest attention, and often and loudly interrupted by applause. He said that when he heard the club was founded after the great defeat he knew that it was not founded fdprbventllereatTTmt Insure future victory. The campaign of the Republican party bet an the night of the day the Republican party was defeated. This statement was justified in the fact that since then success Imd erowned the efforts of the party in the great States of Ohio, Illinois, and New York. Nothinghad beeu lost,unless in the speaker’s own great State, where ibcould scarcely be called a defeat that only 10,000 mar jority should follow on the tread of a great national Democratic victory. When the issue is present* d on groat Federal question- tho Senator declared that New York is not doubtful. In paying an eloquent tribute to the memory of Washington the speaker said it did n< t become any one party to claim the honor of his work. The luster which his honor all the people of the world belongs to all. The fidelity of the Republican party to all the true interests of the country, its suppression of the rebellion, its fidelity %o principle, its high sense of duty and adherence thereto, received a glowing tribute from tho Senator. Washington was a patriot and a lover of his country, but a lover of it because of its union and its strength. The country which he loved and for which he labored he never thought could be preserved by cleaving it apart or handing it down to’posterity in fragments. But in less than three-quarters-of a century afteirthe death of Washington this country was tattered aueftom by the greatest civil war the world has ever known. But great as the throat, great as the peril, great as the. pangs, there was something greater than all—the glory, the fame df Washington. It was not to be that his memory and that of all his great compatriots be.disgraced. Mr. Evarts said that his acquaintance with Detroit was through a knowledge of its history, which he briefly reviewed from tho time it was a frontier fort. Hisi former visit was when he hud passed, through it to and from the Chicago Convention when Abraham Lincoln was nominated. It was the only convention, State or national, itv which ho had participated. To his mind the Lincoln convention came nearest in importance to that which framed the Declaration of Independence. The latter supplemented the former. The sober, thoughtful people of tho North were confronteed with the fact that the Union was threatened. The convention saw that every other issue must stand aside until it was determined whether this wns a country of freedom and equality. Never since, thank God, had the Republican party been out of power until now, and what is tho Republican party going to do about it? Tho party, he said, war imbued with the same principles and weighted with the Bame responsibilities. Tho same duties must be performed and the samo responsibilities met. The sooner this is determined upon and all minor issues cast aside the sooner will the party regain control of the affa rs ol the nation on the same necessities that compelled the Republican party bo assume them in 1860. He administered n scathing rebuke to the Democratic party. It was without principles. Where are its principles, he asked, save to gain the offices of the country? Where are its representative men? Where are its leaders? Where are its delegates in Congress ? They show the same position, the same issues, and the same antagonisms they did twenty-five years ago. For the Republican party, tho speaker said that its animatiugprincipies, its motives, its patriotism, were the same as in 1860. Standing upon its principles and record, there was no use of being mealymouthed about the situation which the Republican party is confronting. Though there are not the grave and perilous surroundi- gs of 18t;0, yet the nation caiinot stand still. It must go forward or decline. If the Republican party is weary of well-doing, the past is not secure and the future will bring disaster. The three great underlying principles that make a great people now are education, industry, and suffrage. They must act in unity to accom--plish that harmony which is sought for. The Republican party, the speaker declared, must declare in favdr <jf the proteotion.of American labor. Education must bo universal. Suffrage must be not a name, but absolute in every part of the country. Minor questions must not seduce the voters from the Republican party election day. That party would be responsible, if the country is not maintained, that saved and seeks to perpetuate it. If iu the next campaign the control of the Government in the Legislative and Executive branches is not secured by the Republicans,' it will be from their weakness, not from the strength of the Democratic party. [Great applause.] GOV. FORAKER’B REM ARES.

Gov. J. B. Foraker, of Ohio, responded to "Our State Governments: Their Gelation to the National Government nnd to Each Other." The Governor made a review of the limited duties and power of Governors. As the direct agents in the government of G 0.000.000, the State Governments constitute one of the most important parts of the complicated system. The character of the Union as .establishing the duties of the States toward each other was eloquently and forcibly set forth. In thorough Satriotism to the country the Governor saw the est guaranty of a mutual observance of the duties which the States comprising it owe to one another. The history of the events by which the supremacy of the National Government was established and the doctrine of State rights was ’done away with was reviewed to the,civil war, which finally obliterated it. The record of the Democratic party as the advocate of that doctrine was arraigned and rebuked, while the annals of the Republican partv as the champion of the cause of the Union wqre summed up in a telling review that was frequently interrupted 'by outburst? of applause. Appomattox furnished the whole answer as to' the relationship of the States to the General Government. The Governor a allusion to the old stalwarts of the party, and particularly to Zachnrlah Chandler, evoked the most prolonged applause and cheers. “The American Citizon, Native and Adopted,” was the toast to which Congressman Richard Guenther of "Wisconsin responded. To him the toast was fnll of sentiment nnd moaning. As S Congressman warmed to his Bnbject and d the tribute of i n udoptod citizen to the intry of his adoption It was noted that he Was the first speakor of the evening to whom Senator Rvarts had lent a listening ear. He made a strong piea for the adopted citizen and receivod the close attention of all.. QEN. DOOM'S WARM RECEPTION. “Marching Through Georgia" was then sung by the Ariou Quartet and the entire audience. Then Senate T Logim was introduced. A perfect storm of applause greeted him os he arose to respond. The people stood up-and wave] their handkerchiefs and clieo r ed tilts the Senator gracefully inrticated-his deidre to be heard. 'Silence was instantly restored, but there was more cheering betwe fee began to speak: It waa now after 11 o'clock, and the audience had begun to •how signs of weariness, but interest was re-, stored in all its vigor whey the Senator arose, He replied to the toast, "Washington the . Republican—he believed in the voice of the. people,, which ,can only be heard through a fair ballot and an honest ooont," -There seemed to be an inspiration in the yeOs of greeting, and the General opened In bis happiest vein. He returned thanks for the

hearty greetings always given him by the people of Detroit He had' come not toiteqph but to be taught. With such an anditn-'e as was before him it required no oracle to tell the future of Michigan. It was true that a party conld not live upon its record, but with the glorious record that had marked the pathway of the Republican party in its patriotism and faithfulness to the true interests of the people it oonld not die. j ! The Senator forgot his toast, and it was read to him again, when ha created a laugh by Baying texts and tohsta were but pretexts to fire a man off. There were certain things which the General proposed discussing regardless of the wording of the toast. Tie declared that there does not exist in the Democrut c party the power or the intelligence to defeat the Republican party, but the Republican party has within itself the power to defeat itself. The Democratic'. party has grown aggressive, while the Republican party, which once held the aggressive, has gradually receded, yielding vant-age-ground until defeat was finally encountered. The trainmg of the South has been to seek power in the State and the Government. This is because the Southerners have given more aid and comfort to Northern Democrats than to Northern Republicans. Northern Democrats are increasing in number. are looking after onr private interests, the Democracy is looking for the power which it covets. As to the question of living issue's, the principal one was that between honesty and dishonesty. The Government as it now exists is a sham. Its great corner-stone, ns laid by the fathers, was a Government by and for the people. It was not to be ruled by a few, but by all the people of the entire Government. A decision by a majority of the people of the Government is the will of the people, and should be respected. At wio time within several years has the voice of the entire people been heard in the affairs’ of Government. If a Republican was prevented from voting,to that extent the will sf the people was thwarted and the ends of the Government defeated.

The memory of Washington, as a republican, the Senator spoke of in his most eloquent language. In st ujding for a fair ballot and an honest count, he said he had been accused of shaking some kind of sanguinary garment. Well, he had prepared some figures. They were to show that he had spoken truly In saying that this is a sham Government; that it is not a Government of the people, because the Democracy has closed the ballot-box to the honest voters of the land. Where there has bepu fraud, bulldozing, bloodshed and riot to defeat the will of the people it had come from Democratic sources. There were men in the Illinois Penitentiary for this offense. It is so in Ohio. The Democrats of the North say. we too will resort to tissue ballots, stuffed-ballot-boxes, and other frauds. The Democrats of the North, as they always have been, are but the tail of the Democratic party of the South. After stating the principle of representation as based upon population, the speaker proceeded to show that the population in many States . was misrepresented through the power of „he dominant party exercised outside the ballot-box and outside their rights as law-abiding citizens. The figures which demonstrated the charges made against the Democratic party were produced in a comparison of the population and votes of Florida, South Carolina, and Mississippi of the South, and Michigan, Illinois, lowa, and Minnesota of the North. Numerous other comparative figures were produced, all tending to show that in the South the popular will was defeated through Democratic disregard of law, and that the Southern Democratic States by their course procured a much larger relative representation than Northern Republican States. Over 780,000. votes in nine Southern States were not repro-" sented, and they comprised the Republicans who were defrauded of their rights of citizenship. Tliis meant that the negro vote was rejected. It meant that the Constitution was defied. It meant that tho men who, by rebellion, forfeited their rights to vote were depriving the negroes of that right, but as sure as fate there will come a time when this thing must stop. Some time there will be a candidate for President who would not permit his men to be thus driven from the polls. He hoped the curso of war would never again he brought upon the people, but the same causes that precipitated the rebellion are again at work. The South is unified by the Democracy. The Senator said he had grave fears for the future. Every Republican that loves his country, that believes in this Union, every man who believes that the glory of this country belongs to her sons, should come forward and say, “I am for law and order. lam for the Republican party.” The Democratic party never had principles. It is bound to England in the mutter of free trade. Manacles for the limbs of men was another of their ideas. The acquisition of power, regardless of the means adopted to that end, has animated it. It got into power through the hypocritical claim of' civil-service' reform. A pretty reform it is. Said the Senator:

“Ii Mr. Cleveland wants reform—and I speak with all respect to him—let him reform the Democratic party. Let him give a free ballot to the South. Let him workp>form in his own household. Thev even attempt reform from tho time of Washington down.* Tho cry against tho centralization of power in Congress has been a bugbear long held by the Democracy. ’Now they shut themselves up and say that we cannot see the papers affecting fho interests of the people. The people want to know what was charged against these men who have been turned out by a reform administration. They say we cannot. We, as representatives of the people, sav that we will see them, and we will. This is as far as this administration has got in reform. ” By way of conclusion the Senator admitted that he and Senator Evarts had an ulterior motive in visiting Michigan. Mr. Evarts wanted to correct his sentences and tho gentleman from Illinois to correct his grammar. [Great laughter and applause.] He wished the Republican party of Michigan would prosper to that degree which it deserved. Senator C. F. Manderson, of Nebraska, responded to the toast, “Our New Empire, the Rowdy West.” MR. BLAINE’S REGRETS. The Hon. James G. Blaine wrote, expressing regrets at his inability to attend, in whicli he said: “It will give pleasure to Republicans* throughout the country to observe organized determination on the part of their Michigan brethren to 10-establish their old strength and prestige in tho State. I nm sure you will find complete victory within your grasp, and if Ido not mistake tho signs of the times yon will receive in your good work some valuable aid from our political opponents. ” Senators Sherman, Harrison, Mahone, Hale, Frye, Sabin, Edmunds, Allison, and Congressmen Phelps, Kelley, and others sent letters of regret. Gen. J. C. Fremont was especially sorry, b cause he wished to discuss “the question of labor, which is seriously threatening tho peace of ti e country." Among others were ex-Pres-ident Arthur, the Hon. Roscoe Conkiing, the Governors of lowa, Illinois, and Massachusetts, Chauncey M. Depew, Henry Cabot Lodge, Theodore Roosevelt, and Gen. Sheridan.