What the Republicans stood for in 1860

[LiberalEsto]

I was doing some unrelated research online and came across this very interesting historical item. It shows how the rethugs have stayed pretty much on course with their racism and protection of corporations and industry.

However they have changed in some ways. These sentences made me laugh:
"The Republicans mean to bring back the administration to its original purity and economy, by placing good men into offices of trust, and frown down and punish all attempts at corruption and peculation by any of its agents."

and

"They will not in a time of profound peace with all the world, run the country into debt at the rate of $20,000,000 annually, as has been done by the present Democratic administration." My how things have changed.

Link http://valley.vcdh.virginia.edu/Browser1/frbrowser/frsept60.html#9.12b

"Franklin Repository and Transcript, September 12, 1860, p. 4, c. 4

From the New Brunswick (N.J.) Fredonian. What the Republicans Intend to Do.
Hon. J. M. Harris, at the Bell meeting held in this city last week, asked the following pertinent questions:

"What are the Republicans to do when they get into power?"

We propose to reply briefly as to a few things which will be accomplished by the Republicans when they get into power:

1. The first work of the Republicans will be to put an end to the disturbed state of the public mind arising from the discussion of the slavery question, by showing that they have no desire to interfere with the institution of slavery where it now exists, and only want to prevent its spread into territories now and always free, and that only by means recognized and provided for in the Constitution of the United States. Then the "bugbear" created by the anti- Republicans will explode, the era of good will and confidence between the North and South will be restored, and peace concord and union prevail.

2. The territories being guaranteed to Freedom and Industry, and made fit for the free habitation of free, white laboring men, the Republicans will then "make the land free to all actual settlers," in quantities sufficient to enable a workingman to get a good living from, and raise up and educate his family in a respectable manner. This will be done in preference to the present system of giving them away to schemers of all kinds, or selling them in large quantities to speculators who can afford to keep them without improvement for a long time, and eventually selling them to the hard-working settlers for a large advance upon the original cost.

3. Protection to American Industry is one of the cardinal doctrines in the Republican Platform. The Republicans intend to pass a Tariff law sufficient to protect the labor of our free white mechanics and factory operatives against the ruinous competition of the pauper labor of Europe--a tariff which will not only protect the interests of the mechanic, but also create home markets for the products of our soil, and place the whole community beyond the accidents of trade and commercial panics. When such a law is fairly in force in this country, there will be no good reason why every mechanic and laborer cannot earn a good and comfortable living for himself and family, and, if prudent, lay up something for a "rainy day."

4. The Republicans intend to afford adequate aid to commerce and navigation on the lakes, rivers, and harbors, by constructing necessary light-houses and break-waters, and removing shoals, snags, and other obstructions to the safe navigation of our public waters.-- The protection to the lives and property of its citizens is an obligation imposed upon all good governments.

5. The building of a railroad to the Pacific is one of the "necessities" of this country, and when the Republicans get into power, they will secure its construction at an early period. The great traffic that now and always will be carried on between the Eastern and Western shores of our country demands greater safety and expedition than is now afforded by the tedious and dangerous marches through dreary deserts or long voyages at sea equally hazardous to life and property.

6. The Republicans mean to bring back the administration to its original purity and economy, by placing good men into offices of trust, and frown down and punish all attempts at corruption and peculation by any of its agents. The Republicans will act fairly towards the interests of Freedom and Slavery, and will not occupy itself in encouraging fillibusterism, hatching schemes for stealing the possessions of our weak and peaceful neighbors, encouraging the revival of the African Slave Trade, and creating dissensions and ill-feeling between the different sections of our country, as has been done by the present and former administrations. They will not abstract the public money under the guise of "contracts" for the purpose of bribing Congressmen to vote for some administration iniquity, or sustaining a pet organ of the President, or to carry some local election, or supporting and encouraging "third parties" among their political opponents. They will not in a time of profound peace with all the world, run the country into debt at the rate of $20,000,000 annually, as has been done by the present Democratic administration. Finally, they will not make the "N-WORD" the only object of worship and consideration, but will endeavor to look after and enhance the interests of the WHITE MAN. These are some of the things the Republicans will do when they get into power."

Oh they certainly are still looking after the White Man in the year 2006. The RICH White Man.

[aden_nak]

1. Oh, for a Republican Party that only runs up $20 million anually!

[Yupster]

2. It's amazing how little the federal

government did back then.

They really had very little influence on the average person's life.

No social security, or medicare or medicaid or food stamps, or food or drug inspections. Even the army was a very small thing back then. No aid to education, or income tax, or labor standards.

People can't believe that citizens back in the Civil War days often considered themselves more a Virginian than an American, but you have to realize that the average citizen just very rarely came into contact with anything at all that the federal government was involved in.

In 1860, South Carolina had never even had a popular vote for president. The state legislature just named the electors. And the senators were chosen by the state legislatures too.

[LiberalEsto]

3. Interesting.

They also didn't have any protection from industrial polluters or child labor. There were no major highways or other infrastructure. Women couldn't vote and didn't have many other rights. And African-Americans were still victims of slavery.

And they didn't have the feds snooping into your mail or what you were reading!