B8I 



REPUBLICAN PARTY. 



cut ion or effect it hu not met the full expectation of 

 ju> advocates. 



The platform adopted in June, 1872, liy the Repub- 

 lican etui vent ion at Philadelphia, declared lliat the con- 

 stitutional amendments should be sustained ; advocated 

 civil service reform ; opposed further grant* of public 

 lands; favored the abolition of the franking prtraege, 

 and declared the' necessity lor shaping lembUtOD SO a.- 

 to give an ample field tor capital and labor. It de- 

 nounced repudiation of the public debts ; advocated 

 a speedy return to specie payment* ; approved the 

 annuity nets, and favored such measures as would 

 tend 1. 1 encourage and restore American commerce and 

 ship-building. 



A sensation in political circles was excited during 

 the presidential campaign of 1872 by the exposure of 

 the Credit Mobilier, and at the commencement of the 

 next session of Congress, Speaker of the House 

 James (I. Blaine asked that a committee be appointed 

 to investigate the charges made. These charges were 

 that Schuyler Colfax, Vice-President, and several 

 members of Congress had been bribed in 1867 and 

 1868 by Oakes Ames, a member from Massachusetts, 

 to influence their official action for the benefit of the 

 Union Pacific Railroad Company. The committee 

 consisted of Puland, of Vermont ; McCreary, of Iowa: 

 Banks, of Massachusetts- Niblack, of Indiana; and 

 Mcrriek, of Maryland. The accusations were made 

 by Henry S. McComb, of Wilmington, Del., and some 

 of the most prominent members, principally Repuh- 

 licans, were made the subjects of the investigation. 

 As Coneress was Republican at the time, the responsi- 

 bility of the legislation rested with that party, and 

 hence it was used against it in the presidential cam- 

 paign. The proceedings are too voluminous to permit 

 of even an abstract. The committee reported in each 

 individual case, and in effect exonerated all from crini- 

 in.il action with the exception of Oakes Ames, who 

 wax at the head of the Credit Mobilier, and Represen- 

 tative James Brooks, of New York, who was a gov- 

 ernment director of the Pacific road. They recom- 

 mended the expulsion of those two members, but the 

 House modified it to the "absolute condemnation of 

 the House.' 1 



During the same session the President's salary was 

 iMKMM to $50,OUO per annum, the act to abolish the 

 franking privilege passed, and Congress voted to in- 

 crease the pay of members of both houses to $7500 

 per annum, including the current year. The latter act 

 proved so unpopular that the old salary of $5iXK) was 

 restored, and many of the members either refused to 

 take or returned the extra compensation to the 

 my. 



The closing session of the Forty-third ConsTe 1 " 

 marked another era in politics a conflict of Stair 

 governments. In order to secure the political riirht.s 

 of the colored citizens in ihe Southern States, the Re- 

 publicans in Louisiana increased the power of its re- 

 turning boards, so that they had the power to reject 

 a portion or the whole of a district where fr.. ads were 

 proven. Two boards had been appointed, each claim- 

 ing to be legal and this was followed by two distinct 

 State governments in Lonkiana the McKncry, or 

 Democratic, and the Kellogg, or Republican. The 

 Jatter instituted suit against the former, and the court 

 issued an order authorizing the Kellogg party to take 

 possession of the State-house and oust the Democratic 

 Legislature. Both parties demanded the recognition of 

 the national government. Congress refused to recognize 

 directly either governor or Legislator*, and a hill was in- 

 troduced declaring the elections upon which those gov- 

 ernments were based null and void- and providing fora 

 new election, but was defeated. In order to n- 

 the actual conditions of affairs Gen. Sheridan \\ 

 ti Loiii-iana anil in January, 1875, he made !,M re- 

 port which startled the' country. It showed a condi- 

 tion of anarchy, violence and murder that demanded 

 immediate action, and March 1, 1875, the I i 



nized the Kellogg or Republican government by a 

 Mriet party vote. Four (lavs later tin- Senate by a 

 party vote confirmed the action of tli. 



In order to ascertain who were entitled to siats in 

 the State legislature a s]w-ci;d committee of the IIouso 

 was appointed, which made an award in April, 1875, 

 known as tile "Wheeler Compromise." This award 

 was accepted until the election in 187fi, wh.-n K>th 

 panics claimed the election of their Candida! 

 governor and members of the Ivegislat urc. licit. Hunt 

 requested committees of gentlemen of both parties to 

 I the oront of the returning board, and com- 

 mittees of investigation were appointed by both 

 Houses ot Congress. A scries of rebellious pi. 

 ings ensued, during which the State government was 

 practically destroyed, the Packard or Republican 

 branch complaining of outrages by the " White 

 l/eaeue," and the Nicholls or Democratic branch 

 denying the charges, professing to accord rights to all 

 and to obey instructions from Washington 

 until Congress or the President should decide between 

 them. No decision was made, as Pros. Grant believed 

 that belonged to the duties of his successor in office. 



The supjplementary civil rights bill, known as the 

 Sunnier bill, was passed March, 1875, after the death 

 of it> auihor. Tne first conviction under the net was 

 in l.-^T'i. before Judge Cadwnlader, of Philadelphia, 

 when a colored resident of Virginia brought fcuit for 

 being refused hotel accommodations. 



The platform adopted by the Republican conven- 

 tion at ^Cincinnati in June. 1876, was mainly a reitera- 

 tion of its former principles. It declared the United 

 States a nation, not a league ; advocated a rigid en- 

 forcement of the constitutional amendments, and de- 

 clared it the duty of the party to compel it. It advo- 

 cated civil service reform, asserted that Congress had 

 sovereign power over the Territories, and charged the 

 Democratic party_ with being the panic in character and 

 spirit as when it cympat nized with treason ; with 

 making its control of the House of Representatives the 

 triumph and opportunity of the nation's recent foes : 

 with reasserting and applauding in the national capital 

 the sentiments of unrepentant rebellion ; with sending 

 Union soldiers to the rear, and promoting Confederate 

 soldiers to the front- with deliberately proposing to 

 repudiate the plighted faith of the government ; with 

 being equally false and imbecile upon the over- 

 shadowing financial questions ; with thwarting the 

 ends of justice b\ ils partisan mismanagement ai.d 

 obstruction of investigation ; with proving 

 through the period of its ascendency in the lower 

 House of Congress utterly incompetent to administer 

 the government. 



The presidential election of 18~G_ wns particularly 

 animated, and the excitement was intensified by the 

 result. Both parties "laimed a victory, nnd up to a 

 few days before the time to inaugurate the Presi Via 

 the excitement continued. It was claimed tliafc 

 Hayes and Wheeler carried all of UM Northern States 

 except Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, and 

 Indiana, and Tilden and Ilendrieks all tlio Southern 

 States except Sout'i Carolina, Florida, mid Louisiana. 

 ThoM three States- were claimed by the Democrats, but 

 South Carolina was soon conceded to the Republicans. 

 The electoral votes of Florida as stated by the return- 

 ing board belonged to the Republicans by a majority 

 of 926, and a second count, ordered by the State 

 Supreme Court, reduced it to 206. In Louisiana the 

 Packard Hoard refused to allow any Democrats to partic- 

 ipate and certified a majority of 3031 for the Republican 

 (lectors. McKncry, who claimed to be governor, re- 

 pudiated the return of the board, and gave the Demo- 

 cratic electors the certificate on a majority of 7*7o. 

 In On-con it was claimed that one of the RepdbKcai 

 electors was iiiel'gible, being a Federal office holder, 

 and the Democratic governor gave one Democratic 

 i he certificate of election, but the three Repub- 

 li'-ui electors were certified by the secretary of state. 



