Republican Party
one of the two great political parties in the United States. The term Republican has had at different times different significations In 1792 a faction of the Anti-Federalists, advocating more direct control of the government by the people, further restriction of supreme authority, and a stronger emphasis of States Rights, began to be known as the Republican party. This party was increased by numbers of voters who called themselves Democrats on account of their sympathy with the French Jacobins. The combination was known officially as the Democratic-Republican party. Those members having centralizing tendencies having seceded, the term Democratic was alone retained.
This name, as the title of a National party was first used in 1825, the election of 1828 being the first in which it appeared, at that time opposing the original holders of the name. The name Republican, as the title of a party went out of use after the election of 1824, but was resumed in 1856, during the administration of Mr. Pierce (1853-1857). Its platform rested mainly on the prohibition of slavery in the Territories, declaring that freedom was the public law of the national domain; the prohibition of polygamy, which it classed with slavery as "the twin relic of barbarism"; and the admission of Kansas as a free State.
In 1856 the party fairly divided the country with its Democratic competitor. In June of that year its convention met at Philadelphia and nominated John C. Fremont for President. But the American party drew something from its strength, and though showing a popular vote of 1,341,264, it was defeated, the slave States, with the exception of Maryland, which voted for Mr. Fillmore, going solidly for Mr. Buchanan, the Democratic candidate, who was elected with the aid of five free States, 11 of the latter voting for General Fremont. The decision REPUBLICAN PARTY wounds inflicted July 2, and Chester A. Arthur, the Vice-President, took his in the Dred Scott Case and the progress wounds inflicted July 2, and Chester A. of events in Kansas greatly strengthened Arthur, the Vice-President, took his the party, ty, and after the divisions among place. In 1884 there arose a considerthe Democrats over the same question in able defection from the party ranks, the 1860 the success of the Republicans was seceders calling themselves Independent assured. In 1860 the party elected Republicans, and declining to vote for tional issue was still more strongly cratic candidate, was chosen. In 1888 tional issue was still more strongly As a result Grover Cleveland, the Demotriumphed in the Namarked and he received the electoral cratic candidate, was chosen. In 1888 votes of the free States except New Jersey, which gave three votes to Mr. Dougtion the Southern States prepared to setion the Southern States prepared to secede, South Carolina leading, followed by 10 others. Mr. Lincoln was inaugu- rated March 4, 1861, General Scott carefully supervising the ceremony. He asserted that there was no right to interfere with slavery in the States where it existed, and acknowledged that of the reclamation of fugitive slaves; but he expressed his determination to execute the laws and protect public property.
The conduct of the Civil War was in the hands of the Republican party, though northern Democrats formed a large proportion of the Union army. In 1864 Mr. Lincoln was unanimously nominated by the Republicans, and was re-elected by an overwhelming majority.
The war was brought to a close by the surrender of General Lee, April 9, 1865; on the 14th Mr. Lincoln was assassinated, and died the next day. Andrew Johnson, the Vice-President, immediately succeeded him, and continued his cabinet.
Mr. Johnson had been a loyal Union man of Tennessee and was chosen in view of the reconstruction of the South. He soon disagreed with the party and came into actual conflict with Congress. He was impeached March 23, 1868, but acquitted May 16 and 26 for lack of one quitted May 16 and 26 for lack of one tice Chase presided at this trial. In 1868 Ulysses S. Grant was elected President. His election was urged on the ground that the Republican party, having successfully finished the war, maintained public credit, abolished slavery, and secured liberty, was the proper one to carry on the government. In May, 1872, the Liberal Republicans met in Cincinnati, and nominated Horace Gree- 1872, the Liberal Republicans met in Democratic convention. The Republicans nominated General Grant, and reelected him by a larger vote than that of the former term. In 1876 Rutherford B. Hayes, by the decision of the Presidential Electoral Commission, was declared elected. During this administradential Electoral Commission, was declared elected. During this administrastruction of the South went forward. In 1880 James A. Garfield was elected president, and died Sept. 19, 1881, from the party again t tional election, Benjamin Harrison dethis administration, feating Grover Cleveland on the tariff issue. During Secretary of State, reciprocity trade re- lations were established with five South Secretary of State, reciprocity trade relations were established with five South American States, with Austria-Hungary, Spain and Great Britain (as to British Guiana, and some of the British West India islands), admitting certain articles free of duty for the mutual advantage of these States and the United States. A new tariff bill, known as the McKinley bill, was passed favoring protection. A brief protectorate was assumed by the United States minister to Hawaii over party was defeated by the second elecparty was defeated by the second_eleccratic Congress. In 1894 it again came cratic Congress. In 1894 it again came ties carrying even Kentucky and other gained all branches of the Government by the election of William McKinley and an increased majority of Congress. In States, and controlled 1899 the Republican party held the gov ernorship in 26 St the legislature in 22, with a plurality in several others. In 1900 President Mc- Kinley was re-elected, his first administration having been marked by a general business prosperity, and the successful waging of the war against Spain, "in the interest of humanity." On the death of President McKinley, from an assassin's bullet, Sept. 14, 1901, his place was filled by Theodore Roosevelt, Vice-President.
Elected President 1904.
The Panama Canal was begun in his administration, and completed in the Taft administration that followed. In 1912, Taft and Sherman ran for re-election, Roosevelt and Hiram Johnson heading the Progressives. Taft only carried Vermont and Utah. Roosevelt received 88 electoral votes. Woodrow Wilson became President; was re-elected in 1916, running against Charles E. Hughes, Republican. On March 4, 1919, the Republicans gained control of the Senate and House. The Republican victory, on Nov. 4, 1920, gave the entire control of the Government to the Republican party.
Government to the Republican party. method for the extinguishment of REPUDIATION, an unprincipled REPULSION a debt, by simply refusing to acknowledge the obligation. The 11th amendment of the Constitution of the United States prohibits citizens of another or a foreign State from bringing suits against a State in the federal courts; while the individual States, not being independent sovereigns, could only be called to account by a foreign power through the National Government. Reprisals or war are thus as impossible as a suit at law, and there is really no means by which the States can be compelled to recognize and meet their obligations. Twice in the his tory of the country have several States taken advantage of this condition of affairs once after the commercial crisis of 1839, in which the United States Bank stopped payment, and again in the years following the Civil War. In the latter period Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas were among the defaulters. Virginia, indeed, refused payment chiefly on the ground that no part of its existing debt had been allocated to West Virginia when the latter was separated as a State in 1863; and later acts of repudiation found a local justification in the same grievance.