the Republican Party

"Let us have peace" was the slogan under which Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was elected president in 1868, with Schuyler Colfax of Indiana as vice-president. The problems of reconstruction, enact ment of bills designed to enforce provisions of the 14th amend ment and paving the way for a national civil service, together with the Senate's refusal to ratify a treaty to annex Santo Domingo, were outstanding features of Grant's administration. In 1872, certain Republicans opposed Grant's re-election, and a liberal Republican party nominated Horace Greeley to run against him. The Democratic national convention endorsed Greeley, but only six States were carried by the fusion ticket. Despite two troublesome years, with panic and scandal, there was much of credit in constructive achievement and the U.S. foreign policies won especial respect abroad. In 1874, President Grant vetoed an inflation bill and a year later approved the re sumption of specie payments. Economy and lower taxes were emphasized.

Making capital out of scandals and with the slogan, "Turn the rascals out," the Democratic party won the House in 1874 and almost won the presidential election of 1876. Rutherford B. Hayes, of Ohio, Republican nominee for president, won after an electoral commission, especially created, had decided one of the most bitter political contests. William A. Wheeler, of New York, became vice-president. President Hayes completed "reconstruc tion" in the South by withdrawing Federal troops, a policy which brought him Northern criticism because immediately after the troops were withdrawn Democratic leaders in Southern States inaugurated the policy of negro disfranchisement. Specie pay ments were resumed. Chinese immigration was restricted.

Domestic Questions.

James A. Garfield, of Ohio, was elected president in 188o, and upon his assassination in 1881, Chester A. Arthur, of New York, succeeded. A further extension of civil service laws, establishment of the Department of Labour, two-cent first class postage rates, the beginnings of a new navy and steps looking toward an inter-oceanic canal were brought about. The campaign of 1884 was most bitter in personal recriminations, both nominees, James G. Blaine, Republican, and Grover Cleve land, Democratic, suffering unparalleled attacks. Certain Repub lican elements refused to support Blaine, and at the end, one famous sentence, "Rum, Romanism and Rebellion," lost for him the State of New York by 1,149 votes and so lost the electoral college. In i888, Benjamin Harrison, of Indiana, defeated Cleve land, and Levi P. Morton, of New York, became vice-president. The tariff was a chief issue, but enactment of a higher rate bill, known as the McKinley Act, was delayed until just before the election of 1890. As a result, the country did not have time to correctly appraise its effects and an overwhelming Republican defeat followed. The Harrison administration was noted for

enactment of the Sherman anti-trust laws, additional coinage of silver, admission of several new States, among them Wyoming with the first provision for woman suffrage, and the famous Reed enforcement of new .rules in the House designed to prevent minority obstruction. Personal dislike of the president by cer tain prominent leaders was a large factor in bringing about Harrison's defeat for re-election in 1892, when Cleveland was returned to office with his party in control of both Houses of Congress for the first time since the Civil War. A drastically lower tariff bill was enacted; one of the worst panics and unem ployment periods in U.S. history occurred. This made the tariff a major issue for the campaign of 1896, but as this battle ap proached, much greater prominence was given the question of the coinage of silver in relation to gold. William McKinley, of Ohio, was nominated by the Republicans on a gold standard platform, with Garrett A. Hobart, of New Jersey, vice-preSident. William Jennings Bryan, of Nebraska, won the Democratic nomination and stood upon the issue of the free coinage of silver at the ratio of sixteen to one. McKinley won. Soon after he took office, enactment of higher protective rates in the Dingley bill was followed by a tremendous revival of business and general prosperity.

Expansion Abroad.

The outstanding event of the Mc Kinley administration, however, was the war with Spain over Cuban liberation. Resulting from this, the United States acquired fhe Philippines, Porto Rico, Guam and other possessions ; Hawaii was annexed. The policy of continental isolation necessarily came to an end with this expansion, and citizens of the United States began to take an interest in problems abroad. With McKinley's assassination, after his re-election, Theodore Roose velt, of New York, became president, and he was also the suc cessful candidate in 1904. One of the most popular and vigorous men ever in the presidency, Roosevelt's administration was char acterized by the policies : strong emphasis on conservation of national resources; beginning of the Panama canal; enactment of pure food and meat inspection legislation; legislation enlarg ing the functions of the interstate commerce commission so it could regulate railway rates against discriminatory practices; settlement of the anthracite coal strike; intervention to bring peace in the Russian-Japanese war ; creation of a monetary commission; sending the American fleet around the world. Seldom has a president or an administration had a hand in so many issues that appealed so generally to the people.