A Return to True Republican Principles
It has lately been argued that the Republican Party needs to return to its roots, and I agree, although not perhaps in the way many would have it. Such advocates usually have in mind a more solid support for pro-life issues, laissez-faire capitalism, true civil rights (meaning individual rights as opposed to racial and gender quotas disguised as affirmative action) and balanced government budgets. While I can certainly argue for supporting the last three (I have a somewhat unique take on abortion, which I may or may not share in a later editorial), I don't believe that these issues, in and of themselves, form a firm foundation for rebuilding the party. Instead, I advocate we return to the true basic beliefs of the Republican Party, those being "Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Speech, and Free Men." These elements constituted the 1856 campaign motto of the first Republican Nominee for President, John Charles Fremont. So, in the spirit of the Party of Lincoln, before there even was a President Lincoln, let us examine these issues with a modern eye:
1) Free Soil. This portion of the motto indicated support for the Homestead Act, which became law in 1862. The act was seen, somewhat naively, not only as a way to settle the West, but also as a way to help build a nation of yeomen farmers. For our purposes, a modern equivalent would be support for free education, training and, if necessary, relocation. In other words, government support to help our citizens become productive and hopefully self-supporting.
2) Free Labor. Everyone has the right to form unions, leave their job and, if they wish, to become self-employed. There needs to be the promise that, should a citizen become a self-supporting entrepreneur, that no government - be it federal, state or local - would attempt to strangle the new born enterprise in the name of protection for existing businesses. In other words, citizens would be free to build their business, offer their service, or plow their land without government interference.
3) Free Speech. This would be self-explanatory if there weren't constant challenges to this basic right. Nowadays, this comes almost exclusively from the left, whose devotion to colleges speech codes, elusively defined hate crimes and self-serving harassment policies have often trumped the right to free speech. A recommittment to free speech could only help the party find its soul and move forward.
4) Free Men. This, of course, dealt with the issues of slavery in Antebellum United States, an issue that was effectively handled by the Civil War. I suppose if we were to pledge allegiance to this basic fundamental, we would take stronger stances against ongoing slavery in the modern world. According to the organization Free the Slaves, there are currently 27 million people still in slavery, primarily in Africa,the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. While I would argue against U.S. military intervention in those geographic areas, I certainly believe a louder and stronger public condemnation on the part of our government is in order. This could be followed by a U.S. motion for the United Nations to actually enforce its own Article Four, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that, "No one shall be held in slavery..." Such a move on the part of our country would not only help put the UN to shame (if such a thing is possible) for its lack of action, but would also put our own domestic problems into perspective.
In summation, if we are to "return to principles" as we rebuild the Republican Party, let us at least return to our founding principles. As those who have read my earlier writings know, I'm all about examining and, if they prove true, enforcing past principles as we head into the future. The winning party in years to come will be the party whose leaders can see the possibilities of modern technology, can support free enterprise while protecting its citizens from unfair trade agreements, and can recognize that most people wish to be productive and self-supporting and will help them on their way to those goals. That can certainly be the Republican Party as long as it also clings to its founding principles.
1) Free Soil. This portion of the motto indicated support for the Homestead Act, which became law in 1862. The act was seen, somewhat naively, not only as a way to settle the West, but also as a way to help build a nation of yeomen farmers. For our purposes, a modern equivalent would be support for free education, training and, if necessary, relocation. In other words, government support to help our citizens become productive and hopefully self-supporting.
2) Free Labor. Everyone has the right to form unions, leave their job and, if they wish, to become self-employed. There needs to be the promise that, should a citizen become a self-supporting entrepreneur, that no government - be it federal, state or local - would attempt to strangle the new born enterprise in the name of protection for existing businesses. In other words, citizens would be free to build their business, offer their service, or plow their land without government interference.
3) Free Speech. This would be self-explanatory if there weren't constant challenges to this basic right. Nowadays, this comes almost exclusively from the left, whose devotion to colleges speech codes, elusively defined hate crimes and self-serving harassment policies have often trumped the right to free speech. A recommittment to free speech could only help the party find its soul and move forward.
4) Free Men. This, of course, dealt with the issues of slavery in Antebellum United States, an issue that was effectively handled by the Civil War. I suppose if we were to pledge allegiance to this basic fundamental, we would take stronger stances against ongoing slavery in the modern world. According to the organization Free the Slaves, there are currently 27 million people still in slavery, primarily in Africa,the Middle East, Latin America and the Caribbean. While I would argue against U.S. military intervention in those geographic areas, I certainly believe a louder and stronger public condemnation on the part of our government is in order. This could be followed by a U.S. motion for the United Nations to actually enforce its own Article Four, of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that, "No one shall be held in slavery..." Such a move on the part of our country would not only help put the UN to shame (if such a thing is possible) for its lack of action, but would also put our own domestic problems into perspective.
In summation, if we are to "return to principles" as we rebuild the Republican Party, let us at least return to our founding principles. As those who have read my earlier writings know, I'm all about examining and, if they prove true, enforcing past principles as we head into the future. The winning party in years to come will be the party whose leaders can see the possibilities of modern technology, can support free enterprise while protecting its citizens from unfair trade agreements, and can recognize that most people wish to be productive and self-supporting and will help them on their way to those goals. That can certainly be the Republican Party as long as it also clings to its founding principles.
posted by dlh | 9:14 AM
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