Which policies of the first Republicans would be acceptable to today's Republicans?

The Missouri Compromise of 1820 divided the country between the pro-slavery, agrarian South and anti-slavery, industrial North.  In 1854, the Kansas-Nebraska Act stated settlers would decide if their new state would be free or slave. Northern leaders such as Horace Greeley, Salmon Chase and Charles Sumner did not want to watch a flood of pro-slavery settlers claim new territories.  From this primary issue, a new political party arose ... the Republican Party.

The Republican dislike of slavery came from the belief in a country wherein every man was free to make himself a good life by his own efforts. 

The Republicans were the party of free working white men; they opposed the spread of slavery because they feared competition from unpaid labor in the new Western lands. They were no particular friends of the blacks, slave or free. They were purely a sectional party -- the Northeast for the most part.

Issues put forward by the Republicans included:

• Repeal of the Kansas-Nebraska Act — the Republican opposition to the extension of slavery was based more on economic concerns than moral ones
• Support of the central route for the construction of the transcontinental railroad
• Support of a Homestead Acts, which would ease the process for settlers to own western lands
• Support of high protective tariffs and liberal immigration laws — both were attractive to Northern manufacturers.
• Supported, in its early years, liberal capitalism as opposed to monopoly capitalism.

liberal capitalism - the greatest possible number of economic decisions are made by individuals and not by collective institutions or organizations
monopoly capitalism - a capitalist system typified by trade monopolies in the hands of a few people.

Sources:
ushistory.org
historytoday.com 
u-s-history.com

The early Republicans ...
Help settlers own the western lands
High tariffs to protect U.S. manuafacturers & worker's jobs
Liberal immigration laws to provide labor to Northern manufacturers
Capitalism with economic decisions made by individuals and not by collective institutions or organizations
No particular friends of blacks

Today's Republicans ...
Let business drill, mine, harvest the western lands at low cost
High tariffs to protect U.S. manuafacturers
Tight immigration laws to reduce potential liberal voters
Capitalism with decisions made by a plutocracy
No particular friends of blacks, Latinos, Muslims, Mideastern peoples, refugees, poor, homeless, mentally ill

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What have liberals ever done for the U.S.?

The GI Bill
Endangered Species Act
Environmental Laws
The Space Program
The Peace Corps
Americorps
The Civil Rights Movement
Earned Income Tax Credit
Family & Medical Leave Act
Consumer Product Safety Commission
Americans With Disabilities Act
Freedom of Information Act
Women's right to control their reproductive future
Allowing citizens to view their own credit records
The Internet
Balancing the federal budget
The Brady Bill (5-day wait on handgun purchases for background checks)
Lobbying Disclosure Act
"Motor-Voter" Act
The Voting Rights Act
Unemployment Insurance
Medicare/Medicaid
Food Stamps/WIC
Social Security
Peace between Israel and Egypt
Peace between Israel and Jordan
The Department of Education
The Department of Energy
The Department of Transportation
The Department of Housing and Urban Development
Labor Laws
The Marshall Plan
Winning World War II
Food Safety Laws
Workplace Safety Laws
The Tennessee Valley Project
The Civilian Conservation Corps
The Securities and Exchange Commission
Women's Right to Vote
Universal Public Education
National Weather Service
Product Labeling Laws
Truth in Advertising Laws
Morrill Land Grant Act
Rural Electrification
Public Universities
Bank Deposit Insurance (FDIC)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Public Broadcasting
Supporting the establishment of Israel
The United Nations
NATO

Where does it say in the U.S. Constitution ...

Article VI, paragraph 3, ... no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.

Whether you are religious or not, it matters not under the Constitution. Religion thereby is separated from the state.

What are the odds?

“3,400: Americans who died by Terrorism since 2001. 3,400: Americans who died by household firearms since five weeks ago.” -- Salon.com

So ... what is mostly likely to happen to you or someone you know? The math is not that hard.

Trump Rule of Civil discourse #15:

Attack the messenger, ignore the message.

Trump Rule of Civil discourse #45:

Mock first, then equivocate.

From my collection of semi-pithy statements ...

"It works," [Donald] Trump repeated of waterboarding. "Believe me, it works. And you know what? If it doesn't work, they deserve it anyway, for what they're doing." 
-- People.com

It is the Donald who would torture for the sake of torture. That is sadism.

He has gone way beyond patriotism. He is opposed to all the Constitution stands for and has moved into immorality.

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The Confederate Battle Flag ... just let it go.

The swastika is considered to be a sacred and auspicious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Used as a decorative element in various cultures, its first known appearance was on the tusk of a mammoth from the paleolithic settlement of Mezine, Ukraine dated to 10,000 BCE. It was found on a man's tunic shown in a Roman mosaic at the Villa Romana del Casale in Sicily. The swastika motif is found in some traditional Native American art and iconography.

However, in Western countries, association with the German Nazi Party has obliterated any use of the swastika in its original context. Its use is banned in Germany. Any appearance elsewhere is immediately presumed to represent a fascist, nationalist, racist agenda.

The Confederate battle flag of the Army of Northern Virginia (original square later rectangular) was, at one time, a symbol to those whose ancestors served in the armed forces of the Confederacy. However, it has also been adopted by various racist groups. It now that association which the flag represents: fascist, nationalist, racist, hate, violence.

Those who feel affection for the flag have lost the battle of public opinion. It would be better to just let it go.

 
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Jade Helm 2015 ... a scenario

Operation Jade Helm 2015, a US Army training exercise, will take place from 15 July to 15 September 2015. About 1,200 U.S. Special Operations forces will be taking part. The exercise will stretch across several western States.

A small percentage of Texans have decided this will be the beginning of the end for their freedom. They expect to be rounded up and housed in closed Wal-Marts converted to detention facilities. They insist the U.S. Army, sworn to defend the U.S. Constitution, will instead follow illegal orders to lock up Texans because ... well, no good reason has actually been presented so far.

The Army has sent spokepeople to talk to the Texans. This, of course, was an exercise in futility and those attending the public meetings already knew anyone in an Army uniform ... well, anyone in a current, official Army uniform was a liar under any circumstance. There was nothing the spokesfolks could say because the audience already had the "facts" from various odd-ball radio personalities and off-the-wall Websites. Even Fox News called them "kookie"!

My fear ...

A member of the Texas State Guard will be driving alone on a road at night. He will be returning to his family from an official meeting of the Guard called by the Texas Governor. He will, of course, be wearing his Texas State Guard uniform which, surprise, surprise, looks just like the uniform of the U.S. Army.

He will be passed by a pickup carrying a couple of suspicious Texans on the lookout for the illegal roundup they have been expecting for months.

The Guardsman will wave at the two.

They will immediately recognize the wave as a signal to the invisible black helicopter they "know" has been following them the several miles. [The "whop-whop" sound is actually coming from one of the tires.]

Having decided not to be taken without a fight, the pickup swirls into a quick 180 and catches up with the Guardsman. They open fire in a "preemptive strike" to take out the only available target of oppression.

Time passes. Investigations proceed. The two are arrested for murder.

At the trial, the defense argues the two assassins were merely doing their duty against the oppressive, over-reaching Federal government and, because of their heroic action of ambush and backshooting, the illegal roundup was halted.

The two are acquitted and hailed as Texas heroes.

Three months later, the two are found outside their respective homes with bullet holes in their foreheads. Local authorities surmise person or persons unknown with sniper training may have been involved in the slayings. The investigation continues.

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Climate change ... what do you think?

"In 1850, ... there were an estimated 150 glaciers in the area ... By 1968, ... around 50. Today ... 26, many ... mere remnants of what they once were.

"If current trends continue, some scientists predict that by the year 2030, Glacier National Park will not contain any glaciers and many of the park's smaller glaciers will melt even sooner."

 -- nps.gov

So, just check back in fifteen (15) years to see what transpires.

It all started with a Guest commentary by Kevin Kane in The Advocate: "Correctional system, sentencing reform a nonpartisan issue" on 07 (?) May 2015 ...

But then, Ms. Elaine O. Coyle and I got into it as follows:

James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement

Thomas Winn wrote "... if incarcerated, it isn't the first time nor is it a misdemeanor (smoking drugs)." Incorrect.

"Louisiana has some of the harshest marijuana laws in the country. First-offense possession of even a single joint is punishable by up to six months in jail." -- www.mpp.org/states/louisiana/

Mr. Winn also wrote "... if we made prison MORE discomforting for the inmates ..." Lawsuits have shown Louisiana prisons are among the "most discomforting" in the nation - unconstitutional treatment of those incarcerated. Mr. Winn supports punishment/revenge versus rehabilitation.

"The Louisiana Department of Corrections (DOC) is responsible for the custody and care of adult offenders across Louisiana. Just over half of Louisiana’s approximately 39,000 inmates are assigned to the state’s twelve correctional facilities. The remaining offenders are assigned to parish facilities and work release centers. DOC’s Probation and Parole division supervises an additional 70,000 offenders." -- doc.louisiana.gov

Louisiana stands alone in the U.S. by housing state prisoners in parish jails [just under half of 39,000 of adult offenders]. "There's a lack of programming, a lack of medical, mental health care, a lack of education, a lack of vocational training, lack, lack, lack," [Burk Foster, a former criminal justice professor at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette] said. "The sheriffs provide more or less secure care of prisoners. They don't provide much beyond that." -- nola.com

Elaine O. Coyle wrote "IMO, it is insane to let criminals know that they won't face jail time."

So, "jail time" is the ONLY option? No mental health treatment, no job training, no work release, no supervised probation, no community service, no house arrest?

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Reply · Like · 1 · Unfollow Post · Edited · May 5 at 10:12am

• 
  

  Elaine O. Coyle ·  Top Commenter · Cornell University
  

  Some of those options are already in service.
  With me , the nature of the crime should determine the sentence.
  I am more concerned about the victim than the attacker.
  The woman who followed me into the driveway of my daughter's house & grabbed my
  purse, then ran to a waiting car was skilled . She had done it before
  & she had a partner. She got the contents of my purse including cell
  phone, credit cards & gold earrings that weren't even mine.She was able
  to charge 3 tanks of gas in one night.I had insurance but with the deductible
  I was still on the hook for a big loss plus I lost the prettiest purse I ever had.
  Sooner or later she will be caught & I want her IN JAIL. She is a seasoned
  criminal.
  See if you can sell that hearts & flowers crap to other victims.

  Reply · Like · May 5 at 1:00pm
• 
  

  James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
  

  Elaine O. Coyle: I am sorry you were a crime victim. However, you represent one crime victim of one crime. That does not justify treating all criminals as though they all personally victimized you.
  
  The opinion piece stated "Prison is unquestionably the place for violent, repeat and other serious offenders, [the sort that made you a victim] and the expense of keeping them there will always be justified. But Louisiana has cast its incarceration net too far, and the costs are draining money away from other important public needs."
  
  "Other important public needs" can include increased police protection and investigation of crimes in order to render justice OR training programs to equip people with jobs skills so they do not resort to crime.

  Reply · Like · 1 · May 5 at 1:39pm

• 
  

  Elaine O. Coyle ·  Top Commenter · Cornell University
  

  This isn't Les Miserables, where people steal because they are hungry.
  There are people out there who steal because if is easier than
  working.I have known plenty of people who have had no job skills &
  they didn't resort to crime. Poverty is no excuse for breaking the law.
  If you commit the crime, you do the time. It's very simple.

  Reply · Like · Edited · May 5 at 6:07pm
• 
  

  James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
  

  Elaine O. Coyle: You mentioned "Les Miserables"; I didn't. Who said "people steal because they are hungry"? You did. Any particular reasons? "Poverty is no excuse for breaking the law." Who said it was? OR do you choose to ignore my points rather than address them?
  
  Oh, in "Les Miserables," Jean Valjean was based on a historical person Pierre Maurin who spent five years in prison for stealing bread for his sister’s children.
  
  Returning to present day ... "If you commit the crime, you do the time." Why are we in Louisiana so harsh that we incarcerate more of our citizens than any other state yet still suffer from the "high crime rates" most commenters complain about? Could it be those longer sentences are not the deterrents everyone "knows" they are? Most certainly, those committing the crimes apparently don't know it.
  
  From earlier ... "Some of those options are already in service." Then, why did you write "it is insane to let criminals know that they won't face jail time." It appears you mean all criminals should face jail time in all cases or did you mean to exempt some criminals from mandatory jail time?
  
  "I am more concerned about the victim than the attacker." So ... who does the marijuana smoker attack or the non-violent offender?
  
  In Louisiana ...
  Possession of Marijuana (less than 60 lbs)
  first offense . . . . . .6 mos . . $ 500
  second offense . . . 5 years . $2,500
  subsequent offense . 20 years . $5,000
  Cultivation of Marijuana (any amount) [no exemption for medical marijuana]
  first offense . . . . . . . 5* - 30 years . $ 50,000
  subsequent offense. . 10* - 60 years . $100,000
  * Mandatory minimum sentence

  Reply · Like · 1 · Unfollow Post · May 5 at 7:01pm
• 
  

  Elaine O. Coyle ·  Top Commenter · Cornell University
  

  James,
  Oh please, obtuse should be your middle name.
  Your points are always distortions of what I say.
  1.I know the story of Les Miserables or I would not have mentioned
  it. I assumed that most people do.
  2.Do you know anyone in LA who has been in prison for 5 years
  for stealing a loaf of bread?
  3.FYI, our poverty level is higher than many countries regular
  standard of living. Look up how most Chinese live.
  4.Poverty is a cop out for thievery. During the Depression or
  the Dust Bowl, their was poverty & few supports & people
  didn't steal. at least not on the level that people do today.
  5.There seems to be an attitude that other peoples' property
  is up for grabs like the Baltimore Mayor who told the Police
  to stand down & "Let them loot, it's only property."... See More

  Reply · Like · Unfollow Post · May 5 at 11:34pm

• 
  

  James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
  

  Ms. Coyle ...
  
  1. I know the story of Les Miserables or I would not have mentioned it. I assumed that most people do.
  
  Considering the assumption of most commenting at The Advocate that most Louisiana schools are inadequate, that may not be a valid assumption.
  
  2. Do you know anyone in LA who has been in prison for 5 years for stealing a loaf of bread?
  
  For stealing bread, no. For doing nothing wrong, yes. And for quite a few years beyond five up to and including death.
  
  3. FYI, our poverty level is higher than many countries regular standard of living. Look up how most Chinese live.
  
  On the other hand, among developed countries, the U.S. stands alone in not making healthcare available to all its citizens.
  
  4. ... During the Depression or the Dust Bowl, their (sic) was poverty & few supports & people didn't steal. ...
  
  My grandmother lived in fear her husband would die at the hands of Bonnie & Clyde as he had to make the night deposit for his company. The gang committed hundreds of robberies and killed perhaps nine police officers and several civilians. Reportedly, "Barrow's goal in life was not to gain fame or fortune from robbing banks, but to seek revenge against the Texas prison system for the abuses he suffered while serving time." Louisiana's penal system may be producing similar results.
  
  5. ... the Baltimore Mayor who told the Police to stand down & "Let them loot, it's only property."
  
  The Mayor was correct. It is not lawful to use deadly force to protect property. Lives are worth more than stuff.
  
  6. Our high crime rates come from people who have grown up to have no respect for others & their property. ... "It's their own damn fault."
  
  FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO JUVENILE DELINQUENCY, K. M. BANHAM BRIDGES, Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology, Volume 17, Issue 4 (1927)
  
  I. Physical Factors.
  1. Malnutrition.
  2. Lack of sleep.
  3. Developmental aberrations.
  4. Sensory defects.
  5. Speech defects.
  6. Endocrine disorders.
  7. Deformities.
  8. Nervous diseases.
  9. Other ailments.
  10. Physical exuberance.
  11. Drug addiction.
  12. Effect of weather.
  II. Mental Factors.
  1. Mental defect.
  2. Superior intelligence.
  3. Psychoses.
  4. Psychoneuroses.
  5. Psychopathic constitution (including emotional instability).
  6. Abnormalities of instinct and emotion.
  7. Uneven mental development.
  8. Obsessive imagery and imagination.
  9. Mental conflicts.
  10. Repression and substitution.
  11. Inferiority complex.
  12. Introversion and egocentrism.
  13. Revengefulness (get-even complex).
  14. Suggestibility.
  15. Contra-suggestibility.
  16. Lethargy and laziness.
  17. Adolescent emotional instability.
  18. Sex habits and experiences.
  19. Habit and association.
  II. Home Conditions.
  1. Unsanitary conditions.
  2. Material deficiencies.
  3. Excess in material things.
  4. Poverty and unemployment.
  5. Broken homes.
  6. Mental and physical abnormalities of parents, or siblings.
  7. Immoral and delinquent parents.
  8. Ill-treatment by foster parents, step-parents, or guardians.
  9. Stigma of illegitimacy.
  10. Lack of parental care and affection.
  11. Lack of confidence and frankness between parents and children.
  12. Deficient and misdirected discipline.
  13. Unhappy relationship with siblings.
  14. Bad example.
  15. Foreign birth or parentage.
  16. "Superior" education of children.
  IV. School Conditions.
  1. Inadequate school building and equipment.
  2. Inadequate facilities for recreation.
  3. Rigid and inelastic school system, "the goose-step."
  4. Poor attendance laws and lax enforcement.
  5. Wrong grading.
  6. Unsatisfactory teacher.
  7. Undesirable attitude of pupil towards teacher.
  8. Bad school companions and codes of morals.
  V. Neighborhood Conditions.
  1. Lack of recreational facilities.
  2. Congested neighborhood and slums.
  3. Disreputable morals of the district.
  4. Proximity of luxury and wealth.
  5. Influence of gangs and gang codes.
  6. Loneliness, lack of social outlets.
  7. Overstimulating movies and Shows.
  VI. Occupational Conditions.
  1. Irregular occupation.
  2. Occupational misfit.
  3. Spare time and idleness.
  4. Truancy.
  5. Factory influences.
  6. Monotony and restraint.
  7. Decline in the apprenticeship system.
  
  Of the above items, which are "their own damn fault"?
  
  7. ... jail time for repeat offenders. ...
  
  The opinion piece is not about repeat offenders.
  
  8. ... People are incarcerated to protect the public. ...
  
  People are incarcerated in Louisiana due to mandatory sentencing requirements enacted by politicians trying to appear to be "tough on crime."
  
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  Reply · Like · 1 · Unfollow Post · May 6 at 12:59pm
• 
  

  Elaine O. Coyle ·  Top Commenter · Cornell University
  

  LOL!
  What B.S,! What tripe!
  You could teach a course titled, EXCUSES FOR CRIMINALS 101.
  Lesson learned, I shall not waste my time answering you in the future
  as you are in some unreal world of your own.

  Reply · Like · Unfollow Post · May 6 at 2:52pm
• 
  

  James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
  

  Ms. Coyle, whence came your aversion to facts?

  Reply · Like · 1 · Unfollow Post · May 6 at 6:11pm
• 
  

  James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
  

  Debtors' Prisons in the U.S.
  
  "In the landmark 1983 case, Bearden v. Georgia, the United States Supreme Court ruled that a man’s Constitutional rights were violated when he was imprisoned for his inability to pay his court-ordered fines and fees. The Court held that before sentencing someone to jail time for failure to pay, a sentencing court must investigate the person’s ability to pay; to imprison someone merely because of poverty would be fundamentally unfair."
  
  Decades pass ...
  
  "In Louisiana, a homeless construction worker was assessed $498 in fines and costs when he was convicted of possession of marijuana in 2007. He was arrested two years later after failing to pay his legal debt and spent five months in jail at a cost of more than $3,000 to the City of New Orleans.
  
  "In one two-week period in May, 2014, 16 men in New Orleans were sentenced to serve jail time when they could not pay their legal financial obligations (LFOs). If they served their complete sentences, their incarceration would cost the City of New Orleans over $1,000 more than their total unpaid legal debts. ...
  
  "... the practice of jailing people for their inability to pay fines increases recidivism among former inmates, who often have a difficult time obtaining employment. Up to 60 percent of former inmates are unemployed one year after release. Unable to secure a job, but facing a backlog of court-ordered fines, former inmates are likely to end up back in jail simply because they are poor."
  
  -- louisianaweekly.com
  
  How is any of this "their own damn fault"? I know, the homeless construction worker possessed marijuana. But, did that marijuana cost more than a loaf of bread? The article didn't state if he bought it or not.
  
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  Reply · Like · 1 · Unfollow Post · May 6 at 6:24pm
• 
  

  Elaine O. Coyle ·  Top Commenter · Cornell University
  

  Facts ....LOL
  When you say that the Mayor of Baltimore was right for allowing thugs to burn buildings &
  loot, that is abominable & an OPINION, not a fact.
  In the first place the police did not have live ammunition so there was little danger of death
  while there was danger of death when the rioters were throwing bricks & rocks at the police
  & molotov cocktails.
  I didn't even read your last comment because as far as I am concerned we are not even close to agreeing on anything.

  Reply · Like · Unfollow Post · Edited · May 6 at 11:25pm
• • 
    

    James R. Madden ·  Top Commenter · Consultant at Considering Retirement
    

    Coyle: "When you say Mayor of Baltimore was right for
    allowing thugs to burn buildings & loot, that is abominable
    & an OPINION, not a fact."

    Your Opinion then is that property is more valuable than human beings.
    Please, provide the approximate dollar amount you suggest at which
    the taking of a human life is authorized? 
    
    When you search for the phrase(s) "Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake
    ordered police to (1) stand down, (2) allow rioters to loot, (3) give
    space to rioters & let them loot," it is preceded by one of the
    following words: allegedly, reportedly, the speculation that, apparently.
    The phrase is repeated on multiple sites such as inforwars.com, theeconomiccollapseblog.com, thefreethoughtproject.com,rushlimbaugh.com, newsbusters.org, insider.foxnews.com, conservativefiringline.com, nypost.com,doomsteaddiner.net, knightstemplarinternational.com, ...

    You are against something, IN MY OPINION, of course, the Mayor of
    Baltimore never said.
    
    Regarding 'molotov cocktail' -- "Fire beside Pratt library was not caused
    by Molotov cocktail." -- huffingtonpost.com, breitbart.com,theguardian.com,
    latimes.com
    
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    Reply · Like · Unfollow Post · May 7 at 11:31am

  
  

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