In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. That same year, Adam Smith published “Wealth of Nations.” Jefferson expounded on the doctrine of liberty for individuals. Smith expounded on the doctrine of liberty for economics, the free enterprise system.

Jefferson’s concept of the role of government can best expressed by the quote attributed to him, “GOVERNMENT IS BEST WHICH GOVERNS LEAST.”

Smith’s work covered such concepts as the role of self-interest, the division of labor, the function of markets, and the international implications of a laissez-faire economy. It laid the intellectual framework that explained the free market and it still holds true today.


In the decades leading up to the American Civil War, neither the Democratic Party nor the Whig Party would recognize the evils of slavery. The Democrats actually embrace the institution. The Whigs ignored the issue.

In 1854, a group of individuals came to the conclusion that the sentence in the Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." did not have any exceptions. They formed the Republican Party and, in 1856, nominated John Fremont as their candidate for President.

In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected President of the United States. Before his presidency, it was THE UNITED STATES ARE... After his presidency, it was THE UNITED STATES IS...

The Republicans of their day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery, the Fourteenth, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws, and the Fifteenth, which helped secure voting rights for African-Americans. That historic relationship is why the first African-American Congressmen were Republicans.

In 1896, Republicans were the first major party to argue for securing women the right to vote. When the 19th Amendment was finally added to the Constitution, 26 of 36 state legislatures that had voted to ratify it were under Republican control. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican, Jeanette Rankin from Montana, in 1917.

Arnold Schwarzenegger made it simple in his speech at the Republican National Convention in 2004:
My fellow immigrants, my fellow Americans, how do you know if you are a Republican? Well, I tell you how.

If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government, then you are a Republican.

If you believe a person should be treated as an individual, not as a member of an interest group, then you are a Republican.

If you believe your family knows how to spend your money better than the government does, then you are a Republican.

If you believe our educational system should be held accountable for the progress of our children, then you are a Republican.

If you believe this country, not the United Nations, is the best hope for democracy, then you are a Republican.

And, ladies and gentlemen, if you believe that we must be fierce and relentless and terminate terrorism, then you are a Republican.

Now, there's another way you can tell you're a Republican. You have faith in free enterprise, faith in the resourcefulness of the American people and faith in the U.S. economy. And to those critics who are so pessimistic about our economy, I say: Don't be economic girlie-men.

In time, the concepts of liberty and freedom have been distilled to form the four pillows of the Republican Party. They are:
      1. Lower Taxes. The individual knows better how to spend his own earnings than the government knows how to spend the individuals’ earnings.
      2. Smaller government. The individual should be free of government dictates as the individual pursues happiness.
      3. The individual is responsible for his/her own actions. It is not someone else’s fault when we try and fail. Our form government allows us to try again.
      4. A strong national defense. This includes securing our borders from all invasions.

Some interesting facts follow:

      Who was the first Hispanic governor? Romualdo Pacheco (R-CA).       Who introduced the constitutional amendment for women's suffrage? Senator Aaron Sargent (R-CA).
      Who abolished slavery? The Republican Party, with its 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6, 1865.
      Who was the first Hispanic U.S. Senator? New Mexico Republican Octaviano Larrazolo, sworn in on December 7, 1928.
      Who argued before the Supreme Court against racial segregation in Brown v. Board Education? President Eisenhower's Asst. Attorney General, on December 8, 1953.
      Who argued in favor of segregation? The man who had been the 1924 Democrat presidential nominee.
      It was a Republican Congress that passed the 1964 Civil Rights Act.
      Other noted Republicans include Susan B. Anthony and Jackie Robinson.

The San Benito Republican Party is the official, legally recognized committee of the Republican Party in the county. The roll of the San Benito County Republican Party is to register Republicans to vote. In our county, the Republican Party actively works to support quality Republican candidates for public office, who in turn are putting our ideas of lower taxes, smaller government, personal responsibility and a strong national defense into action. The strength of our party comes not only from the power of our ideas, but from the combined efforts of Republican volunteers and donors.

Paid for by
San Benito County Republican Party
PO Box 271
Tres Pinos, CA 95075
www.sanbenitorepublicans.org
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