OCR Text |
Show I f FIFTY YEARS OF USEFULNESS , I Record o Republican Party Urged as : ! ;i i 1 Bcason Why It Should' Be , Again Trusted. H, ' J i TITHEN the course of the next Ad- I' I 1M ministration is but half done the ' i I' , ( ft Republican party will havo com- 1 j - plcted the flrat half century of Its national lifo. Of tho cloven admlnlslra- B , j tlons since the flr.it election of Abraham , Lincoln, nine covering a period of tlilrty- n 1 six years have been under Republican Presidents. For the greater part of that H , J time, the majority In each House of Con- 1 I gress has been Republican. History nf- 1 ' fords no parallel In any age or country 1 .i for the growth In national creatress and '"il i power and honor, the wide diffusion of lho 1 i , j comforts of life, the uplifting of the great , r i mass of tho people above the hard con- I i I dltlons of pgverty, the' common opporlunl-1 opporlunl-1 k 1 j " ty for education and Individual advnnce- ) ) ) , mcnt. the universal possession of civil and I f, . religious liberty, tho protection of proper- i i, I ty and security for tho r(wards of Indu3- I I" f try and enterprise, the cultivation of nn-' nn-' , ' tional morality, respect for religion, sym-. sym-. i j J pathy with humanity and love of liberty , and Justice, which have marked the life lit ' "i of the Amerlcnn people during this Jong l I I ll It period of Republican control. With the platfftrm and the candidates of l i l. this convention, wo arc about to ask a re- H ' ' , '. newed expression of popular confid-ncu In Hl i ' -; the Republican party. Hl ' , ,' We sna11 ask 11 becaijse the principles to m , . '! which wo decl;iro our adherence are right, H , '' ' anil tho best Interests of our country re- I I u f quire that they ohould bo followed In Its H , J'l government. B ( i 1 'i- tVc shall ask It because the unbroken 1 (i' , record of the Republican party in the prist l I' i' Is an assurance of the sincerity of oar H (, . declarations and the fidelity with which . wo shall give them effect. Because we I ,1 , have been constant In principle, loyal to H ,, ' h our beliefs and faithful to our promises. H i i, , we arc entitled to be believed and trusted l i now. H 1 .ill '.) We shall ask It because the character i I Uv ' of the party gives assurance of good gov- i1 Al ': ernment- A great political organization. competent to govern, Is not a chance collection col-lection of Individuals brought together for the moment as the shifting sands avc piled up by wind and sea. to bi swept away, to be formed and reformed again. It Is a growth. Traditions and sentiments reaching down through Btrugglc-s of years gone, and tho stress and hont of old con-Illcts, con-Illcts, and the Influence of leaders passed away, and tho ingrained habit of applying fixed rules of Interpretation and of thought all give to a political party known mid Inalienable qualities from which must follow In its deliberate Judgment Judg-ment anil ultimate action, like results for good or bad government. AVc do not deny that other parties have In their membership member-ship men of morality nnd patriotism; but we assert with confidence that above all others, by tho Influences which gave It birth and havo mnlntalned lt3 life, by the causes for which It has striven, the Ideals which It has followed, tho Republican party as a party has acquired a character which mnkes Its ascendancy the ben guarantee of a government loyal to principle prin-ciple and effective In execution. Through It more than any other political organization organiza-tion tho moral sentiment of America finds expression. It cannot depart from the direction di-rection of Its tendencies. From what it has been may bo known certainly vhat It must be. Not all of us rise to Its standard; stand-ard; not all of us are worthy of Its glorious glori-ous history; but as a whole this great political po-litical organization the party of Uncoln and McKlnley cannot fall to work In the spirit of Its pa6t and In loyalty to groat Ideals. Wo shall ask the continued confidence of the people because the candidates whom we present are of proved competency compe-tency and patriotism, fitted to fill the offices of-fices for which they arc nominated, to tho credit and honor of our country. People's Business Well Administered. We shall nsk It becnusc tho present policies pol-icies of our Government are beneficial and ought not to bo sot aside; and tho people's peo-ple's buslneos Is being well done, and ought not to be Interfered with. Have not the American peoplo reason for satisfaction and pride In the conduct of their Government since the election of 1900, when tlmy rendered their Judgment of approval upon the first administration of President McKlnley? Have we not had an honest government? Have not the mn selected tor? office been men of good reputation repu-tation who by their past lives had given evidence that they wero honest and competent? com-petent? Can any private business he pointed out In which laps&s from honesty havo been so few and o trifling proportionately, propor-tionately, as In the public service of the unueti btatesY And wnen thoy have occurred, oc-curred, havo not tho offenders been relentlessly re-lentlessly prosecuted and sternly punished without regard to political or personal relations? re-lations? Have we not had an effective government? govern-ment? Have not tho laws been enforced? Ha3 not tho slow process of leglslatlvo discussion upon manv serious questions boon brought to practical conclusions, embodied em-bodied In beneficial statutes? and has not tho Executive proceeded without vacillation vacilla-tion or weakness to give these effcct7 Arc not the laws of tho United States obeyed at home? hpd docs not our Government command respect and honor throughout tho world? Have we hot had a safe and conservative conserva-tive government? Has not property been protected? Ore not the fruits of enterprise and Industry secure? What safeguard of the Constitution for vested right or Individual Indi-vidual freedom has not been scrupulously observed? When has any American administration ad-ministration over dealt moro considerately nnd wisely with questions which might have been tho cause of conflict with foreign for-eign powers? When have more Just settlements set-tlements been reached by peaceful means? When has any administration wielded a moro powerful influence for peace? and when have we rested moro secure In friendship with all mankind? |