Salt Lake Telegram | 1929-06-23 | Page 17 | Named G. O. P.

GioP 0 j ZEPHANIAH B. B KNIGHT t-fo t Matter Where the G. G O. O P. P Was Born He Named Dallied It PONTIAC Mich NEA NEA-Al- NEA Al Although though two t cities are at pres present present arguing arguing arguing ar ar- guing over th the honor of ot having been the he birthplace of ot the Republican an part party historIans who have ha delved back into the political past have at least discovered to their satisfaction satisfaction satisfaction tion the th identity of the the theman man who gave the party Its Us ramer Jame In Ripon Wis Vis and and Jackson Mich plans are arc being being made toe for celebration of ot the seventy-fifth seventy anniversary an anniversary anniversary an- an of ot the p party's birth Andin And Andin Andin in Pontiac it has been learned that the man man who applied the name Republican Re publican to the new party that was born in 1854 was Zephaniah B B. B Knight then thEm editor of the Pontiac Gazette and later a a. citizen of Omaha Neb Ne According to the historians the part played by Whig and Free Free Soil SolI editors In forming the new party never has b been en given its prop proper r In history Without the aid of these editors it Is said it might have been impossible to weld the political factions of or the antislavery antislavery antislavery anti- anti slavery groups into compact a-compact harmonious harmonious harmonious har har- party ACTED AFTER WHIG DEFEAT The movement for the formation of ot a new new ne party followed the crushing crushIng crushIng crush- crush Ing defeat of ot the Whigs In 1852 Letters from the Intelli Intelli- the Albany Journal Tournai and other Whig papers were sent to Whig editors in all aU parts of the the- country asking what was to be bedone done These letters induced some of the thelE lE leading Whig editors In Michigan to hold a conference at Tacks Jackson On in 1854 The editors met and adopted a policy looking toward the con- con of ot all antislavery ele ele- ments Henry Barnes of the Detroit Detroit Detroit De De- troit Tribune George Georg II H. Fitch of If the Kalamazoo Telegraph and Mr Knight were appointed to attend the Free Soil SolI party state convention convention convention conven conven- tion called for February 22 1854 and submit a a. consolidation proposal proposal proposal pro pro- to the leaders of ot that party It was at the Jackson me meeting that the name Republican was first suggest suggested suggested sug sug- gest d by Mr Knight The minutes that meeting were were- preserved by Colonel Charles V. V DeLand one of the founders of the party who in his report has this to say about the party's name Considerable rable has been written and many claims made as to who is entitled to the honor of naming the Republican party The call for tor the July convention was mailed to a number of or men of ot national tion Among them were William H. H Seward eward Thurlow Thurlo Weed Horace Greeley Silas Wright and D. D S. S Dickinson of ot New York Senator Collamer of Vermont Senator Ham Ham- ln lIn of Maine David Wilmot of ot Pennsylvania Henry Wilson of Benjamin Wade Vade and S. S P. P Chase of or Ohio J. J W W. Grimes of ot Iowa and Governor Bissell ol ot Il 11 HAD MANY SUGGESTIONS Several of ot these gentlemen wrote letters endorsing the action and suggesting that action 1 be e taken Nearly all alt suggested some combination name Senator Seward mentioned the American union Party Horace Greeley the Demo Republican cratic-Republican Union Party Benjamin Wade any any name but Slavery Pro Democrat t Salmon 1 P. P Chase Sl Antl Slavery Anti very Union Silas SU Wright wrote Let us go back to Thomas Jefter Jeffer Jefferson's Jeffersons ons on's appellation when he antagonized the Federalists Federalists Federalists Federal Federal- and reestablish the old Demo Republican cratic-Republican Party These letters were vere all aU pla placed ed at atthe atthe atthe the disposal of the committee cn en resolutions and when the time came to fill flU the blank for a a name Zephania B. B Knight a member of the committee committed and editor of ot the Pontiac Gazette made a a. motion to fill it In with the tho single words Republican Republican Republican Re publican Mr Knights Knight's motion was adopted and to him belongs th the honor of ot suggesting the name that has become so conspicuous and historic ilc among the names names' of the tho political parties in is this country coun coun- try