Show tl jM I REMINISCENCES OF THE I I REPUBLICAN PARTY I IBy t i By Dy an Old Time Republican of Park City 4 I The first platform of our party was in keeping with the many platforms that have since been evolved by our party inasmuch as It was bold In advocating advocating ad ad- the reforms that thal the people people people peo peo- or that portion of the thought right were desirous should be brought about This platform appealed appealed ap ape pealed to the people who opposed OppOSe ed the repeal of the Missouri Com Com- promise It demanded that the Federal Federal Fed Fed- eral Government should be restored to the principles of W Washington and Jefferson It demanded adherence to the principles of ot the Declaration of Independence and the admission lof of Kansas to the Union as a freestate freestate freestate free state and denounced the Ostend manifesto manifesto man man- as a highwayman's plea The battle cry for lor the campaign of 1866 1856 was free soil soli free free tree press and free tree men but the Buchanan Buchanan Buch Duch anan Democrats won the election and his administration emboldened the slave owners to carry carryon on their propaganda propaganda pro pro- with more vim than they had hud previously curried on In March 57 57 the Dred Scott decision decision deci deel sion sian was rendered by the Court declaring that Congress had hadI no power to prohibit the extension of I slavery to the territories Early Kurly in May 1858 the Democratic tic tie Congress proceeded to adopt the I spurious LeCompton Constitution for tor torf for fOI the purpose of admitting her as a slave state In the following I August the people of Kansas by an overwhelming vote rejected ted that I slave holders carefully planned document So strong did the slave sIne element dominate the Democratic party and force the direst propaganda da upon the rank and amid file of that party party par par- ty that a a. large percentage of the I followers of that party began to oppose oppose op op- I 1 i pose the slave holders The Tit spurious LeCompton j i lion ion that the IlaVE slave holders undertook I I to Impose upon Kansas emboldened the opponents of ot that measure and caused Stephen A. A J Dougles to lead I the hullers He lie came carne out In a declaration atlon that tUat he stood squarely for the theold theold theold old an anti anci solid doctrine of ot the rights right of self government and he ho forcibly denounced the attempt to Impose upon upon up up- on Kansas a government that the time people did not want In doing this he openly defied the Buchanan ad ad- and was by President Buchanan warned of bow how Andrew I I Jackson crushed the revolting Dern Dem I I leaders in his any ay To this Dougles replied that Jackson was dead Douglas took the ground that Kansas Kansas Kansas Kan Kan- sas should be free to adopt the kind of constitution she desired be It free or slave In taking the tho step that he did Douglas did not adopt the theRe Republican Republican Re Re- publican doctrine but he Inadvertently inadvertently inadvertently rent the Democratic party as asunder asunder as- as under causing large numbers of the most moat powerful of ot the northern Democrats Democrats Dem to leave the party and eventually eventually eventually event event- these men and their followers became staunch Republicans The Republican leaders of those days held their positions unfaltering and enlarged time the scope of their platform platform plat- plat form torm so as to serve the Republic most permanently not for tor the cardinal is issues issues is- is sues SUE'S of the times alone but for all needful issues of the times and for forthe forthe forthe the future rendering needful per per- and enduring service ervice at all times The political conflict that had rent and destroyed old parties and given life to o new ones had brought about a u crisis In the nation and some political party must mUt meet that crisis The Republican party was Willi the only party having the disposition and the courage to meet the requirements ot of that crl crisis ls but at this date dale 1858 1868 no single leader was the acknowledged head of ot the party while such great men as Sumner Sunnier Chase Bryant LoveJoy Lovejoy Love- Love Joy Seward Giddings Trumbull treely GIeely and many others were con in the party councils there had not been manifested a IL united and approved political creed which could be accepted as the party's policy While hesitation thus marked time and lack of united council impeded the party's progress the leader strode upon the stage in the person n not of ot Abraham Lincoln lie He certainty certainly had bad the genius and aud the wisdom e essential es- es for tor a great leader to be pos poe sassed of Big lUg of body l big lg in brain hand and aDd big and tender of heart he be took up the great task as u only an aa inspired genius could and from his bU first fint Act net as us a lL leader to that that- mournful day upon upon up up- on which he was stricken down by bythe bythe bythe the assassin he hI truly und and unselfish unselfishly ly Iy lead not only our party but our nation to the goal that thai trot not only ov overcame the crisis but likewise je saved our jour our nation I Lincoln sensed the u sl situation as ast t did dId no other American statesman stateman and when he uttered his I Continued on page seven leven REMINISCENCES OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY Continued from page pace one phrase A house against itself It It- self sel cannot stand he ho opened thedoor thedoor the door that eventually led to victory He lie promptly added I I believe this government cannot permanently endure endure endure en en- dure slave half-slave and half-free half but I 1 donot do donot donot not expect It tt to fall nor do I expect It to become all slave This famous saying of Lincoln's was uttered on June 1858 1868 when Lincoln accepted the nomination nomina tion for U. U S. S Senator for Illinois his opponent was Stephen A. A Douglas who bo bov v won on over him Some months afterwards afterwards afterwards af af- Seward repeated the same sentiment when he dwelt upon the irrepressible conflict and further declared the nation must become en entirely entirely en en- a slave-holding slave or wholly a afree afree free tree labor nation While Seward and many other of of the able leaders did not approve I Lincoln's oln's candidacy against Douglas believing that the split between Buchanan's administration and Doug Doug- lass las's would be widened If it Douglas were to go unopposed but Lincoln was wiser and he discerned I that his opposition to Douglas was expedient fro front from a moral standpoint 1 I and good political strategy because I he could not afford to permit a man to be elected to the U. U S. S Senate from Illinois unopposed while his platform was Indifferent to slavery believing as he lie did that slavery was as a questIon question question ques ques- tion on which no man had the right to be either elther neutral or indifferent Lincoln further saw saw that by compellIng compell- compell Ing Douglas Dougla to commit himself on that Issue he would widen the breach i In the Democratic ranks and increase tho ch chance n e of a complete Republican 1 I can triumph in 1860 Lincoln challenged Douglas to publicly debate the questions at Is Is is- sue Douglas accepted and It was r during one of those historic debates that Lincoln drew from Douglas the admission that no matter what the Supreme Court might say the people people peo peo- pie of oj a territory had the power to exclude slavery by hostile police pollee regulations I So successful was the Infant Republican Re lie publican party in 18 1858 1818 8 In Its election elec- elec I tion of congressmen that It staged I elec-I a contest for the of Congress with John Sherman of Ohio as its candidate which lasted eight weeks or until Sherman withIn withdrew with with- drew in favor of Wm Vm PennIngton of New Jersey Jerset who was thereupon elected to the So stood conditions on the time eve of the national election of 1860 when the new party began to cast about I I for an available candidate for the presidency Amongst those who I stood m most st prominently in the eyes of the people were Salmon 1 P. P Case of Ohio Steward of New York I I seemed to many of the leading men Ilen of of the party a commanding figure 1 I Although Lincoln was viewed as a aI I more conservative man than either of the others and besides his debates de de- bates with Douglas had surely marked him as the actual leader of the party which at that date had hadnot hadnot hadnot not been blended together sufficiently sufficiently to make It an whole Lincoln's labors as a candidate I for the U. U S. S Senate against t Douglas Doug Doug- las had split the Democratic party In two along the line of f Mason and Dixon As a result Douglas was was was' nominated for the presidency by the northern Democrats while the southern half of that party bolted and nominated John C. C Breckinridge Breckin- Breckin ridge of Kentucky president The Constitutional party nominated John Bell Dell of Tennessee president Edward Everett of Massachusetts for vice This party adopted no platform but reaffirmed reaffirm reaffirm- ed the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution with an exhortation tation to their loyal fulfilment There was some difference between between be be- tween the platforms of Douglas and Breckinridge's s the former referred the question of slavery to the Supreme Supreme Su Suo preme Court promising to abide by Its decision platform platform platform plat plat- form insisted that the Dred Scott decision disposed of the whole m mat mat mat- t- t ter By Dy this time the eyes of the nation nation nation na na- tion were earnestly fixed upon the Republican party This party havIng having having hav hav- ing carried all but four of the northern northern northern north north- ern states In wh which h elections were held Even New York was lost by less than 2000 votes The National Nation Nation- al Republican convention was call call- I ed el for tor May au and met mft In the I wnm n to The contention conten tion adopt the majority rul rule in voting oUng and this rule tule has haa prevailed In the pa JIll t ty If convention et tr r s Iia sac KC c The TUa rm mm that to t P recerd record re re- cord r CC I lc tt t four years VP-JM his has demonstrated dem elim- the necessity of ot the He- He publican party and its peaceful and constitutional triumph It ed td the principles of ot the tho Declaration of ot Independence relating to the equality quality of men and their rights and tho the purpose of government gO to toB B secure BecOre re those rights It scathingly condemned the Buchanan administration administration adminis adminis- for Its course toward towar Jan Can nag ass and most emphatically repudiated repudiated the Dred Deed Scott decision Five other Important planks were I built t Into to that first national Republican Republican lican platform The tariff plank declared for such an Imposition of ot duties as would encourage the tho In Industrial Industrial industrial In- In development of ot the Interests interests Inter inter- ests of tho the whole country and se secure secure se- se cure curo to the workingmen of ot the country country coun coun- try ty liberal wages to agriculture remunerative remunerative remunerative re re- prices to mechanics and manufacturers adequate reward for skill labor and enterprise to the nation commercial prosperity an and independence Another plank demanded de do- Ie- Ie a n proper homestead law v that would secure tho the land to actual actu actu- al settlers Another plank condemned ned by opposing any chang change In the naturalization laws or discrimination against naturalized naturalized nat nat- citizens at home and abroad The other national aid all for the improvements of rivers and harbors Tho Tito last plank called for a dally daily overland mall to the Pacific and the tta construction construction construction con con- of ot a transcontinental railway railway rail ralI- way as soon boon as possible Thus did the time first great National i c commit Itself to great grent and broad principles and what was aa still better it subsequently lived live up to them On this platform Abraham Lincoln was nominated upon tho the third ballot The Tho campaign amp Ign which followed was the tho most fiercely contested contested con Ion tested that the country had hall eVer seen The that Republicans followed the methods had been used usel in inthe inthe the Fremont campaign and the Harrison Campaign of 1840 which Included mass meetings torch light processions of marching clubs as aswell aswell aswell well as other demonstrations Meetings Meetings Meet Meet- ings were held even in the smaller hamlets of the northern states To be continued next week |