The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-04-25
Reply to 'Tr,tasibsiil iEi ssse Great Speech
Ex-senator Wilson at Cooper Insti-
tg7fe New York es7
The AG minisfration Of President
Grant s:evieE ed.

the great speech OF the evening IN Coo
per's Institute. We have room for an
abstract only: zs 5i1. 49, -
Mr.. Wilson, on coming forward, was
greeted with three cheers, and consider
able confusion prevailed after they We're
given. After quiet was restored the
Senator SAID
thank you, feliow-citizens of New
York, for this kind greeting, and [ haYe
a favor to ask you. and 1 trust you will
unanimously grant it. | have few
plain words to say to you tonight. l
have but little time to utter them, and
[ ask you to give me neither applause
nor disapprobation and listen to the few
words have to say. am Republican
from conviction and by desire. L care
more for the Republican party of the
United States than do for the interest,
the aspirations, or ambitions of any
thousand men in America. tAppiause.
| slabored twenty years to bIing into
being the great, patriotic, llbertysloVIng
organization that should make the
RepubTc of the United States free land
Applause, and voices, Good ]
Sixteen years ago the Republican party
was brought into being. l -religiously
prayers, labors, and noble aspirations Of
the best portions OF our country.
Applause. | helicve it was brought
into being to meet the needs OF an
endangered country, and to carry out in
America the providence of Almighty
God fappIause, and cries of Good"
and so believing from the time it was
created to this louA | have never con-
sciously uttered word or performed an
act TO drive man out ofslts ranks, and
here to night, whoever may leave us, he
will leave us against my wishes and my
protestations, and | would, on my very
knees, if | could do it, ask him to pause.
come back and stand with US, fight the
battle of this year, and on with us in the
triumph of the future. Applause. L
am not here to tell you that the Repub-
i;can party is a perfect organization, 1t
has in it's ranks three and a half million
of men. 1t has tie masses ofthe noblest,
the purest, and best portion ofOur coun-
trymen. 1t has some men, of course,
who are not all they should be, and we
know it; but, gentlemen, L would not
disrupt it because it is not perfect. L
make it better if could, and make it
L
is its great destination III years to come.
Applause. And, gentlemen, would
as soon go home and dlsbaud the little
church In the town where | live, OF which
my wife was good member, and | am
an unworthy one, because some Christian
minister proved false to his God or some
poor mortal did not live up to the pro-
tessions he had made. Gentlemen, l
l. ha
pubEcaa party, you who have voted for
the greatest character of our century, A.
Lincoln Applause ; you who held up his
hands, stood by hinl, Faded through
blood for four years TO maintain your
country and emanclpate race; you who
repudiated Andrew Johnson and his
treason. and could not be bought by the
patronage of government. Applause
[ ask you who re elected Abraham
Lincoln IN 1864, when wise men wrote
letters up as late as the second day Of
September of that year wishing to get
him out and have new candidate be-
cause he could not be elected. Who
stood by him 1 ask you " 90 voted for
the great soldier of 1868? pplausel
| ask you who carried your country $
cause of liberty, justice, humanity, Chris
you one and all to stand together; you
who have started for the new departure
come back, come back. Oar ranks shall
he c1en To you we Will bid you york );
we will win another great victory, and we
will rejoice together insthe triumphs OF
our cause. Applause Gentlemen,
there was7a meeting here the-other night
| do rot itrc4 4osea to say any thug unkind
g 1, 10 y
come bero to intimate their example, to
utter reproachi iI,l words Of old comrades,
and utter words of condemnation OF a
whose measures | have sustained; out
gentle mens | want 20 notice linas "a few
ofthose fenlasks. W were tcdyas the
reason Why the convention Is called al
Cincinnati, that the Republican party Is
under the control of Office holders. Great
God, gcn,leniea. a party OF three and
one-hait millions OF men, strong mcn, in
dependent men, controlled by a few
thousand beggarly cthca-holderS. Why.
gentlemen. to be an otiice-i9lder Is TO be
beggar The Offices of this. country
hardly pay decent and respectable. liv-
ing to nineie een-swentieths of men hold
ing office. Now lock at the great pro
fessions. Look at the lawyers and re-
member the enormous fees they receive
Look at the great merchants. 11sok at
the men .whe. built your rsiIreasls and
telegraphs, aud men engaged in al other
great business nowadays, fiy which ta-
lent and character can find their true ae-
tion. Iris these men. these merchants,
these mechauies, these builders sof rail
roads and telegraphS. who have all the
comforts and luxuries Of hfe. Now what
about these Office holders Z SsS1000 OF
them out of 60, 900 are pure, petty post
masters; 7.on0 postmaster S clerks, aud
Is, 900 of these receive S2e0a year salary