Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1880-06-09
The CHICAGO CONVENTION.
First Da,v.


voked Divine blessing upon the labors of the
convention, returning thanks i'll an eloquent
prayer for the prosperity and unity of this ma
ton.
The chairman then called on the secretary to
read the call and Secretary Keogh proceeded in
a clear voice to read the document.
Mr. Cameron then spoke as follows.
GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTIONS: Before the
| convention enters upon the important duties that
have called us together ask yorr attention for sim
gle moment During the canvass just ended there
has been manifested in many sections of the country
considerable bitterness which 1 trust will entirely
disappear before entering upon the grave duties de-
volving upon us. Let there be but one motive gov
erning our action and let that be determination to
place in nomination the strongest possible candidates
men strong III themselves, strong in the confidence
and affection of the people and men who will COM
mand the respect of the civilized world. Our coun-
try OF which we are justly proud has grown rap
IDLY In population, wealth and influence during the
existence OF the Republican party that we have at
tanned position as of the leading powers of the
| world.
We can no longer be satisfied with our isolation.
Recognizing the changed condition we must place In
position men whose familiarity with other nations
will enable them to direct our affairs so that we will
take the lead III commerce have in agriculture
and manufactures Do not for moment doubt the
strength of institutions. They have been tried in
blood and came from the contest better stronger,
purer than the most ardent patriot dayed to hope for
No combination of circumstances no coterie of indi-
yduals, no personal ambition prevail against
the intelligence and Unborn love of liberty which are
implanted in the hearts of Americans When the
nominations are made, and the convention has COM
| pleted it's work, let there be but one sentiment
an1nat1ng all earnest, sincere and unselsh Republic
cans, and let that be that each shall vie with the other
in carrying our grand old party through the coming
have been requested by the national committee to
designate Hon. George f. Hoar, of Massachusetts, as
| temporary chairman
Upon taking the char, Mr.. Hoar spoke as
follows:
| GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTION: 1 thank you for
| Of rrl~1
trainers of the constitution expected that the pres-
dent would be chosen by electors who assembled
in their respective states and consultation with
each other give their ballots for chief magistrate
In of failure by the electors the house of rep
| resentatives acting by states were to make choice
from the four who had the highest number OF votes
in the colleges. So far from direct popular action
did the constitution remove the choice of the execu
tive, but the people, by the customs they have estab
shed, have bafed the expectations of the trainers of
the constitution. The elector to-day is but SCRIBE
The conventions of the great political parties desg
nate each for whom the people vote directly through
| their agents. the electors, and to choice between
whom they are practically restricted The functions
of this convention, therefore, is to one of the
two men from whom the people of the United States
are to select their president. If it performs it's
duties wisely fearessly freely, it is name the man
whom the people will make their president. Your
term of Office is brief but scarcely any duty is in
trusted to the most honored citizen of the Republic
which in dignity, in authority in far-reaching public
Importance equals yours. 1t is twenty years since
| the Republican convention met in this city, which,
aftor stormy but friendly contest put in nomination
Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin. Lincoln
has gone to his rest His companion upon that
ticket in fresh and vigorous age, is present with
us to-day to give us counsel from the stores of
an experience gathered from life of honorable pub
lie service Lincoln has gone to his rest, as have
Douglas and Breckenridge, his two competitors for
the great office of president, but the parties which
confronted each other then confront each other now
unchanged in purpose, in temper and in character.
The Democratic party ruled then as now, by
the south. The single purpose of its being was to
give supremacy to the oligarches of the south and
\ inf tO thnir
ern allies In the pursuit of that end every great
| public interest was sacrificed disregarded Ex-
pending little for public improvements either in the
west or in inland river lake, in 1860 the credit of
the nation was poor, the treasury empty its six per
cent. bonds below par. Our unprotected lnanufac-
lures commended at fearful disadvantage with the pau
per labor of Europe whose workshops we de-
pended for large portion of the necessaries and
comforts Of ife Our little navy scattered over
the four quarters of the globe. Four million coIn-
trymen in hopeless bondage. To them every
state it took it's place in the great family but
added new dungeon to their gloomy prison-house.
At last as the Democratic party let go its hold on
power, the national flag itself seemed about to be
folded and laid aside to be regarded thenceforth as
miserable symbol Of the futiity and folly of the last
great experiment of self-government. The Demo-
cratic party confronts us to-day, sad unchanged
in purpose, in temper and character. United in
nothing else, proposing other measure policy,
it urges its warfare upon the safeguards which the
nation has thrown around the purity of its elections
1t can see no other evil except that freeman should
cast free vote under the protection of the national
authority In Louisiana and Mississippi it is the
accomplice of the White League and the
Ku-hIux. In South Carolina it takes the
honest ballot from the box and ss the tissue ballot
into its place. In New York it issues fraudulent
naturalization papers, three score thousand in
Der. In Maine its ambitious larceny tries to pfer
whole state government at once In Delaware tooks
with complacency on the whipping post. AS in war
it found in the constitution nothing which could pro-
tec the national life, SO in peace finds nothing there
which can protect the national honor. Can you find
in the history Of the Democratic party for the past
sixteen years anything that the Democratic party has
or led IN 10 IN hraaI
safeguards as to make these things possible? The
Republican party has no such miserable history:
The rebellion subdued, slaves freed great public
ways constructed, homestead laws naturalization
treaty. public credit re-estabshed debt diminished
sound currency restored, flag respected, above ALL
But not for these things alone, chiefly does the Re-
publican party i've The Republic lives the Repub-
ican party lives, that every within borders
may dwell secure in happy home, may cast and
the public charge to free school. Until these things
come to pass from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from
Canada to the Gulf, the mission of our party is not
accomplished its warfare with it's ancient adyer-
sary ended
The char appointed Governor Davis, of
Texas, Mr.. Frye, of Maine, and Gen. Raum, of
Illinois, committee to wait on Mr. Hoar and
conduct him to the chair. AS the committee
appeared with Mr.. Hoar the audience broke
forth in loud applause
The char proposed on behalf of the national
committee the following named gentlemen to
complete the organizations Temporary secre-
taries-John. H. Roberts, of Illinois; G. L.
Magee, Of Pennsylvania Chas. W. Clisbee of
Michigan; Jas. G. Broadwell, Of Missouri, as
reading clerk, and Eugene Davis, of New York,
as stenographer.
Hale, of Maine, offered a resolution that the
roll of states be called, and that members be
named by the chairman of each state for mem
bers of committees on permanent organization,
rules credentials, and of resolutions.
Mr.. Frye, of Maine, called attention to the
omission of Utah in the CALL and asked that it
be called The chair said he would direct the
secretary to call the territory, unless there was
objection.
Mr.. Conkling, of New York-There is objec-
ton, Mr.. Chairman.
And then he proceeded to say that the ma
tional committee prepared a roll in which Louis
lana was omitted and the territory of Utah was
also omitted. The resolution under which the
call was made was based on that roll, and he
submitted that it was not competent to it. The
chair said he was of the opinion that the COM
mittee was the proper roll, and he could not
hold that it was out of order to move that Utah
be called. Conkling asked if it was in o>der for
him to move to add the state of Louisiana. He