The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1880-03-11
THE UTICA CONVENTION.
Speech Of Roscoe Combine.

Mh% fkESIDENT: would, now
and always, when hOnored with a seat
in Republican convention, that
might cast a vote on every question
agreeing with every other member OF
the convention. l would hardly hone,
in any case, that might cast a vote
satisfactory to those who attend in the
galleries of conventions, and attend as
outsiders at conventiOns-somet
to impress upon the members the idea
that the convictions expressed by
clamOr and applause are the convic-
tons Of Republican constituents. But,
MI. President, ! cannot vote with the
gentlemen from Westchester and New
York. l cannot vote with any man
who proposes now to fritter away and
squander, in the presence of a. great
emergency, the imperial and over
topping influence of the great State of
New York. [Applause. The cleo
ton before US, fellow Republicans, is
destined to be memorable when YOU
and may be forgOtten-m memorable
for the desperation Of the contest, not
only before the people have decided IL,
but, fear, afterward also. Moreover,
q close result, however clear, may lead
TO a disputed electoral count, aud open
the door TO q train of evils which no
raj count, when one house was Repub-
lican and one Democratic; the extra
session with its revolutionary plot
the dOings in Maine. and other things,
are enough to warn the blind and the
deaf. Preparations are already on foot
to place the choice of the next Presi-
dent in the hands of Democratic
House. A flaw found in single cleo
tOral certificate Of any State, with eth
er of these two Democratic houses to
refuse to count it, and the result is
given into the hands of the House of
Representatives, where the election
must be made by States, and what do
you see? Although the House is
Democratic, yet, counted by States, it
is Republican and therefore-yes
venture to say therefore-Mr. WASH
burn of Minnesota, who was elected
by over 1900 majority, and Orth OF
Indiana are marked for destruction
to be deprived of their seats Why?
Because they hold the casting vote in
their delegations, Minnesota has a
majority of Democratic members, and
and Indiana has a majority of Demo-
cratic members and if the election
for President is thrown into the House,
the vote being taken by States, the
election of the said Democratic Prcsi-
dent is insured. / say this much Mr..
President, that may not seem to Use
the language of exaggeratiOn when
say that the election before us, in its
lasting results andin its perils, is to be
memorable, perhaps after we are for
gotten. In crisis like this, with
New York the pivotal State, New
York whose vote is to make the next
President of the United States-has
she no opinion, no opinion to declare
to the Republicans of other States,
who is the man in crisis like this?
Let me ask the question as to New
York. Have the Republicans no
opinion who, in the presence of such
q crisis, among the men Republicans
can trust is most certain to be elect
ed-most certain to be lawfully and
peaceably seated after he is elected >
tApplause.1
Next year we will need two things.
/ mean when we come to have counted
the electoral votes we shall need two
things; first, decided, unmistakable
result, and second, man with the
country behind him, a man in whom
this country has SO much confidence
that no revolutionary plot or cOnspira-
cy will lift up its hand to strike down
his election. Applause. Now, Mr..
President, in the name of the history
of the last fifteen years, of war and OF
peace, looking over all of those tragic
events Transporting while the
country has been rocked as in the
thrOes of political earthquake, who
is there? l ask every member of this
convention to lay his hand on his
heart and answer who is there in
this broad land upon whose achieve.
ments, upon whose character and
strength the Republican party and the
nation more than upon any other can
safely repOse? Applause and cries OF
'Grant."] If there is such a man, !
will fall far short in the duty assigned
to me by the seat which my constitu.
ents have hOnOred me; every Othel
member of this convention will fall
short in his duty, if there be such q
man, if we do not express our judg
ment and our convictions accordingly
MIR. President, how history does re-
peat itself. I remember, and you re-
member, when Abraham Lincoln wa.
renominated [applausel, and you re-
member what preceded that renOmi.
nation. The lights we see now, the
sounds We hear now, were all seen and
heard then. Newspaper people took
canvasses of the people, and found that
three .fOurths of them were opposed "a
Lincoln. "AnybOdy but Lincoln =
anything to beat Lincoln" Conven'
tiOns were held in which the galleries
and outsiders, with that mOdesty and
that courtesy always observed on such
occasions laughter and misses under
took to impress and mislead conven.
tons, with the idea that public judg.
ment was against Abraham Lincoln
The people knew better Everybody
knows better than anybody. You
may have in a county, and Republi
can county, an able corps OF trained
officials; you may have men will
their salaries in their pockets, campet
in u particular political district, and
making their headquarters in sad
die, carrying on an active campaign
on the high roads and by-roads for Q
month, particularly il the roads an
bad and the snow is deep, and yoI
may produce from that district al
anti-Grant or an anti-Lincoln delega
ton. You may go into city-a met
ropOlitan district; you may have tn,
question fairly stated, and an over
whelming and unnistakable verdict
for Ulysses s. Grant [applausel; and
then you may find from that very dis
trict u delegation so skillfully brOugh
to pass that majority of them ar
against him, and you may see q dis
tinguished delegate from that distric,
tice in open convention and serve no
rise upon the Others that il they un
dertake to throttle or stifie the rea
voice of that district, he will revolt II
open convention. All that may be
but, Mr.. President,
The shadows murlnur while the deeps are damn
[Applause.l Mr.. President, down be
low the f1uttering surface, deep dowI
in the hearts and judgment Of thi
| people - broader, deeper, stronger
] wiser than any words Of mine, and.
l may say il without offense, than 0
| any other member Of this convention
is the conscience, the judgment an,
the conviction of the masses Of tn,
| Republicans Of New York and Of othe
States. What is the judgment Of tn,
Republicans Of New York rs to Oh,
one single question before this con
vention, namely to whose hands cal
we most safely commit that banner $,
respondent with illustrious achieve
ments' What Is the judgment, Isay
of the Republicans Of New York
Does any man hear me who doubts
does not this convention overwhelm