Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-09-01
Advice to Young Mon.

Assistant Secretary OF State John
B. Hay, one of President Lincoln
Private Secretaries, delivered an elo-
quent Republican speech at Cleve-
land On Saturday evening, in closing
which he presented the following ad-
mirable picture to the thoughts OF
young men. He said:
In concluding l have one word TO
saw to the Young men of this State
to those who are just beginning their
civic life, who are just casting their
first vote in a National election.
Many of you are Democats through
some accident of association, without
having maturely weighed the history
and the principles of the two parties
I ask you to look back for twenty
years and see upon which side the
continuing honor and glory lie.
Which party elected Abraham Lin
coin Which party opposed, villifed,
and finally killed him? Which party
freed the slaves? Which built the
Pacific Railroad? Which saved the
Union and the honor of the flag !
Which sustained the financial integ-
rity of the Nation, and made its cred
it the best in the world a.? If it be
right to regard with pride the fulfill
ment of your duties as citizens, look
around you and see who boasts that
he voted for Breckenridge in 1850.
Who brags that he cast his first vote
for Vallandigham =? What father
tells his children that he labored to
put Buchanan in the White House :!
On ths other side it is record of glory
and good repute, which sheds some
thing of lustre on the declining days
of every man who fought that des-
perata battle against slavery and trea-
son.
On the other it is a shameful story
of half-hearted loyalty or open rebel
lion, of ignorant or malicious opposl-
tion to light and knowledge, of blind
and futile defiance to the stars in
their course fighting for freedom and
progress. Why should young men
for youth is generous and strong it
looks hopefully to the future it holds
its honest brow proudly TO the broad
ening dawn-why should young men
choose to cast in their lot with dis
credited and soiled record with par
ty which only asks of the present, the
plunder of office, and of history, only
oblivion With what noble thought,
with what high enterprise, has that
party been associated in the last quar-
ter of century? What purpose bHt
that of blind obstruction has it served.
I firmly believe that it has no space
left it for repentance. It's place is fixed
in history. 1t forms the dark back
ground upon which the deeds of valor
and of wisdom Of Republican worthless
stand out in burning lines of light, 1t
is written and can never be forgotten,
that in the long contest by which the
Nation was saved, race enfranchised,
the Nation's honor sustained and height
ened, this Democratic party, as party,
despite the heroism and loyalty Of in
dividuals, stood by in sullen ohstrlc-
tion, refusing alike the labor and the
glory.
This is no fit fellowship for brave
and magnanimous youth. If you wish
to cast vote you will be proud of
when you are old, if you wish to take
part in the sympathies and the memo
ries of great era on the side of light
and liberty and progress, you will
never have better chance than now.
The national glory and the National
welfare have been in Republican keep
ing for twenty years, with results you
see. In the ranks of that party are en-
listed the greater portion of tie virtue
and intelligence of the land, while it's
counsels are hallowed by the tradi-
tions of the patriots and martyrs of the
great war. Its past is luminous with
the story of benefcent achievements
it's future is as bright with promise
as the radiance of the morning
stars.