The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1882-09-20
WORDS OF
Hon. A. G. Botkin's Eloquent Speech Of
Acceptance at Butte.

The gentleman was conducted to the
presidents stand. In introducing him
tho chairpla1s said: Gentlemen of the
convention: I have the honor Of intro
ducing to you the nominee for delegate
to congress, Hon. A. C. Botkin. He
may not have the legs of an athlete, but
he has the heart and brain of a man.
The appearance of the nominee was
greeted with rounds OF applause. The
gentleman then proceeded to deliver the
following masterpiece of eloquencc and
rhetoric:
My.. President and Gentleman Of the
Convention: I appear before you In re-
spouse to q notification through your
committee that you have selected me as
the republican candidate for delegate to
| congress. For this great and undeserved
honor the trite commonplaces Of speech
seem tame aud totally inadequate to
express my gratitude. Let me hope to
live rather to speak my thanks; let me
hope that during my future life, which
it is my interchangeable purposu to spend
among you, | may prove not wholly IN
worthy Of ycur unsurpassing kindness.
The history of the settlement and
growth Of Montana affords many Incl
dents that appeal to the admiration of
the reader. The conquest OF the wilder
ness by these brave men Of the noun
tains; their struggle to rescue law and
,nIo, r-ax, ,,,~ch4 aof9 ahaCe,. +baia
subje 3tion OF the criminal classes and
the defense of their homes against hos
tile savages, are full Of bright examples
Of manly effort and heroic achievement,
forcibly is that which records the his
tory Of the republican party in this ter
ritory. The pioneers of Montana repub-
licanism, struggling against fearful odds
nobly fought the fight and kept the
faith. Upon these pages there stand out
a score or more of stalwart and statuesque
figures as grand as any that the past OF
or its future promise. Some OF these are
happily still among us, and to them [
bow in homage as men the latchet of
whose shoes I am not Wo.thy to loose.
I await with impotence but confidence
the dawn of that day Of victory, de-
layed but not doubt ul, when the repub-
lican party Of Montana Is assured supre-
macy, shall bestow upon these its high
est rewards.
In accepting your nomination, gentle
men, I accept all the responsibilities that
it involves. 1t is reasonable to expect
that your candidate will address the
people Of every county in.the territory
at one or more places; and this | UNI
hesitatingly undertake to do. In SO
doing / will seek to present earnestly
and soberly such Interests Of Montana
as I believe to be at issue in this cam
paign These are for the most part sub
jects that possess no partisan complexion;
but I shall not fail ut all times and in all
places to uphold and advocate the prin-
ciples of the republican party. It Is the
party that has made the history Of this
country for the past twenty years and
more and has made it an unbroken
record Of growth, prosperity and honor.
It is the party that
tKnew tho sea4ons, when to take
Occasion ny the hand, and make
The bounds Of freedom wiIer yet
It is the party that in striking the
shackles from four millions of human
beings, at the same time e~mancipated
and exalted American labor by relieving
it from competition with servile toll. It
is the party that has vouchsafed to every
citizen q home from the public domain.
It is the party that teck the threatened
honor of the republic into it's knightly
keeI,ing and so bore it forth from dan
ger that it was not only untarnished, but
shone with a new and added lustre. It
is the party that appeals with pride and
defiant confidence to the past, plants
itself firmly on the present and reaches
out without fear or faltering to grasp the
future. He knows me not who can sup
pose that for the qualification of any per
sonal ambition / would lower by one
inch the proud standards of the republi-
can party, or sacri ice one iota of its high
principles and inspiring traditions.
At the same time it is not for me to
analyze that subtle and mysterious
chemistry of the mind that distilis and