The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1883-07-11
SPEECH OF JUDGE FORAKER
DeHrered Befors the Lincoln Club of
Cincinnati, Saturday Evening,
June 20, 1888.

here tonight as Republicans. You,
as members Of the Republican party,
have come here to pay your respects
to me as the candidate Of that party.
We are here, therefore, in these re-
spective representative characters;
and on this account this may be
properly termed a purely political
occasion; and being an occasion of
this character 1 don't know how l
can better or more appropriately
manifest my appreciation Of the kind
ness that has brought it about than
by saying in response to the kind
words that Mr.. Gano has spoken, a
few words in behalf of that party
which l have the honor and the
privilege, for the time being, of rep
resenting, and for which your cour-
tesy on this occasion is especially
intended.
In endeavoring to speak upon this
subject, there is no difficulty what
ever to think Of something to say;
but inasmuch as it would be proper
to occupy your attention for only
very few minutes, there is some en-
barrassment in my mind to deter
mine just what should be said, the
difficulty being to determine what
every little" of the every much" that
presents itself to the mind as worthy
to be expressed, the preference
should be given. For when one
comes to speak of the Republican
party, its principles and its achieve
ments, all that is great, and good,
and grand, and illustrious in the last
twenty-five years of the history of
the American people, at once crowds
to the front and presses upon the at
tention. [Applause.]
Everything that has been accom-
plished during this period, whether
in the field or in the Cabinet Of
which we are so proud, is to be as
cribed to the wisdom and statesman
ship of this party and the heroism Of
the soldiers that this party put into
the field.
Now, 1 know very well that our
Democratic friends do not agree
with us to the extent have stated
concerning this proposition. III
had not otherwise known it should
have learned it from the newspaper
accounts which 1 have read to-day
and yesterday of the proceedings
that were had by that party in their
State Convention at Columbus day
before yesterday. For from these
accounts it appears that there was a
great deal said there in the platform
that was adopted, and the speeches
that were made about personal liber-
ty and equality Of rights; ideas that
we Republicans have thought that
we had a sort Of special claim upon.
So much in fact was said on these
subjects that, if one had no outside
information, he would come to the
conclusion that in some way or other
personal liberty and equality of
rights had come to be put in jcOpar-
dy; that in some way or other living
issue had been raised as to whether
or not the people of this country
were to be permitted to continue in
the enjoyment Of these rights, and
that with respect to this issue the
Democratic party had become the
champion of these rights. But in
the light of the facts known to US all,
and especially in the light of the
facts established by history, how
strangely absurd and how ridiculous
Ily inconsistent such talk sounds,
coming from such a quarter. For
certainly even the Democratic party,
that seems so anxious and so deter
mined to forget and cover up all the
events of the past, can not have for
gotten that personal liberty and
equality of rights were never denied
to anybody in this country, except
only by that same Democratic party
that was there represented anc
speaking. Applause.
Certainly no one can yet have for
gotten that it was for the purpose o
establishing personal liberty anC
equality Of rights that the Republi
can party was created and brough
into existence, aud that it was tn,
inspiration that came from this nobl
purpose that enabled the Republican
party to 90 on from one success t,
another in the most glorious caree
that it ever fell to the lot Of any pc
Ilitical organization to enjoy, Zap
plause, Certainly all must yet re
member that the first and creates
achievement of the Republican part
was when, in spite of Democrat
hostility, obstruction and oppC
sition, it established as a fun
damental proposition that, in th
sight of our Constitution an
laws, personal liberty was tn
right of every man, and that equalit
of rights was the common heritage {
American citizens everywhere. [Prc
p longed and enthusiastic applause,
And in view of such declarations
! is eminently fit and proper that W
should remind our Democrat
friends that the Republican Part
not only abolished slavery and CAV
personal liberty and equality
rights to all citizens, but also that
p was the Republican party that sul