Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-09-16
COL. HEPBURN.
Remarks ON Taking tho Chair I'm the
Republican State Convention.

GENTLEMEN OF THE CONVENTIONS
With a heart full Of gratitude, thank
you for the honor you have conferred
upon me and for the hearty welcome
You have given me as your presiding Of
tlcer. congratulate you, gentlemen,
upon your assembling here under such
suspicious circumstances to inaugurate
the thirty-ilrst annual successful victory
of the Republican party of Iowa. ZAP
pauso) Thirty years ago assembled
with the first Republican State Conven-
ton held within the limits of our State.
Thirty years ago! What years of event
full history those have been, and yet dur
Ing all these years the Republican party
of the State has never failed to retain
the confidence Of the people. In the In
auguration OF that party we found
State moager in population. a State in
which there was much of poverty and
want owing to policies inaugurated by
those who were our predecessors in
power. There had been u panic In 1864,
followed by the more disastrous one OF
1857, owing to the financial policy of
the Democratic party, EARLY In tho his,
tory OF the Republican party there was
forced upon II the necessity of ro-or-
ganization of the financial system OF tho
State, They met that responsibility.
They gave to us in 1858 and 1850 tho first
and reliable currency worthy OF the con.
tldcnco OF tho people that we had ever
had, Shortly afterwards came upon us
tho disasters of tho rebellion. How well
the responsibilities of tho trying
hours Of these dark days were met IL
known to nearly all now before me. All.
gentlemen, they will be known to other
generations, for those are among tho
proudcst pages of grand history that has
been written In the State and In the ma.
ton Of tho Republican party. Then
came those days of reorganization or re-
construction. ALI OF tho responsibilities
of those hours were mot by the Republi-
can party. You were able then to over.
come all of tho prcJudlces against race
with which your minds had been filed
through all your earlier years. You
were then TO see tho necessity for do
claring in favor OF that exact equality
which would make every man, without
regard TO status or color equal before
tho laws of the land and give to every
man, (choors) no matter how heavily tho
hand of adversely might have rested upon
him; no matter how bcnightcd he
might be; no matter how darkcncd his
mind by tho Withholding from him aids
to higher manhood, you saw the nccessi.
ty Of giving him IN equal start In the
race Of life and placing before him all Of
the rewards that lay at the other end Of
the race and cluster around the goal of
success, Gentlemen, during all OF these
years of history, you have met the re-
quircments that were imposed upon you.
| take IL that you are no less resolved,
animated by patriotic principles, intent
only upon tho good of the whole people.
to see to II TINT these other questions
now pending before your people, and
that have been adycrtcd TO and have
been discussed by the gentlemen who
have preceded me, have their full recog.
milton and that they receive that wise
solution that only comes from the brains
Of sagacious and the hearts Of patriotic
men. (Applause.) Thanking you again
for the kindness of your greeting and
for the honor you have conferred upon
me, and invoking your aid in tho dis.
charge Of my duties, l assume them rs
you have directed. Enthusiastic mp.
plause)