Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-02-23
SENATOR SPOONER.
A Stirring Speech to New York Re
publicans.
Republican Triumphs in Peace and in
War.
Great Issues That Still Summon the
Party to Supreme Effort and AS
saults Which Must Be Met
and Repealed.

Senator SpOOner's Speech at the Lincoln Ban
quet in New York.
Mr.. President, and Gentlemen of the
Young Mems Republican Club: Coming
to you tonight stranger, am quick to
recognize, with grateful sensibility, the
warmth that pervades your welcome.
An unmarried tribute to the memory of
Abraham Lincold must inevitably include
the sentiment which you now propose to
the party whose flag he carried, and at
whose head he fell.
Measured by what it has wrought for
the public veal, the Republican party IS
centuries old. Tested merely by the
lapse of years il is still young. Think of
it: Only thirty three years ago its first
convention assembled in Ohio. Declar
ing its principles in ringing words, that
still stir the blood, it placed its fortunes
and its standard in the hands of one who
is very dear TO Us, and the record of whose
life is one Of our jewels-Salmon P.
Chase.
refer to that convention partly to re-
mind you of the pleasant fact that it is
well-represeLted here tonight. Its pre-
siding officer, a brave and devoted leader,
everywhere honored for wise and consum-
mate craftsmanship, happily still clothed
with vigorous manhood, is a guest at this
banquet -board-John Sherman. It's Sec
rotary, carrying ito a frontier state the
spirit of that convention, and the prirci-
pies which it adopted, has long been the
pride of Republican Iowa, and lives very
close to the popular heart. He, too, is
your gu est tonight William b. Allison.
n 4,r,r 4ha
cation, Of our party there had been plant
ed Oh this continent two ideas predestin
ed to eternal conflict. The one, proclaim
ed from the "Mayfower," at Plymouth
Rock the civil and religious liberty of
all men. The other proclaimed from the
Dutch ship on the James-the right of
the white man to hold the body and labor
of the black. The battle between these
hostile Demonstrations, but alert, I'M
seen, but always existent-went on, each
seeking and finding in the land its natGr-
al abiding place, and, strange to say, the
evil one finding at LAST home in the con-
stitution. By the indulgence given to
the slave traffic, and the recognition Of
slave ownership as an element in the
basis of representation, the farmers of
the constitution set the squadrons of free
dom and slavery in the field, and project
ed between these forces political con-
fiict to end only in "the survival of the
fittest." From that time forth that one
must struggle to increase its power, and
that the other must struggle to resist it,
was simply obedience to natural law.
1t is of no profit here to dwell upon the
details of that struggle which preceded
the coming of the Republican party.
This party spraug into life to obstruct
the path of human slavery, and to vim
dictate the dignity of human labor and
these central ideas of its being run like a
golden thread through its whole career.
FIGHTING THE BATTLE OF LIBERTY.
From the day of it's birth it stood
Gods intrument upon this continent to
fight the battle of liberty. 1t found the
slave power iRtrenched in the constitu.
ton, debating the policy of the country
controlling the administration of the
government, piIing with insolent indus
try statue upon statue in derogation of
human rights, degrading, with the sane
tiop of the supreme court, the free peo-
pie of free states into mere slaves-catch-
ers, until it rendered to the country at
last the alternative, to surrender the right
of majority rule, or to submit to the dis
solution of the American Union.
With what sublimity of patient, pru-
dent courage the Rupublican party met
the test. With what splendid confidence
it appealed to the people. With what
splendid fealty did the people respond
An empty treasury, a stained and dis
honored credit, a scattered and d:sloval
army, a distant and weakened navy-these
were "trifes light as air."
Animated by patriotic purposes, strong
in national spirit, devoted to the union of
states, Differed by members of the Old
guard, beset by enemies at the rear, en-
barrassed by the jealousy of hostile sys-
TENS over the sea, the Republican party
broke through its environment, and pres
sed onward to the end. 1t asked for no
quarter. 1t sent from its front no white
flag of truce. It consented to no armis-
tict. 1t recruited from the ranks of the
people two million of citizen soldiers,
and sent chem forth, under the leader
ship of Grant, and Sherman, and Sheridan
and Thomas, and Logan, and the long
line OF illustrious heroes who gathered
about them, to defend the life of the re-
public; and amidst the shock of contend
ing armies, in the molten fire of battle,
the shackles of slavery melted forever
away, and the union of states stood re.
generated, redeemed, and perpetual
IT'S RECORD IN PEACE.
The capacity of this party for govern
ment acknowledged no limit. In the midst
of the tumult and waste and trouble Of
war, it trod with phenomenal energy the
paths of peace. Is organized new terri
tories. 1t added new stars to the flag
even while the army bore it from Atlanta
to the sea. 1t promoted education among
the people. It encouraged immigration,
drove back the frontier, and filled the
North with prosperous homes out of the
public domain. 1t inaugurated public
Improvements. It protected and digni-
fed American labor. It built up and
diversified American industry, and won
and declared the industrial indepen-
dence of this nation. Then, in the flush
of victory, crowned with the wonderful
success of its policies, it turned with q
magnanimity and charity never known in
any;other land, or among any other people
to bring back the scattered family into the
house which the fathers had buiIded, and
to repair the waste and ravages of war.
1t FURNISHED the public credit dear to a
nation as honor is to a man OF chastity to
woman, until it shines as bright as the
stars in the sky above Us. 1t wrote in
the constitution the proclamation OF
freedom, and made all men equal before
the law.
In short, it crowded into the years from
1861 TO 1S65-onIy day in the life Of q
people-more of devotion TO liberty, OF
wise legislation, of perfect administra-