The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-06-28
A BIG PLATFORM.
COutlnued from seoond page.

across the continent. He also aided IL
reducing the letter, newspaper and
parcel postage, thereby swing millions
20 the people and encouraging the dis
Bem1nation Of literature and intelli-
gence. He was also first vigorously 20
enforce the United States statutes
against the abuse Of the mails by lot
terry vendors and other swindling
schemes by which the creduIOus and
weak minded were imposed upon and
the confidence betrayed. 1t Is how
ever in the discharge of his duties as
United States judge that the higher
and crOwning glcries Of his character
appear. The image of Justice among
the Greeks was represented as blind
folded holding the scales balanced I'm
her hand, but unable to see the rank
or standing OF the parties before her.
Judge Gresham has been the living
idea of this Grecian figure; unmOved
by the threatenings Of power, he has
gone straight on in the line Of his duty
TO the integrity and right Of the ques-
ti0n under consideration and has ad-
ministered justice to the high and low,
the rich and the poor, with steady
but impartial hand. The contestants
In one Of the greatest railroad strikes
that has arisen in our country have
also been before him and by q wise and
happy decision he administered exact
from becoming universal, public traffic
from being paralyZed, the nation from
conyulsion and the most serious dam
age to an unknown number OF indi-
viduals. Wherever in all his life he
has touched anything 1t has been
improved, beautified or advanced. He
has always had the happy faculty Of
quietly dong the right thing at the
IL yht time, and he possess o5 In his own
great character all the good qualities
OF the republican party. Under his
leadership the campaign cry viii be
live and let IiVe." There will be no
attacks upon capital and no attacks
upon labor, but the country will march
on with gigantic strides in sentiment,
development and growth. The true
leveling system will be adopted Of
making all men equal before the law
and placing all mems feet on a level
and then the tall man may thank God
for his height and the short man must
be contented with his shOrtness. In
personal characteristics, in the manner
and condition OF his candidacy, and in
his relations to the presidential Office
Judge Gresham Is more like Abraham
Lincoln than any other living man.
The movement in his behalf, like the
movement for Lincoln. is the sponta-
neous and unorganiZed action of the
people; Like Lincoln, Gresham Is not
WORKING for the presidential office; he
believes that the exalted office should
never be sought and never declined.
Like him, too, he believes that causes
which lead to great consequences,
should be left to work out their result
unaided, and that they can
not be materially fastened or
impeded by personal interference.
Like Lincoln in character, honest and
simple, but robust and fearless in dan
I'm nf and hQaTfad
he stands out in prominence as an ideal
candidate.
May also be pardoned for saying
in this august presence that back in
1919, at the age of twenty-f0ur / first
met Abraham Lincoln, he being then
forty-oue, and eyer afterwards sat at
his feet as Saul OF TarsuS sat at the
feet of Gamaliel and was permitted as
we walked together through the jour
ney of life TO lean on his own great
arm for support. / watched his
thoughtful face when the news first
reached him that he had received
large vote for vice-preSident al Phila-
delphia when Fremont and Dayton
were nominated, and when the thought
of great political preferment first took
root in his mind. ] know from this in
innate relation how confidence and
sympathy may exist between great
leader and the people without either
knowing the other, and can never
forget how in moments Of great doubt
he agonized, watched and listened for
tokens of guidance from the common
people. Through the darkness and
mists of storm the same sympathy and
confidence exist between Gresham
and the people that existed between
Lincoln and the people. His heart
also has beaten in sympathy for the
sons of toll, for he had labOred with
- h..
too has been promoted from their
ranks and knows the taste of poverty
and like them, has earned his bread
sin the sweat of his face;o he has new
or begotten their lives of privation and
self denial in their hard struggle for
existence, whether to bondmen or free
men he has that sublime faith in their
to have his body pierced
with bullets in their behalf; the rich
too, have found ample protection and
adjustment of every right in the equi-
poise of his character. He has always
stood with his party for the protection
of American labor against foreign COM
petition, and has always believed in
fair wages for fair work; he has advo-
Gated liberal pensions for the MANNED.
worn and dependent defenders of the
union, and he knows by experience
how the rebel bullets tear and hurt,
for he himself has been wounded and
eSeris Ield on Of battIe ee'cns snd SSs
borne the pains and sees the needs of
the decrepit and health broken soldier.
We should also not forget that this ma
ton has arrived at that stage Of civili-
cation and development that 1t has q
right to demand common honesty in
politics. If young man happens to
name he has the right to demand that
that shall not be the occasion of expla-
nation and apology afterwards. The
people have q right to demand high
or standard of integrity than that its
president shall in his letter of accep-
lance pledge himself to one term and
then by every official act afterwards
work for second nomination and
appeal to them again for reelection.
They have right to demand that he
shall not promise civil service reform
with his lips and break every such
promise in practice. The strength of
Judge Gresham's candidacy lies in the
public belief that he will not do such
things, but that he will, If elected,
manage public affairs with the same
common honesty he has heretofore
managed everything.
Therefore under the circumstances
and necessities of our party, and with
out disparaging in the slightest degree
the merits Of other candidates, offer
to this convention this rarest of oppor-
tunities to nominate Gresham and the
people will bear him in triumph on
their shoulders to the Whit House
and to the official seat of
Washington, Lincoln, Garfield and
Grant. The reins of government under
the inspiration of his leadership will be
taken from those who imperiled us
its existence and placed it in the hands
of those who saved it in its hour of
weakness and danger. In behalf of the
laboring man of whose struggles he is
the living embodiment, in behalf of
capital whose rights he has guarded
and adjusted, in behalf OF patriotism
and loyalty of which he is the shining
representative and example and for