The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1890-05-14
DUTY OF REPUBLICANS.
SPEECH OF ASSISTANT POsTMAsTER
GENERAL CLARksON.

quot, iittsburg, IN response To tho Toast
"The Republican Prcss"-A CLOWN:
Tribute To the Niriiity and Independence
of Republican Newspapcrs-Educa ion
the Only solution oil the Race Problem
ia the south.
II were going TO make a speech in politics.
ana IL wers gong 70 speak for Republican
press as have besn asked 10 do here o-night,
i would say many plain things in this time of
plain need. can speak little for the press, as
i have been q truant from my own work for over
two years aud hardly feel tho tile TO speak
hero in its behalf to-uigh,, although my heart
has been with IL all the timo | nave bosn in
other works. IL needs little speech from any
one IL speaks for itself. The Republican news
papers OF America form, / believe, the
strongest intellectual force this continent
and IL is party press that Is loyal, while inc
I endent unselhsh, and always the advance
guard OF the party. The consideration of the
party press daily grows more and more inpor-
tant We are in n state of tran stion somewhat
as TO party methods. Mr.. Brice was much de-
rided for his phrase in 1888 that tho campaign
OF that year was an Intellectual one, yet his
statement was true. Political oonquests are
coming more aud more TO be fought in the arena
of discus sion and in the newspaper press. The
days OF parades and physical demonstrations
are retty plainly passing away. The torchlight
and the redlight rs political arguments are be.
ing superseded by the intellectual discussion OF
the press.
The campaign OF 1892 will be largely n news
paper campaign, and IL has already begun. Let
us be frank, and say that the Democrats prob
ably saw this before the Republicans for any
close observer must have seen with interest,
and almost establishment, the marvellous man.
in which the Democratic party has been
strengthening its lines In the newspaper way i'm
the last few years. IL did not use TO care much
for the newspaper or the maglzine-did not use
10 care much as the Republican party for the
newspaper and magazine In latter days it has
been beating us in our own game. In the large
cities in the East they have captured nearly all
the magazines and illustrated papers. All the
mercenaries OF press and literature have been
lured into their service.
TRIBUTE To TIE ENEMY.
The re-onforced Democratic press is n star
Ting thing for the Republican party to face
and il must face il with courage and wisdom
pers are printed daily. Less than 300 600 Of
them are Republican. This means that two
hfths OF the Republicans OF New York City and
its environments are reading Democratic pa
pers, taking the Democratic version of things,
aud the young people OF the households being
uncCnscionsly educated against the party of
their fathers. would not abridge the latitude
of discussion nor reading. but IL is important
that young people should at least read their
own side Us well as the other In Boston the
papers OF greatest circulation are also Demo-
critic. New England has largely gone from the
faith of the days OF the war i'll its newspapers
The same is true OF nearly every large city in
the country. Democracy has also pressed its
conquest TO the agricultural press, and in the
last three or four years many of tho
farmers papers in the West have become
advocates of free trade. 1t was largely
through this line, and that OF the farmers al
iancos. that the Democrats first based their
claim that tho Northwest was for free trade and
changing 10 the Democratic party. Even as
good an organization as that OF the FARMERS was
utilized, and farmers alliances We're establish ii
systema ically with all the Democrats. and all
the weak-kneed Republicans in the neighDor-
hood gu hered in their fold. Then thoy were
supplied with free-trade literature, secretly and
constantly. such n propaganda has never been
known in America as that OF the Democrats
in their hunt in secret and through n changing
press in behalf OF free trade in the West to-day
1 submit To you rs Republicans here might
that il is time for our party To take notice OF
what the opposition party is doing by increas-
ing and strengthening its press Oar own press
is loyal, and IL il virile aad mighty i'm power to
do, but IL needs TO be increased in circulation.
THE DUTY or REPUBLICANS.
Republicans everywhere should at least take
Republican papers first. l have recently had
some canvasses made on this subject give
suit in one county and IL Is the same in mauyl.
county in Illinois, near Chicago, where $50
Republican families are taking Democratic pa
pers, and only nnety-fye Democratic families
taking Republican papers. These ara signi6-
cant facts. The Republican pross stands ready
to cover the land with the true gospel. II re-
mains for the Republicans in the neghborhood
and i'm the homes TO supplement the labors OF
the loyal press and extend its circulation and
influence. There has been "A remarkable decay
in Republican strength in the magazines II
las become an intellectual ia "a on OF the
North especially in Eastern magazines, TO seek
TO make romance OF the war, in which the
Southern soldier was chivalric knight and the
South n beautiful but nupleBS ldnd, while the
Northern soldier WAS "A rough fellow at best,
and won mainly by superiority OF numbers
This, as well the other things | have men,
toned show how AUTOMATICALLY how in
geniously how wonderfully the Democratic
party has sought through tho fountains of every
influence 20 convert this country to its princi-
pies and power.
HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH.
If l were in literature and had the title to
speak for the press tonight would tell what |
would do by making IL confession OF faith in
hnlf fraf hal in ha Ra1
can party-the party thu. was born out of the
courage and conscience OF the nation in u time
OF great need To grapple with and settle ques-
lions that the previous generation had in the
cowardice that is called conservatism, eyaded
and shifted to the shoulders of the next. l be-
lieve still in the RepUblicanism OF conscience
and courage that ruled in the early days. L be-
lieye that party. the same as man and n
government, should be guided by the instinct OF
self-preservation. l believe. aud love TO say
il here that believe in tho Republicanism of
Pennsylvania. tits the old-fashioned kind and
the honest kind. Here you have kept the faith
OF the fathers. The Hepublicanism OF Abraham
Lincoln who was such IA Republican and
proud OF Repubncanism that he never thought
Of being better than his party is good enough
yet for the Republicans OF Pennsylvania, ana IL
is good enough for me. The Rcpublicanism OF
Ulysses ;. Grant-the best Republican OF them
all, who died forgiven by the Condolences
fer having been patriot, but unforgiven by the
mUgwumps Tor remaining Hepublcan-fs still
good enough here in this state. and IL is for me-
The Kepublicanism OF Thaddcus Stevens, Simon
Cameron, Lachariah Chandler, and John A.
Logan, brave spirits nll-God bless their MEM
ry-is still good enough Republcanism i'm this
State and 10 is good enough for every man of
honest blood aud faith who has any prids in his
party at all. AS these men lived and died in the
Republican faith believe in 1t still 1 also be-
lieVe a. they did, that so long we have party
contest we must have party government. L be-
lieve that YOU can carry on business in Govern
ment or elsewhere with your friends better than
your enemies. | believe that the pledges of Re
publican campaigns and llltforIn can be re-
deemed better 10y Republicans in Office than by
10 gain the sovereign approval OF the people
place the men who believe in the principles aud
IN keeping the pledges.
QUESTION OF sELF-REsPECT
1t is not question OF office nor OF salary but
of self-respect, for n Political party must have
its self-respCct as well "A u man. 1t has its
selt-respect to preserve to ths people Mt large,
and Just rs much IL is bound TO preserve the
self-respect OF the people in its own ranks.
When IL has called "a on the Ieprblicans every
whore, and the smallest noighborhOod in tho
Nation. and Republicans everywhere have re-
sponded, and the Republicans of the smallest
and mnde enemies for it's sake the party self
respect in that community must be regarded al
we'll as its own self-respect in the Nation. IL
does not matter much who hold the clerk
ships i'm Washington, but i'm tie days of q Re-
publican admin stratiOn every Federal office i'm
every neighborhood in the land should be- held
by a Republican.
/ not only believe in Republicanism OF the
old faa hiOned sort but alsO I'm Americanisfn