The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1891-09-23

On september ~, 1852, ~ waS-a uate
ever memorable in the history OF the
United States and of the world-that
Abraham Lincoln issued the preliminary
proclamation of emancipation.
The date was fortunate one for the
mass meeting of the Republican League
of the State of Rhode Island at Music Hall
last evening II was we'll attended, and
there was a liberal sprinkling of colored
! faces in the audience, while the bright
! hues of ladies' bonnets in the galleries WED
with the red, white and blue draped over
the keyboard of the big organ.
IL was a few minutes past O'Clock
when ID. Russell Brown, President OF the
Fourth Ward Republican Club, the hosts
Of the evening, filed upon the platform
with President Tiepke of the state Lea
que, the Hon. Timothy H. Byrnes,, the
| Hon. George A. Marden and the Hon
John NJ. Langston, the speakers of the
Potter Ex-Mayor Hayward, j.. ii. Rock
WELL Charles III. Childs and others.
Five years ago, said Mr.. Brown, in open
ing the meeting, the League Of Rhode
Island was organized under the able presi-
dency of Senator Chace. IL had since
grown powerful and influential, and at
present, under the control of an eminently
active board of officers, was in the most
encouraging and promising condition. Mr.
Brown male a kindly reference 20 the
NEWS, which, he said, was worthy OF the
support Of the members of the League,
and would receive il. Applause He
then introduced, as the presiding officer OF
the evening, the president of the League
OF Rhode Island, Mr.. Henry h. Tiepke.
Hearty applause.1
Mr.. Tiepke reminded his hearers that
the league by It's selection of date OF
IN paxf "A frihf,ta pf rngnggf
the memory OF the great martyred Presi-
dent Abraham Lincoln, for they would
remember that IL was upon sept, - that
Lincoln issued the first emancipation
proclamation, measure which has been
followed by the most memorable progress
ON the part of the colored race. Mr..
Tiepke quoted from Lincoln's classic
Gettysburg speech, and showed from the
platform of the league upon how broad
and generous a basis it Is builded lie
then introduced the Hon. Timothy r.
Byrnes OF Minnesota, the organizer OF the
National League
Mr.. Byrnes is gentleman of medium
stature and pleasing address. He walked
up TO the front OF the platform and az once
began rousing campaign address, which
took immensely. He came, he said, from
the great fields of the West smiling with
bounteous harvest, with tidings of great
JOY for the Republicans of the East. He
came TO tell them that the West was as
safe for Republicanism as IL ever was, and
that IL would give good account OF itself.
Then Mr. Byrnes got personal. am n
Republican he said-and the audience
seemed TO like the sentiment" seven days
in the week and 365 days in the year; 800
days leap years. Mr.. Byrnes promised TO
be easy on Democrats, and followed the
promise by comparing them, IN Gov. Nor
tons picturesque imagery, to men riding
backward on the railroad and seeing moth
question of public policy for the past
thirty years.
Mr.. Byrnes referred To the policy of the
Republican League as one of Cancellation
and compromise. Ii was its policy, he
said, to invite in the men with grievances
TO find out whether their grievances We're
just, to rectify them If they were, 10 ex-
plain them If they were not. He gave a
rat her amusing account OF his conversa-
tion with his father, good old fashioned
Democrat
Father" said young Byrnes, "where
are the distinguished Democrats in our
historyln
"Why, there's lots of em, my son, said
Byrnes senior. there's Jackson and Cal
houn and
Yes" said the son. "but Jackson be
came famous by threatening TO hang Cal
houn for rebellion"
After reference 10 the natural affiliation
of lrish-Americans with. the Republican
party unless captured by Tammany Hall
the day after landing, Mr. Byrnes said
that the bottom of the Atlantic Is whiten-
ed with the bones of Irishmen striving 10
escape from just sech conditions at home
as Democracy is striving TO reproduce here
the ruined mills, the idle wheels, the far
mer without home market. the starving
children. He said IL was the purpose of the
club 10 interest every man OF foreign birth
in the vital principles of the Republican
party, and to make American citizens of
them all.
Mr.. Byrnes said he didn't want to wave
the bloody shirt. The other fellows are
the ones who are doing that A party of
Confederate veterans marching down
Pennsylvania avenue in Washington with
rebel flags on the lapels Of their coats was
instanced as an example of this. Two
Federal officials, deposed from Office by
Mr.. Byrnes while appointment clerk under
Secretary Window in the United States
Treasury, We're also instances. One of
them-a Confederate Notwithstanding on
the steps of the Treasury, said he wished
Phil. Sheridan had been shot twenty-five
years before he died. The other, during
Grover Cleveland's administration, as
signed as a reason for his getting an Office,
that he had resigned a majors commission
i'm the Federal army during the war be-
cause of Lincoln's emancipation proclama-
ton. Mr.. Byrnes pitched into these men
llttle, anu then lnlluly inquired, IhAt
isn't waving the bloody shirt, is itpn And
the audience didn't seem 90 think il was,
and cheered Mr.. Byrnes nightly when h
said he'd come down later and make
another speech.
Mr.. Tiepke said there was no doubt that
Mr., Byrnes would come in 1892 to make a
speech in Providence because Gen. Clark
son had promised TO send to Rhode Island
his best men. Reminding his hearers that
the Republicans of New York were at the
same moment ratifying the nomination of
j. Sloat Fassett, and the Republicans of
Boston were performing like pleasant
duty by their State ticket in Faneuil Hall,
that cradle of liberty, he introduced the
Hon. George A. Marden, candidate for
lieutenant governor Of Massachusetts,.
Mr.. Marden began by congratulating the
Republicans of Rhode Island upon recog-
nizing the young men in politics by putting
a Ladd in the Gubernatorial chair. He
felt in a rather dubious mood in making n
political speech where there was no cam
paign. At a grocer's picnic in Massaohu-
setts one Fourth of July q German visitor
from New York congratulated Mr.. Marden
upon an Snpromptu speech, adding sOttO