Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1896-07-24
WHY I AM A REPUBLICAN,.
Tom Fitch, One Of the Most
Noted Free Silver Advo--
Gates, Gives a Few Facts.


From the Chicago Inter-ocean.
At the late republican conven-
ton of Arizona, held to elect dele
gates to the St. Louis convention,
Tom Fitch, one of the most noted
free silver advocates in the terri
tory, was called upon to speak,
and responded in a speech, which
for simple eloquence and beauty OF
diction deserves preservation. He
said:
>'The speakers who have ad-
dressed you have spoken OF the
free coinage of silver as a cardinal
principle Of the republican party.
| fear that the st. Louis conven-
ton may compel US to retrace
some OF our steps in this matter,
and as the statesmen who control
this convention have not included
me among those deemed most fit
to represent Arizona at st. Louis,
] feel quite at Liberty to tell the
truth.
''I suppose no one will question
my long devotion to the cause OF
free silver coinage. Years ago,
at the inception Of the movement,
I, as vice president of the national
executive committee of the silver
convention, in connection with A.
j. Warner, the president of the
committee, travelled through the
south and west preaching the doc
trine of bimetallism, and [ meyer
since had occasion to change my
views with respect to the great
benefits that might results to this
nation from the complete restora-
ton of silver as a money metal:
and yet there are other circum-
stances quite as influential which
must be pothnt in determining
my future action, and the future
action of many republicans in this
matter.
II belong to the republican
party because it is the grandest
polical organization of freedom
that the world has ever known;
because under its wise guidance
star after star has been added tc
our flag, ship after ship has been
added to our fleets, factory after
factory has been added to our re.
sources, millions upon millions
have been added to our wealth:
city after city has been developed
from our villages, and the land
has been laced wife a network Of
iron rails, and furnace fires have
illuminated the night, and the
grand diapason Of labor had been
made to sound throughout the
continent.
81 belong to the republican
party because it gave land to the
landless; because it gave work tc
the industrious; because it gave
freedom to the slave; because
when the nation was in peril, ii
gave armies and treasure for hel
preservation.
Forty years ago, when a lac
of IS, | joined the republican
ranks, and, too young to vote,
flung my blazing banner alott fol
Fremont and Jessie. | was pres
ent as newspaper reporter at the
Chicago convention in 1860, whe1
all Illinois shouted Abraham Lin
coin into the presidency. lhearc
the song of John Browns sou
sung in bated breath and in secre
gatherings Of his sympathizers
and four years later on these dis
tant shores | almost caught th'
echo of its refrain when armie
chanted it for their battle anthem
I enjoyed the eloquence and friend
ship Of Baker, and Of Starr Kin!
and Butler and Bingham, AM
Garfend and Conkling, and tha
noblest Roman of them all, Jane
G. Blaine.
"Who, then, is there in all thl
: land that shall dare to ask me t.