Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1896-07-25

TOM FITCH AS A REPUBLICAN.

TUm FIIGH As a hEF
At Republican convention of Ari-
IONA, held to elect delegates to the
St. Louis convention, Tom Fitch, one
of the most noted free silver advo-
Gates in the territory, was called upon
to speak, and responded in a speech
which for simple eloquence and
beauty of diction deserves preserva
tion. His reasons why he should re-
main in the republican party are I'M
answerable, and should be read by all
republicans. The reading will in no
way dwarf their enthusiasm for the
grand old party. Mr.. Fitch, after
speaking of his devotion to the free
silver cause, said:
''ThiS morning friend, who is
member of this convention, and now
hOnOrS me with his audience, said to
me: Mr.. Fitch, you, have always
been a pronounced advocate of the
free coinage of silver: what will you
do if the ST. Louis convention adopt
plank in their platform favOring
single gold standard and denouncing
the free coinage of Silver?" / did not
answer this question then, but with
your permission / will do SO now.
Il belong to the Republican party
because its history is the history of
the growth, the greatness, and the
freedom of this nation; because its
purposes are patriotic; because it is
the friend of labor without being foe
of thrift, because it is wise, because it
is just, because its restoration to COM
plete power will rekindle the furnace
and start the turbines, and fill the
land with the music of cOntented and
well-paid toll, and put bread into
mems mouths, and hope into their
hearts.
81 belong to the Republican party
hac1nSp if is the UrapdpSt nOliticaI or
ganiZatiOn of freemen that the world
has ever known; because under its
wise guidance, star after star has
been added to our flag, ship after ship
has been added to our fleets, factory
after factory has been added to our
resources, millions upon millions have
been added to our wealth, city after
city has been developed from our vii
lagos, and the land has been laced by
a network of iron rails, and furnace
fires have Illuminated the night, and
the grand diapaSOn of labor has been
made to sound throughout the conti-
nent.
Il belong to the Republican party
because under its inspiration these
United States, once wrangling and
diScOrdant commonwealth: these
United States, once shamed with
slavery and decrepit with the disease
of secession - these United States
have become country where no
slaves presence diShonorS labor,
where no freemen'S utteranceS are
choked by the hand of power, where
no man doffS his hat to another ex-
cept through the courtesy of equals,
where education is free. where man.
hood is respected, and where labor is
protected.
''Under the patriotic rule of the
Republican party these United States
have become nation whose credit
= l,a - lrn n =,
finances-whose flag floats proudly
upon every sea, and whose armies
would come at the drumbeat out of
the hives of industry to swarm in de-
Tense of the country on every shore.
.sUnder the rule of the Republican
party these United States have be-
come the greatest. freest. and most
prosperous nation under the light of
the sun.
81 belong to the Republican party
because it gave land to the landless,
because it gave work to the induStri-
slave, because, when the nation was
in peril, it gave armies and treasure
for her preservation.
s'Forty years ago, then a lad of Is. /
Joined the Republican ranks, and. too
young to vote. flung my blazen ban
ner alOft for Fremont and Jessie. /
was present as newspaper reporter
at the Chicago convention in 1860,
when all Illinois shouted Abraham
Lincoln into the presidency. Iheard
the song of John Browns soul sung in
bated breath and in secret gatherings
of his sympathiZers, and four years
later on these distant shores l almost
caught the echo of its refrain when
armies chanted it for their battle an
them. / enjoyed the eloquence and
friendship of Baker and of Starr King,
and Butler and Bingham. and Gar
field and ConKling. and that noblest
Roman of them all, James G. Blaine.
''Who, then, is there in all this land
that shall dare to ask ME to betray
these memories because of a difference
of opinion concerning the conditions
under which silver dollars shall be
coined.
'sWho shall dare tell me it is my