Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1897-02-25

Lincoln was observed in
Chicago by a banquet and speech
making. The Republican governors
of seven states were present and all
paid eloquent tribute to the mar
tyred president. Among those who
lent his eloquent voice to the occa-
sion was Governor q. W. Atkinson OF
West Virginia, who closed his re-
marks ON the mission of the Republic
can party as follows:
Under God it accomplished another
mission when Abraham Lincoln, who
was the greatest, biggest, brOadest,
brainiest, bravest man of our times,
and of all times, whose memory we
celebrate tonight, broke the shackles
from the limbs of four million human
bondmen and made them free. And
tonight, thank God, nowhere beneath
the shadow of the American flag can
there be found the footprint of a
single slave. Standing as it has done
for the greatest principle which our
political economy ear possibly
teach, namely, the protection of
American industries and American
labor, it also accomplished another
great mission. And in the last cam
paign it accomplished still another
great mission by standing as it did,
i'm the dignity 0ffull fiedged manhood,
like n stone wall, for good govern
ment and sound money. Its zeal mis-
sion will not he accomplished untilfree
trade and free silver and all other
isms and idiosyncrasies so-called mod
ern Democracy are buried SO deep
that the pickax OF the ages cannot
dig them up from their graves of OBJ
livion. When the Republican party
goes down, ii will go % it's grave
exclaiming, as did the great apostle
to II Gentiles. Il have fought a
good fight, | have finished my
course, | have kept the faith"
The Republican party is a party of
the living. and not of the dead. TO
act, to assume responsibilities, to
confront emergencies, to go at every
problem to solve and settle it-this
is the genius OF the Republican party.
1t despises evasion. 1t detests COM
promises. 1t rejoices i'm opportunity.
Endeavor is it's element-OppOsitiOn
its quickening spirit. 1t il the party
for young men tn live in and for old
men to die in. The Republican party
keeps its face to the future and crap.
pies only with living issues, while the
Democratic party, forever protesting,
follows i'm its wake, and it's darkened,
gloomy pathway is dimly lighted by
the smoldering camp fires of the
party of progress. Dur party lives
in the present-the other i'm the past
The Republican party has never
failed to fulfill all of it's promises t.
the people. Why, my friends, fol
more than a quarter of a century
nearly every line of American history
is but the life story of the Republican
party.
Not one of the material pledges
and promises Of the Democrat,
party made to the people i'm 1892 hal
been fulfilled. They promised u
bread and gave us a stone. The,
promised us fish and they gave us +,
serpent. They promised us gOOt
times, and gave us desolation ant
despair. They promised us a tart
for revenue only and gave US a tart
So. xvaEas.nx- ,Dl Thnxv Upop,fan
us to fill the national treasury wit
money. and filled it instead with
vacuum bigger and broader than tn
boundary of your magnificent Cit
east that ii embraces u big slice I
the rich corn fields of the great Stat
of Illinois. There are only two an
mails on the earth that can liI
frog of Texas. and the other il I'll
modern Democratic party OF I'll
United States. A political part
that had the nerve to insist on tn
great government of our going int
the business of the free and unlimite
manufacture of 5O-cent dollars ougl
) to be picked i'm alcohol, and pr
served as II curiosity and a freak Il
the people to look upon through a
the generations that are to cOn
! after MS.
In conclusion, friends, l RENAL
again that the Republican victory
last year was complete and enduring
! With "a platform of principles upu
! which every true American coul
. stand. and with u candidate worth
OF its great name and history. the
! was welded together into an incol
l querable army, an Overwhelming
! majority of the liberty -loving, Law
. abiding voters of the republic. win
r i'm the future as in the past, will
4 found advocating the principles
. the political party of Lincoln an
. Grant and Hayes and Garfield an
Arthur and Harrison and Blaine an
Mckinley-the great Republics
. party which has placed the Unite
States in the front rank of the N
4 tions of the earth.