The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-23
TURN BACK!
Gov. Pingree In an Address Be-
fore the Michigan Club
Urges His Party to Return to
First Principles.
EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL
On Which the Organization
Was Founded.
He Sees No Place For Right
Thinking Men.
EQUAL RIGHTS TO ALL

Detroit, Mich, Feb. 23-The fourteenth
annual banquet of the Michigan club
was held in this city last night, Cover
nor Pingree delivered the address of
welcome to the visitors
Governor Pingree said in part:
at is high time that claims to respec-
liability in this republic rested upon
something more substantial than money
or political cunning. 1t is said the tree
is known by it's fruits Is it not equally
true that a man is known by his deeds.
The Republican party came into
power as the party of the common peo-
pie. The welfare of an enslaved race
was the chief cause of it's organization.
The principle of equal rights for all
found it's fullest expression in the great
est of all Observation-Disclosures Lincoln.
The Republican party was formed to
make men free and equal. Its votes
came from the farmer and his sons;
from the villages and the country dis
tricts of the various states. They did
not come from the oVercrowded of our
great cities where the voters were con-
trolled by bosses. Republican majori-
ties furnished patriotic soldiers. So
long as the great questions growing out
of the civil war remained unsettled, the
Republican party was controlled by
men chosen to represent the people.
But in time these questions d1Sap-
peared and other questions demanded
attention. Problems of trade and
finance, and questions of administration
and capital and labor drifted into con-
1ict. Gradually the men OF wealth
dropped into the Republican party. Cor
porations found their interests we'll
cared for by the men who were chosen
to the legislative bodies as Republicans.
NOW this has been going on so long
and so steadily that it has become no
torious. Old Republicans have been
held in line because they could do moth
ing else. Some of the leaders of the
Democratic party have made it almost
impossible by their acts for prudent
and thoughtful business men to join it.
'All the men who had schemes and
all the corporations who wanted priv
i1eges have Joined the Republican party
expecting that party to bear their bur-
denS and to serve them. This has been
forever, gentlemen. 1t is time that cor
poratiOnS, combines, trusts and multi
millionaires were requested to leave the
front seats at least and let the men
who can speak for the great body of
voters, the men who believe in the Re
publicanism of Abraham Lincoln, have
room and part in the conduct of public
affairs. l do not even suggest that men
be ignored and Inundated simply be
cause they are rich, but the legislative
and executive offices of this nation
can not much longer be filled with men
whose claims are based solely upon
their devotion to corporate interests.
Il plead for a return to the early
motives and principles of the Republi-
can party. urge you to give the sub
ject earnest thought. If you do, and if
your deliberations result in action, there
need be no fear for the future of the
Republican party or of the country. The
time has now come when the RepubIi-
can party must check the influences
which are controlling it. If it shows a
disposition to do this, I have no fear
but that it will retain the allegiance of
the people"
SECRETARY WILSON.
James Wilson, secretary of agricu1-
ture, was warmly greeted when he rose
to respond to the toast, "Our Agricul-
tural Interests" He spoke as follows:
1.-THE territory of the original IS states
is but a small part of the United States.
We have been a growing people, d
spreading people, an expanding people,
The Louisiana purchase is 1903 gave US
the great grain belt of the United
States. The annexation of Texas and
New Mexico and other territory lying