The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1899-11-03
The Republican Party.


For brief but brilliant exposition of
the inherent character of the republi-
can party and the fundamental princi-
Piles which have been the causes of its
past and present greatness, and at the
same time clear indication of the only
way by which the party may maintain
its greatness in the future, The TIMES
has seldom seen anything which
seemed to show clearer insight or to
be better put than the response of Hon.
Chase S. Osborn to the toast, THE
Republican Party" on the night of the
banquet TO the republican editors in
Owosso, October II. Although it
printed short synopsis at that time,
The TINES felt that the response de-
served to be presented in better form
and wished to give it to its readers,
some time, in full. The quality of the
republican patriotism shown in the
speech will not suffer in comparison
with any speech of the kind which has
been heard this year. The response
was as follows:
Created to oppose slavery, it destroyed it;
perpetuated to secure the equal rights of
man, its achievements in this direction ill
the most glorious pages Of the his DRY of our
country. Its mission will not have been
fulfilled while men live and their affairs are
subjects of public consideration. A political
party is but an organization or division of
men, acting as an entity. Ii the dominant
spirit of that party is the genias of the times,
actuated by high principles and fed by sd
cred purposes, then will the party live and
be factor for the uplifting of man and the
wholesome development OF the best there is
in him. 1t is ever the survival of the fittest
and the fittest is not so much the creation of
man as 1t is the ordination of God. No
matter whether obscure or prominent, this
inscrutable law goes marching down the ages
and will for all time. And so the repubi
can party has lived and succeeded because
1t has been the fittest to live and it has been
esteemed and supported because 1t has been
found worthy of both. No matter what the
individual republican is, the works of the
party and their results testify that the com.
posite republican is forceful creation of
genius, heart filed with love and vitality,
mind charged with wisdom aud high desire,
and soul inspired with sacred patriotism,
bro0king nothing but steadfast devotion to
God and country.
In order to succeed. the republican party
must be In the future what 1t was created
for and what 1t has been in the past. II
must be constructive, creative, instructive,
potent, and must continue to attract to Its
standard the best wisdom, the highest pa
triotism and the truest morality of the land,
In order that Its body polite may be pre-
served pure and strong, most capable of
strife with that which is wrong and danger
Gus. The republican party does not and will
not worship men, except they stand as an
embodiment of the great principles of the
party. There is no danger In that hero
worship which shouts acclaim to the incar-
nation of splendid principle or grand
purpose.
1t has been forever characteristic of the
republican party that 1t has tried to act up-
on the homeIy advice OF Davy Crockett,
"First be sure you are right and then 90
ahead" When It has simmered down con-
ditions and situations to their essences. It
has gone ahead and straightly sailing its
course, has reached port Temporary re-
verses have brought permanent success. 1t
lives In its faith in the honesty aud common
sense of the people and whenever there has
been great thing to do, 1t has faleo nat
uralIy to its lot to do 1t, and 1t has done 1t
well, leaving nothing for the opposition to
do but supply the touches Of powerless crit
icism.
The republican party believes that per-