The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-02-14
THE LIGHT OF REPUBLIcANIsM.

0AOhCAL anu
THE LIGHT OF REPUBLICANISM.
AT the night session. John ID. welman
preceded Booker T. Washington. and he
was accorded an unstinted need of APP
plause, both before and after his address.
In part, he said: ..Once a great general
visited old Sparta. He was surprised TO
find that it had no walls for it's protection
or defense. He was told that he was mis-
taken-that Sparta was surrounded by the
most impregnable walls; and taking him
out upon the plain Leonidas pointed with
pride to the little band of warriors assem-
bled there and said: Here are the walls
Oh Sparta Looking into your faces, my
countrymen. / say, here are the walls OF
the Republican party. You surround a city
that was never taken: you are the rep
~reseatatives Of a form OF government that
for security OF property and person. general
prosperity and unbounded happiness OF its
people has never been equaledNsince IL was
said by Deity, Let there be light
"Figua lively speaking, that light has
shown all down the ages-eclipsed here and
there-defected y~onder-shining brightly at
this spot for a -while-until the middle OF
the nineteenth century when there was a
fruition of all the good OF the past. OF all
the wisdom Of experience, of all the doc
trines and principles that had survived,
because they were right and a new party
was born-.he embodiment of all these and
nurtured by the best people OF all classes.
this was the Republican party-and the
first thing IL did was 10 take up the black
mans burden. With its first administers
ton the United States of America became
in practice what IL was in theory-an alb
solutely free government where every man,
woman and child beneath Its flag were
absolutely free. And all else was added
unto us.
'sWe are in convention in this fair city
- the .rDDc % nau-fn nrrr faith NJ
rather increasing IL, and 20 find our varf-
Gus places in the line OF battle that will
follow quickly the middle of May. IL
seems also that we have met to give the
candidates a chance But thanks TO the
law-abiding, loyal citizens OF the great
State of Indiana. no bristling bayonets are
about the streets or doors, and you could
not find a frearm in this house IL you
would search every pistol pocket in 1t.
I'VE still go back TO the Elizabethan age
to drink deeply from the fountains of liter
ature-stn further back TO the old schools
of philosophy. In drawing our SMILES we
still say he was as rich as Croesus. Kings
and queens have reigned from time inn
memorial but not until the present day,
comparatively speaking, have the common
people come to the front ] mean by the
common people such people as are the bone
and sinew of these United States. There
may be a few monstrosities among us, but
irrespective of vocation In life. all of us
who share in the common vfcissitudes OF
life and bear the burdens of self-govern-
ment, ought to be and are proud TO be the
common people. OF this common people
there are those who work with their
brains, such as ministers. doctors. inven-
tors, lawyers. etc. The remaining and
great majority of our people are those that
work with their hands. The former can
work day and night. year in and year out
1t has been demonstrated, however. that
those who work with their hands can work
only during Republican administrations.
1t is with this laboring people of this coun-
try where the great advancement and
progress of this country has been made,
the former drives into town in choicest
vehicles. The father now goes to his
work at good wages-his bucket well filed
while his children attend the public schools
so well dressed and stylish that every day
looks like May day. When school is out
they go back to well furnished homes. the
title of which is in the parents You find
the daily papers there and books and mu-
sic. The house has some architecture on
the outside and on the inside is the future
of the American Republic as well as the
Republican party. You need not be afraid
to trust the inmates of that house From
Bunker Hill TO Yorktown, from the time OF
the feudal lords TO the present, that man
has been fighting for existence. and the
history of his struggle is the greatest epic
poem this world ever knew"