The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-08-14


can, party is to be celebrated at Jack.
| son. Mich. on July 6. 1904. Michi
1 M Republicans have begun prepsr.
Ling for the celebration. and without
doubt Republicans of other states will
join them in the movement.
The first suggestion of a new polit'
icsl party to be called Republican
came from A. E. Bovay, OF Ripon,
Wis. After the defeat of Scott in
1925 Mr.. Bovay discussed the ques.
ton with Wing leaders, and In let.
ter to Horace Greeley under date of
Feb. 26, 1854. definitely proposed the
or organization Of new party to be op.
posed to the extension of slavery and
to be called Republican.
He urged Mr.. Greeley to take the
initiative in organizing the new party.
Mr.. Greeley hesitated. Meantime
Mr.. Bovay called q meeting at Ripon
on Feb. 2S. 1854, which adopted re-.
solutions favoring the formation of q
new party on the sole issue Of the
non extension of slavery.
At second meeting, held at Ripon
on March 90. an organization was
effected, and this led to q call for q
state convention on July ID, which
adopted the name Republican, formu.
lated platform, and nominated a
state ticket that was elected.
In Michigan the Free Democracy.
or Free Sellers, opposed to the extern
sion Of slavery, met in convention at
jackson on Feb. 20, 1884, nominated q
state ticket. and adopted q platform.
After the Nebraska bill became law,
on May 20. the Free Democratic COM
mittee called another convention at
Kalamazoo for June &C, and q little
later issued an address surrendering
the organization of Feb. 20. calling
mass convention for the formation
of new party at jackson on July 6.
The call for this convention was
drafted by Isaac P. Christiancy, then
chairman of the Free Soil committee.
Thousands gathered at Jackson on
July 6. The convention, the largest
ever held in the state. adopted q
strong platform and nominated q Re-
publican state ticket which was
elected. At that convention Mr..
Christiancy announced the dissolu-
ton of the Free Soil party and its
absorption into the Republican party.
Mr.. Ohristiancy is authority for the
statements that Horace Greeley wrote
q member Of the convention suggest
ing that as Wisconsin would adopt the
name Republican at Ripon on July 10
Michigan should adopt it week
earlier. So it happened that the first
Republican convention to nominate a
ticket and adopt Republican plat.
form was held at Jackson.
Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio and Yer.
mont followed Michigan with conven.
tions on July 10. and at Massachusetts,
with one on July 20. Other states fell
into line later. Republican state
tickets were elected in Michigan.
Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana. Ohio,
Maine and Vermont. and the North.
ern states sent 1903 Republican CON-
Rressmen to Washington.
Among these were John Sherman OF
Ohio. Schuyler Oolfax OF Indiana, e.
B. Washburne of Illinois, N. P.
Banks OF Massach and Justin s.
Morrill, of Vermont. The first Unit.
ed States Senator elected as Repub.
lican was Charles Durkee Of Wiscon-
SIM
The new party from the first was q
peoples party. 1t was organized
against the advice Of some of the
shire widest politicians of the time,
but it represented principles to
which the people were strongly at.
tached and it grew rapidly in power.
Six years from the date of its organ.
ization it came into control of the
national government. With the ex.
ception of eight years it has con-
trolled the government ever since,
shaping the nations policies on prin.
ciples enunciated by its founders. -
Chicago Inter Ocean.
Mothers lose their dread for chat
terrible second summer when they
have DIR. Fowlers Extract of Wild
Strawberry in the house. Natures
specific for summer complaints of every
sort.