Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1904-07-13
C, 0. P. FIFTY YEARS DID,
The Republican Semi Centennial
Celebrated at Jackson, Mich.

today to celebrate the httleth ami
versary of the birth of the Republican
party under the oaks" in this city July
6, 1864. 1t was here on that date that
the first state convention acting under
the name of Republican" was held.
The state ticket nominated on that day
went through heated campaign to cleo
ton day success
Hay Is Orator of Day.
Secretary Of State John Hay, who was
private secretary to Abraham Lincoln,
the first Republican President, was the
guests present were: Speaker Cannon of
the national House Of Representatives.,
Senator G. w. Fairbanks Of Indiana,
Republican candidate for vice president,
and United States Senators Alger and
j. G. Burrows Of Michigan.
James O'Donnell of Jackson presided
over the morning exercises at Looais
Park. Mayor William H Tidd of Jack
son delivered a hearty welcome to the Wis
itors and Gov. Aaron L. Bliss briefly re-
sponded. Attorney General Charles A.
Blair Of Jackson then read an able paper
on the history of the Republican party.
Republican Birthday Party.
1t was 1870 when the morning exer-
clSes at the grove were concluded. The
distinguished guests We're driven to the
Hotel Otsego, where they were rendered
reception until $50 o'clock. Then
there was a half hours interruption Of
the days programme for luncheon. Soon
after , o'clock the afternoon programme
at the grove was resumed. 4 tremen-
dous audience was present when Senator
J. G.. Burrows of Michigan introduced
Secretary of State John Hay, the orator
of the afternoon. Secretary Hay said in
part:
Under the oaks Of Jackson on the 9th of
July, 1854, party was brought into being
and baptized. which ever since has an
swered the purposes of its existence with
fewer follies and failures and more mag
niicent achievements than ordinarily fall
to the lot Of any Institution of mortal or
ign. This historic party is only now In
the full maturity Of its power We con-
front the future and its exacting problems
with a confidence born OF the experience
OF difficulties surmounted and trlumphs
achieved in paths more thorny and ways
more arduous than any that are likely to
challenge the courage and the conscience of
the generation which is to follow US.
The Republican party sprang directly from
an aroused and indlgnant national con-
science In 1854 the question that brought
the thinking men together was whether
there should be limit to the sggressons
OF slavery; and In 1861 that solemn inquiry
turned TO one still more portentous. Should
the nation live or die?
Slavery Demanded Extension
If the shareholders had been content fifty
years ago with their unquestioned predomin-
ance. they might for many years have con
troiled our political and social world. Con
tinual aggression is necessity of a false
position. They felt instinctively that If
their system were permanently to endure it
Tta Wing party had gone to ruin In 1852
on account of the impOssibility of combin-
ing the scattered elements of opposition to
the party Of pro-slavery aggression: bur
they themselves furnished the weapon
which was to defeat them. In May, 1854
Congress passed the bill organizing the
territories of Kansas and Nebraska, omit
ting the restriction Of the Missouri com
promise which excluded slavery from them.
| This action al once precipitated the floating
anttslavery sentiment of the country. A
discussion of the right ana wrong of sIa v
cry became general; the light was let in,
fatal to darkness.
extraordinary campaign which then began
was that even In the very tempest and
whirlwind Of their passion" the great lead
ers Of the Republican party kept their agi-
tation strictly within the limits of the con-
stitution and the law. The mass convention
which assembled here IN 1854 gave nucleus
and name to the new party, destined to
a great and benefcent career.
The movement was universal. Summer
Ohio, Bates In Missouri, Blair In Maryland.
all sent forth their Identical appeal to the
higher motive; and in Illinois. where the
most popular man in the state boldly and
slavery Is voted up or voted down." a
voice, new to the nation, replied, There
not wrong nothing Is wrong"-and Abraham
Lincoln came upon the field not to leave it
until be was triumphant in death
Two incidents Of the long battle will new
political contest for the possession of Kan
sas The other was the debate between
Lincoln and Douglas. The superiority of
Lincoln was not so much personal az it
overwhelming of
position. He fighting for freedom and
could say SO; Douglas was fighting for
became at once the foremost Republican Of
the west and little later the greatest pc
litical figure Of the century.
Pride in Our Lincoln.
If there Is one thing more than another
In which we Republicans are entitled to a
first President; that we believed In him.
Loyalty supported him while he lived. and
that we have never lost the right to call
principle avowed by the Republican part.
today which Is out of harmony with his
teachings or inconsistent with his character.
labor and to capital; In honest money and
the right to earn It, have any title to name
themselves by the name of Lincoln. or to
v tsl spirit. We who have always avs
tried to walk in the road he pointed out can
not be deprived Of the tender pride of call
his name the work allotted to us by Provi-
dence.
Fit to Cope with Problems.
After the war was ended and peace re-
established 1t remained to be shown wheth-
err the power and success of the Republican
party were TO be permanent, or whether,
born Of crisis, 1t was fitted to cope with
the problems Of daily national life. The
last forty years have given an answer,
full of glory and honor, to that question
The Republican party, in the mass and in
detail, has shown it capacity to govern.
BY the homestead law it distributed the
zens who were willing to cultivate It, It
built the Pacific railroad. 1t redeemed our
paper currency and made all our forms OF
money of exactly equal value, and our credit
the best In the world. 1t has reduced our
interest charges SO that in any mart on
earth we can borrow money cheaper than
any other people. We are able thanks to
our laws and our administrative system, to
meet and pass the most violent crises with
out lasting damage to our prosperity, We
our civil service. By persistent adherence
to the policy of protection, we have given
to our industries development which the
fathers of the republic never dreamed Of;
which, besides supplying our home market,
has carried our manufactures to the utter