The San Francisco call., 1904-07-07
SECRETARY OF STATE HAY ADDRESSES
ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE AT JACKSON
Reviews in Brilliant Speech the Steady Progress of
the Country Under Republican Rule

JACKSON, Mich, July 6.-Five thou
sand persons assembled in Loomis
Park here to-day to celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of the birth of the
Republican party. under the oaks, -
this city July 6, 1854 1t was here on
that date that the first State conven-
ton acting under the name of Re
publicans" was held. The State ticket
nominated on that day went through
a heated campaign to election day sue
cess.
Secretary of State John Hay who
was private secretary to Abraham Lin
coin, the first Republican President.
was the orator of the day. Other dis
tinguished guests present were Speaker
Cannon of the National House of
Representatives, Senator Fairbanks of
Indiana, Republican candidate for Vice
President, and United States Senators
Alger and Burrows OF Michigan.
The city was gay with bunting and
band concerts on the main streets pre-
ceded the arrival of Secretary Hay and
Senator Fairbanks with company of
prominent Republicans on special
train from Detroit. Speaker Cannon
arrived last night At the morning ex-
ercises at Loomis Park Mayor Todd
delivered a hearty welcome and Gov
ernor Bliss briefly responded. Attorney
General Charles A. Blair of Jackson
then read an able paper on the history
of the Republican party.
FREMONT VOTERS PRESENT.
Thomas J. O'Brien of Grand Rapids,
the next speaker. was introduced as
one of the participants in the original
under the oaks" convention of 1854
O'Brien, as well as Blair, had for his
subject THE History of the Republican
Party in Michigan"
An interesting feature of the exer-
cises was a body of Fremont voters"
and men who cast their ballots for the
Pathfinder" for whom a thousand
prominent seats had been reserved.
Grand Army uniforms, crutches and
silvered locks were conspicuous among
them and the raDt attention of these
charter" Republicans was notable.
When the morning exercises at the
grove We're concluded the distinguished
guests were driven to the Hotel OF
sego, where they were rendered a re-
ception. Then there was a half hour S
interruption of the days programme
for luncheon. In the afternoon the
programme at the grove was resumed.
A tremendous audience was present
when Senator Burrows introduced Sec
retary of State John Hay the orator
of the afternoon. Secretary Hay said ::
A century is but moment of history; It
has often happened that several OF them have
noc cCed to fbsf-
deeds with little change in the physical aspect
the moral progress Of the world. But at
other times-of intense action and spiritual
awakening-a single generation may form an
epoch: and few periods Of equal duration in
political annals have been so crowded with
great events the fifty years celebrate
to-day. Under the oaks OF Jackson on the
9Th day of July. 1854 a party was brought
into being and baptized, which ever since has
answered the purposes of it's existence with
fewer follies and failures and. more mag
nifcent achievements than ordinarily fall to
the lot of any institution of mortal origin
And even the beginning of the end is not
Fat This historic party Is only ROW in the