The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-23

We have the honor to belong to a
convention whose constituency in every
state and territory and in the islands of
the sea has done its thinking by quiet
nresides. undisturbed by clamor of any
sort. and has simplified our RESPONSE
bility by the unmistakable terms of the
credentials which we hold at their
hands.
At intervals of four years followed
the banner of James G. Blaine through
the streets Of our convention cities from
Cincinnati to Minneapolis, and did my
full share to see that nobody got any
more applause than the great popular
leader who had captured my enthus-
iasm long before I was old enough to
vote Not even his defeat served to di-
minish the hold which our champion
had upon the hearts of those who fol-
lowed him, and it has required good
deal of experience to enable them to
understand the lesson of his defeat.
Other conventions have met to settle
the fate of rival cnieftains; we meet to
record the judgment Of the Republican
millions of the United States.
They have based their opinion upon
the facts of the case. They have not
concluded that we have met the great
est president of the United States since
Washington. They know how to meas
ure the height and depth of things bet
ter even than Professor Bryce when
he deals with the superlatives which
find their way in to all we'll regulated
not forgotten the grave of Lincoln,
which has become a shrine of pilgrim
age Of the human race. Tney rerne1n-
her still the day when the canon of
Westminster opened the doors of that
venerable monument to admit the name
of the silent American soldier into the
household of English spoken fame.
They have passed no vainglorious
Judgment upon the career of Theo-
dore Roosevelt They have studied it
with sympathetic interest from his
bovhood as he has risen from one
sea son of public usefulness to an
other until at length. before the age
of as he stands upon the highest
civic eminence known among men.
Their heads fell with his as he stood
In the shadow of Mckinley's death
and as part of his oath of office
asked the trusted counselors who
stood by the side of the fallen presi-
dent to help him carry forward the
work which he had left unfinished;
and while his administration deserves
the tribute in this connection in the
eloquent lips of our temporary chair
man, it is because he has executed
in a manly way the purpose of the
Republican party and interpreted
Alright the aspirations of the Ameri-
can people. Nor can there be a doubt
that. if in the years to come, he shall
walk steadfastly in the same path, he
will be mum bered among the great
leaders of the people who have given
dignity and influence to their highest
office.
But the judgment of the Republi-
can party is not only united upon its
candidate--it is unanimous also upon
the fundamental principles for which
it stands I think the convention
has been fortunate in harmonizing
the minor differences which unavoid-
ably arise in a country like ours,
where speech is free and where print
ing is free We stand together on the
proposition that the industrial system
of the United States must not be un-
dermined by a hostile partisan agita-
ton. and that whatever changes are
necessary in our laws ought to be
made by the friends or at least the
acquaintances, of the protective tariff
system The things upon which we
are agreed are SO great and the things
about which we differ are so small
that we are able without sacrificing
sincere Republican convictions any
where, to unite as one man in defense
OF our common faith.
The roll call of this convention is a
reminder. not without its melancholy
suggestion, that the veterans of Re
publican leadership are transferring
the responsibility which they have
borne to the generation born since
1886. The children of the men who
laid the foundation of the Republican
party are here to begin the ceIebra-
zion OF its dftieth anniversary. A