Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-07-06
Fiftieth Anniversary of Organi
zation of the Republican
Party at Jackson, Mich.
SECRETARY HAY THE ORATOR
Five Thousand Assembled to Take
Part in the Notable Anniversary Of
Momentous Event in American His
tory-Many Distinguished Statesmen
Are Present.

| Jackson, Mich. July 6.--Five thou
sand people assembled in Loomis park
here today to celebrate the fiftieth an
niversary of the birth of the republican
| party, under the oaks in this city
July 6, 1854. Secretary of State Johr
Hay was orator of the day. Other dis
| tinguished guests present were Speak
er Joseph G. Cannon. Senators Fair
banks and Burrows.
| 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 answered the purposes Of its
existence with fewer follies and fail
ures and more magnificent achieve
1nents than ordinarily fall to the lot
| OF any institution of mortal origin.
AMI even the beginning Of the end is
not yet. This historic party is only
now in the full maturity Of it's power
and its capacity for good. We look
back upon past of unparalleled USE
fulness and glory with emotions Of
thankfuiness and pride; we confront
the future and its exacting problems
with a confidence born of the exper-
ience of difficulties surmounted and
triumphs achieved in paths more
thorny and ways more arduous than
Ianv that are likely to challenge tn ;
courage and the conscience of the gen.
Grafton which is I'd follow US. 1t is
meet .sst at thus c.t.:e c. cur journey
,v. Should lGxi.w tle Past and review
ms lessons. and in its light take heart
r what hes heyenst.
THE re1hliear patty nae a noble ORR
.,ii. II sprang Ctrectiy fftm an aroused
atj ind:s,ipi,; nat Una conscience.
G :esticns ~ l'vs,.te Of political econ
|omy. of orderly administration, passed
out of sight for the moment, to be TAX
en- up and dealt with later on. But in
1854 the question that brought the
thinking men together was whether
there should be a limit to the aggres-
sions of slavery; and in 1861 that col
emn inquiry turned to one still more
potentous. should the nation live or
die? The humblest old republican in
America has the right to be proud that
In the days of his youth In the presence
OF these momentous questions he judg-
ed right; and If he is sleeping in his
honored grave his children may just
ly be glad of his decision.
Yet the most wonderful feature of
that extraordinary campaign which
then began, and which never ceased
until the land was purged of its deadly
sin. was that even in the very tempest
and whirlwind Of their passion" the
great leaders of the republican party
kept their agitation strictly within the
limits of the constitution and the law.
There was no general demand for even
and amendment to the organic instru-
ment They pleaded for the repeal of
unjust statutes as inconsistent with
the constitution, but did not advocate
their violation. Only among the more
obscure and ardent members Of the
party was there any demand for the
abolition of slavery, but the whole par
ty stood like rock for the principle
that the damnable institution must be
content with what it had already got,
and must not be allowed to pollute an
other inch of free soil. On this im-
pregnable ground they made their
stand and the mass convention which
assembled here In 1854, while the vi
brations of the thunder Of the guns
and the shoutings of the birthday of
liberty yet fingered in the air. gave
Nucleus and a name to the new party,
destined to a great and beneficent ce-
reer. Before the month ended, the
anti-slavery men OF Ave more great
states adopted the name republican.
and under that banner congress was
carried and two years later national
party assembled at Pittsburg and nom
mated Fremont and Dayton, who failed
by few votes of sweeping the north.
Secretary Hay then sketched the
events leading up to the war
and the great incidents in the history
of the party. and in closing said:
"Who now boasts that he opposed
Lincoln? Who brags of his voting
against Grant? though both acts may
have been from the best Of motives
In our form Of government there
must be two parties, and tradition,
circumstances, temperament, Will al |
ways create a sufficient opposition. But
what young man would not rather be-
long to the party that does things, IN |
stead of one that opposes them' 10
the party that, looks up, rather than |
down; to the party of the dawn. rather |
Than Of the sunset For fifty years |
the republican party has believed in
the country and labored for it in hope
and Joy: 1t has reverenced the flag ANA |
followed it; has carried it under
strange skies. and planted it on far
receding horizons. 1t has seen the ma
ton grow greater every year and more
respected; by just dealing. by intelli-
gent labor, by genius for enterprise. /
it has seen the country extend its in
tercourse and it's influence TO regions
unknown to our fathers. Yet it has
aeyer abated one jot or little Of the an
,ient law imposed on us by our Cod
fearing ancestors. We have fought a
good fight, but also we have kept the
faith. The constitution of our fathers
mas been the light to our feet; our !