The copper era., 1906-06-28
Republican Clubs Holding Golden
JubiIte.

gathering that filled Musical Fund
Hall last week at the opening of the
bienial convention of the national
league of the republican clubs at
Philadelphia the 18th instant. De-
spite the fact that this is an off year
politically the attendance was the
largest in the leagues history and
likewise remarkable for the number
of prominent republicans present.
An explana ton of the unusually
large and representative attendance
is found in the fact that the conven-
tion this year partakes of the nature
of jubilee celebration of the 50th
anniversary of the republican party.
The convention which placed the
first republican presidential ticket in
the field met just fifty years ago in
the same hall where the present
gathering was held.
1t was a few minutes after 10 a. m.
when the national president, j.
Hampton Moore, of Philadelphia;
called the gathering to order. After
brief welcomes and responses, Hon.
Sid B. Redding, of Arkansas, vice
president of the league, read the call
for the gathering and various para
graphs of which were loudly ap-
plauded. In part it said:
"Both the time and place of hold
ing this convention should appeal to
the sentiment of republicans in a
nation grown rich and prosperous
under republican rule, and tend to
renew the common faith of republi-
cans in the principles underlying the
great party to which they have
pledged their allegiance.
"The first national convention of
the republican party was held in
June 1t, I8 and 10, 1856. 1t Was the
national beginning of that tre-
mendous movement destined to revo-
lutionize the politics of the country.
Men are living who attended its
stirring sessions, and hundreds of
those who voted for the candidates
then selected are prepared to join in
the golden jubilee celebration.
"All the forces then contending for
freedom and progress united upon
John c. Fremont, of California, and
William L. Dayton, of New Jersey, as
the candidates for president and
vice-president respectively. The
name of Abraham Lincoln was
modestly proposed as a candidate for
vice-president and he was balloted
for
''It was the amalgamation of forces
against the slave owning power,
which subsequently followed Lincoln
in the grim struggle for liberty and
union. The convention foretold the
bloody years of 1861 and 1865, where
in the chivalry of nation was dedi-
Sated to the happiness of its people,
-and opened the way for their marvel
GUS progress in the commercial and
industrial activities of the world.
"The intervening span of half a
century has been glorious to men and
measures. First, the great path
finder, Fremont, raised aloft the
standard of leadership, then the
martyr, Lincoln, the savior of his
country; Grant, the irresistible silent
man: Hayes, the Christian soldier
and lawyer; Blaine, the plumed
knight of a republic; Harrison, the
soldier, statesman and lawyer; the
beloved and lamented Mckinley; and,
at the end of the golden crescent,
inaugurating an era of worldwide
influence for the peace of nations
Roosevelt the foremost American of
his time. A wealth of material for
the student republican. An inspira-
tion for the youth of the land"
In the old hall in Philadelphia
where the best political minds of a
troubled country framed a national
declaration of undying party princi-
pies; where the champions of liberty
and union assembled: where the
friends of Fremont, of Lincoln, of
Chase, of Seward, of Loveioy, of
Giddings, of Mclean, of Summer, of
| Vermont and d host of the country's IS
ablest statesmen, met to cement and
strengthen the scattered efforts of
the nations patriots, it is the proud
privilege of Pennsylvania republi-
the National Republican League.