Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1906-06-19

judgment had guided the ship of state
into safety.
MIR. Rae then introduced as the first
speaker Judge E. X. Cheadle, who re-
sponded to the toast "The Republican
Party The Judge was at his best.
and delivered a speech notable for it's
thought as well as for its rare elo-
quence. The new issues We're discuss
ed in manner that captivated the
and won round after round
of applause. Judge Cheadle said in
part:
Judge Cheadle's Address.
Mr.. Chairman, fellow citizens. and
brother Republicans:I am sure that
we all feel pleasure in being here to-
night as members of the great Repub-
lican party. With the exception OF
two administrations, the Republican
party has guided the destinies of the
United States for the last fifty years,
and it is most fitting that We shoull
assemble tonight when the revolving
years of half a century have brought
us again to the anniversary of the or
ganization of the Republican party.
The Republican party has developed
under favorable cir
cumstances favorable to the growth of
great political organization. No such
organization ever comes into exist
ence without some adequate cause. No
political organization has ever been
established without having certain
foundation principles upon which it
rests. The principles upon which the
Republican party was founded and en-
dures today have lasted for half cen
tury. In that half century has been
crowded more history than ever has
occurred before in treble or quadruple
the time in the history of the world.
In that time the United States has ad-
vanced to be the greatest nation in
the earth. The occasion of the Repub-
lican party coming into existence was
momentous one. Prior to the time
of it's organization the United States
had been but a loosely knit confeder.
ac7. The question had always existed
whether this country should continue
as one undivided nation, or be split up
into Independent and probably hostile
states. The cloud of this threat hung
over our national existence for the
first three-quarters of a century. Men 4
minds differed, honestly, no doubt. The
day has passed when any of us can ev'
er feel any animosity or any partisan
ship regarding the great issues of the
war of the rebellion. But it became
apparent, as time passed on, that this
question must be solved. 1t had to be
decided by the American people wheth
er this great republic should be one
nation, indivisible and entire, or wheth
er it should be split up into factiona
states. 1t has been suggested Otter
that this question might have beer
settled without the war of the rebel
lion. | doubt it. Of course the cos
of settling this question in the man
ner in which it was settled was ap
palling. Lives by the hundred thous
and treasure by the hundred million
were sacrificed in the solution of thi
question. And yet history teaches u
that all questions Of this kind have t
be solved at an infinite. cost. Man
: kind has never arrived at anythin
really worth having except at the cos
of infinite endeavor. This questiO
could not be settled on commercial
principles. No great moral or politica
: question ever was settled on CONNER
cial principles, Or ever will be. An
: this is not said in depreciation of tn
principles of commerce. bur simply il
dicates that it is my opinion tina
questions of this nature cannot b
of commerce and problems of trad
are resolved. 1t sense impossible fo
the human race TO work out its de-
tiny in any other way. And this wa
horrible as it was and as IL seems I
l us, even in the retrospect, was appa
1 emily the only solution tor the gres
: questions which at that time presen
= ed themselves TO the American peopl
e for settlement The paramount que
i ton upon which the Republican part
9 came into existence was whether OF
t national unity should be firmly estal
n lished, beyond cavil. doubt or futul
n question. The Republican party va
e based upon the theory that thes
It states are, in fact, one entire and 4
s divisible nation. Secondarily in n
y opinion, it was founded upon the que
VI ton whether the black man shou
J. continue in slavery. There may
e those who differ from me- do NJ
J. doubt that many may consider tn
i the question of human slavery was Il
d one which gave birth to the Repub
e can party, but / do not look at it thu
le I cannot but regard that as a secon
ID airy issue, the primary one beir