The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1908-06-18

HE.
Cent? 1fens nf the ntton 8 IA
Es=I than you most sincerely for the
great; honor you have done me- in
choosing me TO preside owe our de.
itberat tons. For IL s. D great honor
tot$bes theS presiding OH Ger, ot q Re-
publican National G convention. can
conceive 81 convent ons--I have indeed
heard Sof conyentions2w where the honor
OF such ia post as that now occupied
by me Is d ubious: and where. Il ex-
citement is present, pleasure is con:
spicuousS by It's absence. BIZ. Ito the
officer OF a r epnblfean con
vention is ever a high d istinction to
viii Oh no man can be ;insens1ble. Gem
tiemen Of the convention. againi1 thank
you & n
y j shall not delay or ID tain you with
many words. Your resolutions will
set forth the principles 5of the party
and declare the policies upon which
We shall ask for the support Of the
people of the Uunited States. With
fullness and with eloquence your.
temporary chairman has already re:
viewed the history Of the party. has
given you account Of what has been
done, and has set forth what we hope
and mean Ito do. Ny duty Is merely
TO aid you. 80 far as can. in the
orderly and prompt transaction of the
business which has brought us! to-
gether. Tint business Is momentons
|1-nothing less than to name here the
two men who, speaking with the sins
plicityf OF truth, will bio the next Pers-
ldent and vice-President Of the United
States. In order to win for them and
for our. party. an assured as well as
3meriteil victory, we = must defeat
our opponents. whose exclusion from
power Is desired by the country and
deserved by them.
No political party In modern times
can show such a record OF achieve.
nlent during. the last fifty years as the
Republican party. Upon that record
we stand and challenge all corners to
the3lists: Z But 1t isswell to remember
that the test we have to meet Is
much less severe. This Is a com
curative world. We do not so forth
to contest the great prize with an
ideal party, which we sometimes see
beautifully depleted by persons Of
self-confessed superiority and chronic
liscontent. The glittering nbstrnc
|t.on which they present never existed
yet on sea or land. It CLEANS upor
us In printers ink. but It has neither
substance or organization nor candi
dates. for organizations and candi
|tates must be taken from. the rank.
of men and cannot be the floating
rhantoms of an unensy dream. Tht
American people must choose next No
yember between It's and the Demo
cratic party. With the Democratic
! and with that alone, must The com
parlson be made. Wetdiffer from tina
rarty in some important particulars
We BOTH. 1t is true, have q past an.
q history, but we treat these poses
; sions very differently. They wish t.
keep their past a profound secret. WI
seek by all$means to publish ours t
the world II we refer to their hlstor.
they charge us with calunny. We re
! gard ours. truthful and unlistorted. n
! our greatest glory. To the youth Q
I the country they say. Judge us sole.
by our undiscovered future. We say
"Read our record, Judge us by our pas
and our present, and, from these. learl
" hat we are-what We have been an,
what we mean to be-" Recall the erie
z which have sounded from. the lips o
these two parties during the last hal
I century. On the one slde---'"slavery
. secession; Reputation of the publ
: debt: fiat money; free trade: fire
silver: the overthrow OF the court
/. and government ownership"
On the Republican side---."Free soil
free men: the Union; the paymen
\ Of the debt: honest money; protectio
: TO American industry: the gold star
\ dard; the maintenance OF law. of orde
and Of the courts, and the govern
. ment regulation S of great corpor:
J, tons"
The old shibboleths Of the Demt
{ Gratis are today the epltaphs Of pol
J. cies which are read and damned
| They serve only to remind us OF dal
! gers escaped or to warn us OF peril
I to be Stunned. he battle cries Of tn
Republicans have been the watchword