Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-03-19

human liberty in this land for all
time. Then when the party was just
ready to begin the work Of rebuilding
at time when it most needed the
wise counsel and calm judgment Of It's
great leader, this man who represent.
ed the conservative force of the ma
ton. between go and '65, and stood
as the impartial Judge and defender
of both north and south. and with
prophetic vision saw that the nation
could not long endure half slave and
half free, Abraham Lincoln was cruel
ly assassinated. His spirit went home,
but his work and teachings lived on
and they are today the inspiration and
hope Of mankind.
The government of the people of the
United States has become not only
the most important work ever commit
ted to man, but it has also become the
most difficult duty ever undertaken
by organized society. The problems
which confronted our forefathers
were few and simple as compared
with those with which we must deal.
Our government is necessarily admin
istered through the medium of par
ty organization and the conflict for su.
premacy is never ending.
| We are now at the outset of the
quadrennial campaign which is to de-
termine whether the principles,
policies and administration Of
the republican party shall be
continued through an other period
of four years or whether the
power which we are now exercising
shall be transferred to party claim
ing different creed, holding a con-
trary faith, and pledged to reverse
the principles of republican exec
utive.
Republicans Free Thinkers.
There are some things upon which
agreement. It is not strange that this
publicans everywhere are free-think.
ing and independent speaking men.
There Is one thing, however, upon
which we all unite with zeal and en-
thusiasm We are one in the belief
that the welfare of the people Of the
United States demands the perpetual
ton of the principles and policies and
administration of the republican par
ty.
Nearly half century has gone by
since the republican party first as
sumed the power and accepted the re-
sponsibilities Of guiding the destinies
of the mightiest nation on earth. Dur
ing this long period in which the re-
public has risen from obscurity to
fame, out party has been supreme
save for few years, the record of
which every patriotic American is try
ing to forget.
n We remember with gratitude the
great leaders that came after Lincoln
Grant, Hayes. Garfield. Blaine. Har.
rison and Mckinley. What a list of
country makers-all republican, un-
matched by any list in any party at
any time in the history of the world
We remember with intense pride
the courage and intelligence with
which the party met and solved the
problems of the civil war, Of slavery
of reconstruction, of the monetary
system and of the tariff. No such hon.
orable and growing career as that
which is written in the history of our
party from 1851 to 1901 can be found
in the annals of another political or.
ganization must, however, content
myself with the merest reference to
these years of wonderful performance
knowing that their deeds are not only
indelibly written in the history of civ
Taxation. but gratefully preserved in
the recollections of every faithful re
/ publican. But as Lowell says:
"New occasions teach new duties
Time makes ancient good uncouth.
They must upward still and onward
who would keep abreast the truth
| Low her camp fires CLEAN before us
we ourselves must pilgrims be
Launch our Mayfower and steer
boldly through the desperate win
ter sea-
Nor attempt the futures portals will
the past's blood-rusty key"
The man who is always in hurr,