The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-09-02
WHY THE REPUBLICAN, PARTY
SHOULD BE SUCCESSFUL.


al congressional committee an.
n that the best essay on the
subject: "Why the republican party
should be successful in November
was submitted by Frank Hendrick, o.
New York, who has been awarded the
prize of $3.50 offered by the committee
Mr.. Hendricks article says in part:
The republican party was founded
upon the principle that this govern
ment was established to protect fol
all times the rights and opportunities
of every individual from abridgment.
That principle it has successfully
maintained. Through the Civil War
1t ~consecrated q reunited country to
free and equal American citizenship.
1t has kept the channels of interstate
commerce open for all and, through
the national banking system, the
refunding of the national debt, re.
sumption Of specie payments, the gold
standard and the emergency currency
law, has sustained the life current of
national integrity.
AS trustee of the national wealth,
1t has Investigated mineral regions,
surveyed soils, developed waterways.
including the Panama canal, irrigat.
ed deserts. conserved watersheds, and
h%usbanded the public lands. Protect.
ing American labor by regulating
immigration and by taking at the
custom house, to pay American taxes,
foreign capitals advantage from low
wages, it has preserved to American
industries the home market of eighty
millions of the worlds greatest con.
sumers and so laid the surest basis
for American competition in foreign
markets. Uniting capital and labor,
thus, 10 a common prosperity and
common source of increased reward
1t has created opportunities, improv.
ed conditions of employment, brought
about a higher standard of living,
and more widespread distribution of
wealth and ~welI'being, and made ex.
pansion moral as we'll as material.
Promising progress and prosperity,
it has been politically sincere. Ithas
never had a candidate of a section, |
prejudice, or class, nor a platform of
negation, scheme of repudiation, pro.
gram OF %scuttle, OF doctrine Of des.
pair. 1t has never lent itself to q
demand for revolution, to be followed
by reaction and retrogression, it has
stood firm for evolution by constant,
steady and enduring progress.
The republican party, at each
period, sounded the public conscience,
felt the national pulse, framed its
policies in response, and realized in
law the dominant American idea. Its
constructive past assures its construc.|
tive future. 1t is today as it always
has been, "The party fit to govern"
The party Of craftsmanship it has
been the training school OF statesmen.
Its policies have been forged in the
heat of public discussion, tempered in
the deliberation aud shaped in the
conflict Of many trained minds, and
drawn and finally wrought for the
country's welfare. Domin ating its
members through principles, it as
sures unity in government; its staunch.
est partisans have made the greatest
contributions to national progress.
The roster OF its leaders Is the nation.
al roll of honor of public service.
Republicauism stands today for pro-
gressive policies in safe hands. BY
solving the constructive problems Of
world power in the last two admins.
trations, William H. Taft taught the
world our capacity and us his own.
In all constructive legislation for
twenty years James S. Sherman has
been a leader. In the records of the
republican candidates as we'll as in
the platform are written the story of
the nations progress and the reliance
of the future.