Los Angeles herald., 1908-06-14

them. Afraid, in 1856, to break away
and form new party, the convention
of 1908 will find 1t difficult, In its heart
of hearts, to understand why any other
party has the nerve to presume to cp-
pose 1t. Whether one Is Republican
or Democrat or an Independent mug
wump, he is forced to admire the spirit
of the Republican party which has
builded up the splendid and compact
organization of today upon the wrecks
of all the parties that appeared to OPP
pose the Democrats in the sixty years
after the fall of the Federalists.
The Republican party as an organiza-
ton was born at Jackson, Michigan, on
July 6. 1854, when the first state conven-
| ton of the organization was held. The
name was first applied by Alvan e.
Bovay of Ripon. Wisconsin. who sug-
gested 1t as an admirable name for a
new party to meeting of Wings, anti
Nebraska Democrats and Free Sellers
held at Ripon on February 2S. 1854.
Horace Greeley in the New York Trib-
une was heading the movement for a
new party, and he seized upon Bovay's
suggestion of Republican" Other
states followed the example of Michi-
gan, and In May the first Republican
state convention in Illinois was held al
Bloomington. Upon that occasion Abb
raham Lincoln made speech wh1cn
ranks with the greatest orations of all
time.
Notwithstanding the great victories
of the election of 1854 which placed
Republican in the speakers chair OF
the house of representatives. although
the party did not have q majority. the
new organization was extremely weak.
The Republican association of WASH
ington city made the first movement
for a national organization by sending
out a call for a meeting to be held at
Pittsburg on February %, 1856. That
convention was attended by delegates
from all the free states and from Mis-
souri,, Maryland, Virginia. Kentucky
and South Carolina. 1t was fairly rep
rescntative of all those political fac
lions which opposed the further extern
sion of slave territory. 1t decided to
fight-Horace Greeley being the leading
figure in the assemblage. Therefore IT
formed a national committee and called
nominating convention to meet IN
Philadelphia on June IT.
Between February and June there
was evidence that the north and west
were inclining toward the new party
with even greater enthusiasm than was
expected Thus it was that many OF
the delegates to the convention OF 1901
believed that the candidates they
named surely would be elected. Fol-
lowing the example Of the Pittsburg
conference and obeying the stern die
tates of political necessity the platform
made II clear that the new party stood
FOR restriction of slavery to its present
boundaries and not for abolition. IL
declared for the admission of Kansas
as q free state. And then 1t concluded
with an utterance prophetic OF the ma
terial progress the country was TO know
during the long rule of the party-it
declared for government aid to "a
cific railway and for river and narpor
improvements.
While the convention was attended
by delegates from all the free states
and from Delaware. Kentucky ana
MARYLAND 1t was most irregular BODY.
The call from Pittsburg had conteIn-
plated a meeting of delegates on the
basis of representation which now op-
tains. each state to have twice as many
delegates as 1t had votes in the cleo
toraI college. But, rs matter or 1act'
at the convention New York had nine
ty-six delegates, Pennsylvania eighty
one and Ohio sixty-nine. while some OF
the states had but one.
Candidates were selected by TAXING
an "informal ballot in which every
delegate voted as he pleased. This was
followed nv q formal ballot" In which
the will of the convention was officially
expressed. The informal ballot was a
kind of'"get together test which would
NOT he tolerated in these days or al
vanced political organization. When the
time came to name the candidate TOT
president there were four names prom
inently before the convention. Ihey
we're William H. Seward of New YORK,
Iobn Mclean and Salmon p. Chase OF
ohio and John c. Fremont, the PATH
finder" Seward did not believe the