Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1910-02-13
Cannon EUL0GIzES
MARIYERED PRESENT
DELIVERS LINCOLN DAY AD
DRESS BEFORE PITTSBURG
BUSINESS MEN.
GIVES PERSONAL MEMOIRS AND
TELLS OF MANY 7ARLY Ex-
pERlENCES.

PittsburG, Pa. Fen. l2.-ADraham
Lincoln as Speaker Joseph G. Cannon
knew him--as the young lawyer trav-
cling a-horseback through the frontier
of Illinois, then the commanding fig
rre. in th., memorable debates with
Douglas, and finally leader Of the
ton through four years of civil war
and the starting Of reconstruction
was pictured on tn" screen Of men,
ory tonight before the Pittsburg
Chamber of Commerce. at its Lincoln
memorial dinner.
Speaker Cannon's address was
merely Il few leaves from his me-
moirs OF the martyred president,
few chances and side lights upon an
asSe citation which began when both
were Young lawyers practicing be-
fore the same bar.
Once the reference to politics en-
tered the speakers words and that
was when he declared the republican
party of today was the party Of Abra-
ham Lincoln, and that Lincoln was
one of the founders Of the party and
its first great leader.
"Thc mosl fitting monument to
Lincoln is the party he helped to or
ganize and the achievements of the
party he helped to develop for the
lasting benefits of the country. east
and west, north and south, white and
black bond and free" declared the
speaker
"The principles embodied in the
first platform are still the principles
of the party. I1,incoln will always be
known as the first and foremost re-
publican. He was a party man bat
Ting for principles which his party
represented and which he believed to
be Of vital interest to the American
people. He led in the contests when
for the first time. majority of the
electors endorsed the principles and
policies laid down in the republican
platform. The young men who read
the republican platform Of 1908 will
find in it the platform of Lincoln in
1860. The majority of the people
have failed only twice in fifty years
to sustain this platform. And after |
each of these experiments they have !
come back like the prodigal son,
chastened by their experience and |
glad to see the old home again.
when Lincoln returned from the
Black Hawk war and became can
didate for the Illinois legislature.
though the state was overwhelmingly |
democratic he published his plat
form:
"I am for National Bank; ] am
for A. high protective tariff and the
system of internal improvements.
nd
,it;cal principles
Those became the cardinal doc
t:ira OF the republican party, and
Lincoln probably more than an? other
enc man, by his consistent battle in
tn, west. developed :,ut]:c sentiment
and quickened the public conscience
that created the republican party
twenty wears later
Turning back the leaves of his
memory to 1858; the speaker recalled
the time whens;he moved to Indiana
and become a,Sresident Of one of the
countries in which Lincoln practiced
law. A Young lawyer without bust
ness. seeking acquaintance of men,
bers Of the bar. he met Abraham Lin
coin AMI found in him.. the first law.
yer on the circuit a kindly man, ready
to make helpful suggestion to any
one of the Young lawyers, of which
the speaker was one.
Again when the speaker was a dele.
gate to the republican state tconven-
ton of 1860 at illinois, at which Lin.
coin was made the presidential can
didate Of the state, the men met. Mr.
Cannon drove across the prairie from
where he lived. to the convention, in
a wagon-railroads were few and
then only building.
"The convention was held in a wig
wam." said the speaker. erected
between two buildings, but it was
out OF doors. covered with green
boughs cut from a nearby forest and
the ends OF the wigwam were open
to hermit thu crowd outside to hear
Before the convention was fully
organized. Dick Oelesby. afterwards
senator aud governor. and John
Hanks. brought mnor the platform two
walnut rails, said to have been split