The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-02-13
Speaker Cannon Pays Tribute to
Lincoln as the Foremost Republican

BY Associated Press.
PITTSBURG, Feb. I2.-A braham Lin
coin, AS Speaker Joseph G. Cannon knew
himmas The Young lawyer travelling
linois, then the commanding figure In
the memorable debates with Douglass. tho
presidential nominee of the newborn
Republican party. and finally leader uf
the nation through four years OF civil
war and the starting OF reconstruction
was pictured on the screen of memory
tonight before the Pjttsburg chamber ol
commerce, at its Lincoln memorial din
ncr.
Speaker Cannous address was merely
a few leaves from his memoirs OF the
martYred president. Il few glanCcs and
sideIlghts upon an association which be
gan when both were lawyers practlcing
before the same bar.
Once the reference TO politics entered
The speakers words. and that was when
he declared the Republican party of to-
day was the party OF Abraham Lincoln,
and that Lincoln was one OF the found
cr7s of tho party and Its first great
leader.
Party Linccln's Monument,
"rhe most dttng monument TO Lin
coin is the party he helped 10 organize
and the achievements OF the party he
helped develop for the lasting benefit OF
the whole country. cast and west north
and south. white and black. bond and
free declared The speaker
'''rh" principles emboGi"d in the first
platform are sun inc pllUCiplFS OF tho
party. Lincoln viii always b" known rs
I ho first and foremost Republican,. lie
was IL party man. battling for principles
which his party represented. and which
American people. He led in the contest
when for the first time, n majority OF
tn" electors indorscd the principles and
policies laid down I'm the Republican
platform The young men who read the
Republican platform Of la0S Will find in
IL Tn" platform of Lincoln In 1860. The
majority of the people have inilod only
twice In nrty years Ia sustain this plat =
form And after each of these expert
mcnts they have come back like the
Prodigal Son, chIstenod by thoir expert
encc and glad 10 sec III" old home
again.
when Lincoln returned from tho Black
Hawk war and became candidate Tor
the Illinois Legislature. though the state
WAS overwhelmingly Democratic. he pub
lishcd his platform:
~ am for national bank: I am
for a high protective tarim and The sys-
tom of Internal improvements. These are
my sentiments and my political prin-
ciplcs.
''Thosc became The cardinal doctrines
probably moro than any Other ono man,
by his consistent battle in tho west: de
vclopcd public sentiment and auiciScned
Republican party LWNnLy years later.
Recalls Old Memories.
I'm 1858. the speaker recalled the tmc
when hc moved from Indiana tU Illinois
and became resident OF one of the
counties in which Lincoln prarticcd law.
a young lawyer without business. seek
ing acquaintance of members ot the bar.
hc met Abraham Lincoln and found in
him. the Hrst lawyer ON the circuit, Il
kindly man ready To make q helpful sug-
gcstiuu To any one Of the young law
ycrs OF which the speaker was ono
Again, when tGc speaker was dele
gate 10 the Republican state convention
Of 1860 at Illinois, II which Lincoln wns
made the presidential candidate Of the
state the mon met. Mr.. Cannon drove
across the prairie from where he lived
to the convention in wogan-- railroads
were few ana then only building.
'.The convention was held in "A Wig
wan" said tho speaker. .orccted be-
tween TWO buildings. but IT was out Of
doors. covered with green boughs cut
from n nearby forest and the ends OF
the Wigwam were open TO permit the
crowd outside TO hear,
Before the convention was fully or-
glnxcd Dick Oglesby afterward senator
and governor, and John Hanks brought
upon the platform two walnut rails said
io have been split by Lincoln and Hanks
There were great cheers for the famous