The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-06-23

VIII Make the Fight.
III you wish me to make the tight
/ will make 1t, even II only one State
should support me. The only con-
dttion / impose liz that you shall feel
entirely free when you come togethef
to substitute any other man in my
place IL you deem it better for the
movement, and in such case / will
give him my heartiest support.
Wherever IN any State the Re-
publican party Is true 10 the princi-
pies of its founders. and Is the party
Of justice and progress. i expect TO
see 1t come bodily into the new move
ment, for the convention that has just
aAtin this city Is in no proper sense
of the word Republican convention
at ell. 1t does not represent the masses
OF the Republican party. 1t was or
ganized In cynical defiance of their
wishes, and II has served the purpose
only of o group of sinister political
bokaes. who have not one shadow Of
sympathy with the spirit and purpose
Of the Republican party of fifty years
ago, and many of whom have used
the party merely as an adjunct to
money making. either for themselves
or for the great crooked financial in
terests which they serve. The bosses
who first stole enough delegates to
enable them to dominate this con-
vention, and then did their will in
1t, have no kinship of soul or spirit
with the men who started the Repub-
loan party ON It's career as an agent
of liberty and justice.
Scores His Enemies.
Imagine for yourselves how Messrs
Barnes and PenFese and Gugsenheisse
would have looked standing under
the historic oaks in that Michigan
city, where the Republican party
was born fifty-six years ago. You, my
friends, who are here before me.
you are the heirs in the spirit OF
Abraham Lincoln when he refused
longer to be bound by the shackles
OF the past and faced the new issues
In the new spirit that the times de-
manded. But we are more fortunate
IN one respect than our predecessors,
for We who now stand for the pro-
gressive cause. the progressive move
ment. have done forever with all Sec
tionaiism, and We make our appeal
equally to the sons of the men who
fought under Grant and TO the sons
of the men who fought under Lee,
for the cause We champion Is as
much the cause OF the South as 1t is
the cause OF the North.
Thou Shalt Not Steal
81 am in the fight for certain prin-
eiples. and the first asc most Inn
portant OF these goes back to Sinai,
and Is embodied In the Command
ment, Thou shalt not steal Thou
shall. not steal nomination. Thou
shalt neither steal in politics nor in
business. Thou shalt not steal from
the people the birthright OF the peo-
pie to rule themselves / hold, IN the
language of the Kentucky Court of
Appeals. that stealing Is stealing"
No people is wholly civilized wher.
a distinction is drawn between steal
Ing an office, and stealing a purse.
No truly honest man should be trust
ed with an office TO which his title
Is as valid as that OF the homestead
which shelters his family.
II do not know whether our coun-
trymen fully realize the gravity Of
the crisis which we at this moment
face. There IS no use in holding pri-
maries. no use in holding elections IL
we permit a small group of I'M
politicians, some Of whom
are certainly acting in the interests
OF big crooked business. TO exercise
the veto power over these primaries
and elections by upsetting the re-
suits a, their own pleasure.
slashes at Politicians.
THE convention which today closes
Is dscreditable career, here. in Cri
cago. represents a negligible mini
mum of the rank and file of the Re-
publican party. But what II has
done, and what II has provided for
the future offer material for very
serious consideration. The old ma
tionai committee. chosen by the poll
iticians four years ago, made up
Sol. including some nine
ty fraudulent delegates, who HAD not
been selected by the people, and
thereby they controlled a majority
OF the convention. This fraudulent
temporary roll In turn chose fraud
uient credentials committee, and all
the fraudulent delegates voting no one
another's case, thereby made up the
permanent roll which constituted the
convention. Then this
convention chooses a new
and not less fraudulet national COM
mittee.
"Now. gentlemen. there are those
who ask US to stay in the party which
has just fraudulently nominated for
the presidency a man who inspired
and profited by the fraud. They ask
us to submit to infamy In the present
on the ground that perhaps we may
he atfa 10 prevent such infarSTy In
the future. They seem to forget that
the vicious circle has been completed.
and thar this fraudulent convention
has provided In It's fraudulentiy chosen
committee a means whereby
they can hope once again four years
hence. and with the like impunity to
overthrow the will of the majority or
the voters at The primaries. The ma
tional committee, over whose selection
and retention IN office. the voters nave
no control whatever, makes up the
temporary roll call which
the national convention. Tine
national convention thus fradulentiy
made up names another national conf
mittee. and the new national commit
tee constituted by the same elements
that constituted the old one has al
ready shown by its actions that it can
the misbehavior of the old one.
Circle Must BE- Broken.
The vicious circle must be brok-
en-, The powerful crooked political
bosses have and ought TO have no
feeling but contempt for the honest
man who submits to their violent and
dishonesty. If we permit
fraud OF this kind to triumph, We do
a shameful thing. and show either that
We are faint of heart or duh OF con-
science.
las for tho principles for which 1
stand, | have set them forth fully in
The MANY speeches I have made dur.