Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1912-04-04

since ! first passed through Detroit
30 years ago, when | used to live out
= the COW country west. Uaughter).
Now, friends, | have come TO speak
% you this evening about real strug-
gle in which we are engaged, and as
Mr.. Polk says, this is substantially
q struggle such as the founders Of
the republican party were engaged
n when, in your own state, here in
Michigan, under the historic oak. the
republican party saw its birth
We on this side, we who stand
Ter progressive republicanism, are the
true heirs of Lincoln, and Of the men
Hike Lincoln, who founded the party,
and who turned the party into the
greatest instrument for the benefit of
the people that We have ever yet
seen in America For we championed
their principles and seek to apply
those principles to the issues OF the
present day. Mind you. friends, that
= the test. 1t is easy enough to pay
lip loyalty to the principles, as long
@ you only apply them to the issues
that are dead daughter and APP
Dlanse.) Everybody is against slavery
now, because slavery is dead Gap
plause.) Everybody is against disunion
now, because disunion is dead. The
test Of loyalty to Lincoln is not being
loyal to his principles as regards dead
Issues, but being loyal to his princ-
pies when we come to issues that are
alive. (Applause).
The New York Machine.
Here in this state now if Lincoln
were alive how would a man stand
Who fought for the right Of the peo-
Dle TO rule themselves? He would
have, Of necessity, to be in the fight
. give the people the chance through
the open primary, to express their
wish as to who should be the nom
iaes. (Applause.) Now we have just
had Q primary in New York. Laugh
teri A primary held under law pass
Cd by the two machines for the ex-
paicit purpose of preventing the COM
mon people of either party, having
anything to do with the nomination
Of the candidates of that party.
daughter and applause.) When we
lad a contest on In New York city,
although they already had law
which, even IL it were honestly car
yied out, practically handed the party
ever to tho machine In fee simple,
hey were not going to take any
chances and they did not honestly
carry II out. The first thing that
they did was, under the law, to re-
move every inspector OF elections
who was not on their side.
Now when the men in power re-
move every inspector of election who
= not on their side it is guarantee
that they do not intend to have q
fair election. But they were afraid
even then that it might not be as
crooked as they wished 1t. Naugh-
ter.) So whenever they thought that
n was inadvisable to let the people
vote. the ballots would come around
the primary was supposed to open
Mt three and close at nine. The bal
lots. some of the ballots, gentlemen,
were IA feet long. Oaughter.) 1t was
a good deal like voting the Encyclo-
pedia Americana TO try TO vote them,
and the ballots would come at six
or seven OF eight, and in some cases
at half past eight In two or three
cases at a quarter of nine, and In one
case where they did not wish to take
any chances at all at four minutes Of
nine. Now that is what our politicians
did. Your politicians in the legisla-
ture decided yes, that the people
should vote, the time after the next.
Gaughter)
And now, gentlemen, sure proof that
the politicians knew the people were
with us is to be found in the fact that
they were not willing that the people
should vote (cries of Right! Righti")
" the men who inspired the action