The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-09-27
most ENTHUSIASTIC STATE
CONVENTION IN MANY YEARS
Hon. Patrick III. Kelley in Ringing Speech Sounds
Keynote of Campaign. Bringing Convention to
its Feet Repeatedly.
LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE, SLOGAN OF. THE CAMPAIGN
Country of Prosperity
Desert Now Would National
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Hon. p. III. Kelley covered himself
with glory in the state convention al
Detroit on Monday, and proved his
worth to the republican party and tC
his state.
Never in the history of the republican
party in Michigan has greater unan.
unity OF sentiment, greater enthusiasm
or greater spirit been shown. The con-
vention, was one Of the largest held in
years, there being l,46S delegates pres
ent In the conventions. The old fighting
spirit which has carried the party
through many hard fought battle was
manifest everywhere. There was no
halfhearledness about it, and it was 90
place for traitor to the party, that has
given the country such unprecedented
progress and prosperity during the past
fifty years. "Let we'll enough alone"
seemed to be the slogan OF the conven-
tion and il there were any present who
had even the slightest intention Of vot-
ing against the nominees of the party,
national, state and county, he would
now hang his head ia shame.
Hon. 2. II. Kelley as chairman OF
the convention sounded the keynote OF
the campaign and made the best speech
OF his career.
Mr.. Kelley is always an orator, al
ways forceful and always liked, but he
outdid himself and raised the conven-
ton to it's feet time after time as he
propounded the principles of the repub.
lican party, rehearsed it's achievements
and demanded that for the welfare OF
the nation, the republican ticket from
President Taft to coroner in the several
counties be elected in November
Mr.. Kelley IN his remarks purposely
retrained from mentioning the names OF
the candidates and said so, giving his
reasons. He declared that the republi-
can party was party OF principles and
not OF me q, and that those principles
are greater and of more Importance than
any man.
Mr.. Kelley said 10 part:
"The republican party has guided the
destinies of this country and this state
almost continuously for more than half
century. 1t again asks the people to
continue it IN power. 1t does not come
as a stranger at your gates, extravagant
Of promises, begging only for a chance
to try it's hands, but sobered by 80 years
of leadership and responsibility il is
careful OF it's promises and points to it's
accomplishments of yesterday as evi-
dence of its capacity and good faith for
tomorrow. Ii is not my purpose here to
review its achievements further than to
say that the story of our development
for so years under republican rule is
more wonderful than the stories of the
Arabian Nights.
"W hen the republican party came
into power, our country was cropping
about 10 the valley of the shadow. The
hour had arrived when we must decide
whether this nation should be all slave
or all free. and under leadership inspired
by God we made it all free. That's
where this country stood when the
party came into power.
Close your eyes, my fellow countrymen,
and try to think of the picture of your
country then and now.
The rarity or the GeOple.
"But our critics charge that the re-
publican party has changed; that it has
lost its love for humanity; that it does
not believe in popular government now
and that it lacks confidence in the
judgment of the people. My answer is
that the republican party, typical in
that regard of our people as whole,
has year by year proven its faith in
popular rule, first by doing its utmost
to prepare our people, both native and
foreign born, for the duties Of citizen
ship and second, by providing the
necessary machinery whereby the peo
ples' will may be recorded.
"In our own state without regard to
party we have accepted as our own
those living words from the Ordinance
Of 1887: Religion, morality and know
ledge being necessary to good govern
ment and the happiness OF mankind,
schools and the means OF education
shall forever be encouraged
Fifty Years of Progressiveism.
"In 30 years of republican rule we
have spent upwards of s300,000,000 for
common schools in this state alone. We
are spending annually in this country
Tor common schools upwards of $780,
100000, or sl00,000,000 annually more
than it will cost to construct and equip
the Panama canal. The republican party
and our people as whole, regardless of
party, know that free schools and free
government go up and down the scale
together and that we cannot have the
ne without the other.