The advocate. [volume] (Charleston, W. Va.) 1901-1913, 1912-08-01

1 IL uoou pes OF we triumph In the enc
Me are now facing the creates
moral issue which has confronted tn
nation since the glories and the tear
OF the Civil War. Then, justice smot
slavery and God gave us strength
under the leadership Of Abraham Lin
coin, to make men free.
Now We are again facing an issue
as greatly fraught as then, with mo
mentous consequences to the nation
Shall the people or the bosses rule?
Now, as to the second mandate lait
upon your delegation to Chicago:
The Republican voters Of West Vir
ginia. in their several county mas.
convention, had either elected dele
gates favorable to, or Instructed for
William Seymour Edwards as membe,
OF the National Republican Commit
tee to succeed the late Senator Ma
than B. Scott, therein and thereby ex
pressing their desires and commands
for Mr.. Edwards. Never before !r
the history of the Republican party
in West Virginia had the sovereign
people taken 1t into their own hands
to render SO widespread an expression
OF their will in the matter of filling
htly this important POST.
Responding to the expressed senti-
ment Of the county mass conventions
the Congressional district conventions
in the First and Second Congressiona]
districts selected national delegates
favorable to the wishes Of the voters
as already expressed, and in the third
fourth and fifth Congressional district
conventions, and in the State conven-
ton, unanimous instructions were Civ
en-, directing the delegation of West
Virginia, at the National Republican
convention, in Chicago, to carry out
the will of the Republican voters of
the state.
At the meeting of tn West Vir-
ginia delegation held in Chicago
upon the 18th day of June, 1912, the
delegation unanimously elected Will
liam Seymour Edwards, member. cf
the National Republican committee,
giving expression thereby to the will
of the sovereign Republican voters IF
the state of West Virginia.
At subsequent hour, upon the same
day, the chairman of the West Vir-
ginia delegation, Governor William E.
duly notified the National
through the usual chan
nels, OF the action of the West Vir-
GINA delegation, and this action was
to that convention, formally declared
Thereupoa. Mr.. Edwards, by virtue
of the will Of the sovereign voters OF
the Republican party in West Virgin
Ia, and responsible to them and to
none other, as their chosen and de-
cared representative upon the Ma
tional Republican committee, entered
upon the duties of that post.
Thus, as delegate duly chosen and
by the sovereign Repub-
lican voters Of West Virginia, and
as the representative of these voters
upon the Republican. National COM
mittee, it is my privilege to say to
you and to the sovereign Republican
voters of his state, that the delega-
ton unanimously ratified your choice
of member of the Republican National
commits for West Virginia, and
Thereby fnaSe it possible that for
the first time in many years, you
should be represented upon that COM
mittee by a committeeman respon-
sive to your sovereign will.
That the delegation, in full SYM
pathy with an overwhelming senti-
ment, and obedient to your commands
stood steadfast to the end; and even
yet SO stands for Theodore Roose-
welt and the Progressive Square Dea1
policies his candidacy represents.
We are all Republicans, Republi,
cans loyal to the principles Of oul
fathers who stood with Lincoln and
with Grant; loyal to the proposition
that at all times and I'm all places
honesty and honor must and shall
prevail, that dishonesty and wrong
shall perish. Nor do We fear to pro
test, and at times act, when such &C
tion translates such protest into al
attempt to restore to the nation those
principles Of righteousness upon which
ali true progress must be based!