The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1912-04-12
AS Chairman of County
Convention, He Talks
Republican Doctrine
PEOPLE AHEAD OF THE PARTY
Let Each by Each Together Stick"
Should be Watchword After Presi-
dental Nominee is Selected.

udy, reCelVeu many CONGRATULATIONS on
the excellence of his address,
Following is what be said in full;
Mr.. Chairman and Gentleman OF the
Convention, / thank you. | will try to
keep your esteem and merit your ap-
probation by making my talk short and
plain. We are convened for political
business, and so far as | am concerned
at least, hope we shall transact it 10
business manner, with fairness to all
and special favors to none. i am aware,
as everyone must be who has kept In
touch with political events, that there
is great unrest, difference of opinion and
even bitterness in political circles, and
the anomalous feature is that it is not
between the parties, but In them; and
the controversy is becoming so acute in
places that it looks as il the contest
were becoming a mere scramble for the
office. Some claim that the issue Is
not national and is injected into the
controversy only to stir up the people.
Be that as it may, the fact is that the
people are stirred up not only in our
party, but la the great democratic party
as we'll, and from this fact the insidlous
Sociaistic party is making great gains.
The real issue is the increase of cArect
goverument by the people. Big ousl-
ness interests are in politics for the
sole object of preserving and protecting
property rights, and because this has
been their sole purpose they have neg
lected, to use mild term, human rights.
BY the use of large sums OF money they
have sought to perpetuate In office set
OF men who would conserve their
interests at the ultimate expense OF the
people. Abuse of place and power-this,
and this alo e, it seems to me-is the
root, he real cause for the almost uni
versal demand for the increase of direct
government by the people.
At the birth of the republican party
it was dedicated TO liberty and human
rights. 1t was for these that Lincoln
lived and died; are they any less sacred
now, these great principles of common
brotherhood? Justice, fairness, and
equal opportunities to all, with special
privileges TO none-these are the pringi.
Piles for which we must contend II We
would keep the love and loyalty of the
people and make the republican party
the leader in progress and prosperity.
1t avals nothing to deny this right to
the people, and to whom should those
who have power be amenable for the
use of that power but to those who
gave the power? Theirs ls, and ought
to be, the prior right in all the affairs OF
government, in' the nomination and
election Of it's servants from the lowest
to the highest.
As there has been gross abuse OF the
representative government so there may
be in direct government. Changes and
corrections will have to be made until
human and natural rights are conserved
and officials become obedient to their
duties and work for the interests of the
people from whom they derive their
power. This theme is interesting
because it is the issue and e live issue,
and is capable of being extended beyond
the limits of our time. We would be
pleased to speak on the primary in
Michigan and its present stains, but my
foreword forbids. l will say, however,
that there are many good men, who
oppose the primary, especially the state
wide and preference primaries, on the
ground that the parties and party
affiliations would be destroyed, that we
would loose party pride and party en-
thusiasm and party traditions and party
prejudice. am, however, optimistic and
do not share in ,hese deplorable prophe-
cies. But il it must be, then / will say,
"The people first. and the party after
wards; right first, results afterwards"
II the republican party is to win the
race we are now entering upon, it must
be careful of its lights. One of the
games of the ancient Greeks was a run
ming match In which each runner carried
a blazing torch. The prize was awarded
to the one who first crossed the line
with his torch still blazing. 1t is so
with political parties, the winners are
those who keep the torch Of liberty and
human rights brightly burning, never
seeking to win by unfair methods or
sharp parliamentary tactics, facing every
issue fairly, exercising sound, sober
judgment and common sense to the
utmost Of our ability, remembering that
as American citizens, we have serious
duties to perform-the duty to be just
and fair, the duty Of preserving for our.
selves and those dependent upon US, all