Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1914-04-10
Shall the Republican Party
Go Out of Business

Gentlemen who are active in pro-
noting the fortunes of a new party are
suggesting that the Republican party
has accomplished its purpose, has
cutlived its usefulness and should dis
solve and go out of business. They
do not remember history, appreciate
present conditions or reckon with the
spirit and purpose of the great mass
OF citizens, who are the Republican
party.
The foundations of the Republican
party are broad and strong. At its
inception, just before the war, it took
over the earnest citizenship and the
very flower of the other parties.
Throughout the northern states the
Democratic party lost its best ability
and most virile element to the Re-
publicans. 1t absorbed the rank and
file of the old Wing party as well as
the native American movement. The
issues with which it started as well as
its composition made it cosmopolitan
and therefore vigorous and enduring.
No party can permanently endure
made up of one class or school of
thought, special theorists or any one
particular type.
Human perfection in legislative and
governmental matters, as in every
thing else, is an ideal to be striven for
rather than goal, which we can &C
tually reach.
The National House of Representa-
tives is composed of 435 men, repre-
senting as many districts in As states,
which in some cases are as far apart
in thought, interest, conditions and
aspirations as the South Pole from the
North. But yet the average result OF
their action is better for the country.
in my opinoin, than if they all came
from the states most advanced in edu-
cation and civilization. 1 do not want
to belong to a legislative body that
has not standpatters in it--although
l do not want to be one. I do not
want to belong to a body that has not
radicals in it-although l do not want
to be one. The Republican party at
it's inception welded together for the
accomplishment of its purpose cos
mopolitan membership, whose fighting
qualities have been we'll tested and not
found wanting for more than nalf a
century. We should nor forget that 1T
came together as the champion of
freedom. 1t conducted the affairs of
the nation through the Civil War, the
mightiest conflict in modern times.
After establishing forever the "un
dissoluble union of indestructible
states" it again began the work of
rehabilitation. 1t wrote into the Con-
stitution the thirteenth, fourteenth and
fifteenth amendments and has done
its utmost to make them mean what
they say. Out of distracted credit
it promulgated sound money, which,
up to this very hour, sees every dol
lar whether specie or paper worth a
dollar in gold in every country of the
world. 1t inaugurated the system of
protection for the sake of the en-
ployment of American labor at
American wages, which it consistently
maintained. 1t stands, as 1t has al
ways stood, for constitutional repre-
sentative government and the indie
pendence of the courts. 1t survived
the Horace Greedy. Republican move
ment of 1872, led by Greedy, Charles
Sumner, Carl Schurz, Murat Halstead
and others of equal caliber. That
movement. as you will remember,
polled nearly three million votes
against the three and one half mill
lion votes cast for Grant and was con-
Quoted against the Republican party