Evening star., 1915-12-12
T0F|RE FIRST GUNS
OF 1916CAMPA|GN
Prominent Speakers to Ad-
dress Republican Banquet
Tomorrow Evening. /
FUNCTION SCHEDULED
AT NEW WILLARD HOTEL
Prominent Party Men From Every
Section of United States Ex-
pected to Attend.

John G. Capers will be toastmaster
and John Hays Hammond, president of
the National Republican League, will
preside and deliver an address of wei
come at the big republican dinner to
be given tomorrow night at the New
Willard Hotel. The committee in
charge of the arrangements for the
dinner. which is to be given under the
auspices of the National Republican
League and the League of Republican
State Clubs of the District of Column
bia. announced last night that all ar
rangements for the love feast" prac-
tically have been completed.
The list of speakers is as follows:
Representative J. Hampton Moore OF
pennsylvania, Theodore +. Burton of
Ohio, former senator; Henry u. Esta-
brook of New York, former president
American Bar Association: Senator
Lawrence Y. Sherman of Illinois, Rep
resentative Nicholas Longworth OF
Ohio. Senator John W. Weeks of Mas
sachusetts. Senator William Alden
Smith of Michigan. Representative Ju-
lius Kahn of California. Senator Will
liam E. Borah of Idaho, Representative
James r. Mann of Illinois, Senator j.
H. Gallinger of New Hampshire,
To Open 1915 Campaign.
Many distinguished men from out Of
town are to be present at the banquet,
and the members of the republican ma
tional committee, which is to meet the
next day, are to be guests of honor, in
addition to a number of others promi-
nent in the party ranks. The first guns
OF the 1916 campaign are expected to be
hred at the banquet, and many of
those who are among the possibilities
for the republican presidential nomina-
tion VIII be present, some of whom
Will be among the speakers
The committee announced last night
that Washington business or profess
sional men who desire to attend the
banquet should apply early tomor-
row morning as possible to r Lincoln
Townsend, Henry M. Camp or other
members of the committee at repub-
lican national headquarters in the
Riggs building or at the offices of the
committeeman in Washington.
The National Republican League is
the outcome of a meeting of repre-
sentatives of republican clubs of the
United States. held in Chickering Hall,
New York city, December Is, 1887. At
the time of its formation the spirit OF
James G. Blaine permeated republican
ranks, and the fighting blood of young
republicanism was everywhere aroused.
1t was proposed to strengthen the re-
publican organization by interesting
the young men in politics, especially
first voters and independents.
Three words, il is said, more than all
others. described the necessity of the
hour. and have since continued to an
innate the work of the league-organ-
ization. education. agitation.
Objects of the League.
Itswas understood in the beginning.
and has continued to be understood up
to this time. that the league was to ad-
vocate. promote and maintain repub-
lican party principles and not to sug-
gest or champion candidates for office
in advance of the action of the regular
party convention. Directly the conven-
tions nominate. the campaign work of
the league begins. Its labors in the
field of organization, education and
agitation thenceforth continue without
[intermission.
The first president was James P. Fos-
ter of New York city, elected in Balti-
more, 1889. Then came Gen. J. S. Clark
son of Iowa and after him William w
Tracy of Chicago. Gen. Edwin A Nc
Alpin. prominent New Yorker, next
assumed office. and following him came
D. D. Woodmansee of Cincinnati
George Stone of San Francisco chair
man of the republican state committee
and adjutant general of California.
then assumed the office and gave way
at St Paul, in 1900, to Senator Isaac
Miller Hamilton of Chicago. who re-
manned as it's head until the biennial
convention in Chicago in 1902.
The convention held in Chica go in Oc-
tober, 1902, elected president J.
Hampton Moore, then city treasurer of
Philadelphia and now member of
Congress
The convention held in Philadelphia
in 1905 elected as president Gen. Edwin
A. McAlpin of New York. and follow
ing him came John Hays Hammond,
who has been reelected president at
all conventions since 1908.