The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1920-05-12
FORDNEY OPENS WITH
BIG GUNS TRAINED
ON DEMOCRAT PARTY
SPEECH OF HON. JOSEPH W..
FORDNEY, AT THE REPUBLl-
CAN STATE CONVENTION

Ny fellow Republicans, am an
American and not an lnternationalst.
believe in the Constitution, IN the
wisdom and patriotism of our fathers
who founded this republic, and In the
independence of the United Stats
Of America.
We have been sent here to choo.
delegates to the national convention
that will select the successor of the
man who in 1916 was reelected to the
Presidency on the prtext that he had
kept US out of war, and who seeks to
perpetuate his power by keeping US
out of peace.
When Washington and Franklin
and Alexander Hamilton, and the
other great fathers met in Philadel-
phia in 1887 to frame our immortal
they at first proposed
that the Presidential term should be
seven years long; but after Franklin
had suggested that they invoke di-
vine guidance they shortened the
term to four years. Praise God from
whom all blessings flow,
This is not for the record, but they
do say someone was too young to
fight in the civil war. too old to fight
in the Spanish war, too proud to fight
in the world war, but 0 hurrah boys,
in the boudoir.
Since the Republican party was
born at Jackson, in the summer of
1855, eleven men have bee elected to
the Presidency of the United States.
The first of these was Jams Buch>
anan, a Democrat, who also kept US
out of the war, and who did not be-
lieye in preparedness. Since Buch-
anan ten Presidents have been elect
ed. OF these, eight have been Repub
Leans. OF tibet eight; seven have
been soldiers; Lincoln of the Black
Hawk Indian war; Grant. Hayes, Gar
field. Harrison and Mckinley of the
eight Republicans, seven have been
civil war. and Roosevelt Of the Span
ish war. And also, Of these eight
nominated from that invincable cita>
adel Of Republicanism, the grand old
Territory Northwest of the Ohio, of
whose proud sisterhood Michigan, o.
hio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin
are the five great States.
The destiny of nations sometimes
hangs on the stroke of pen. When
Benjamin Franklin met George the
Fourth to frame the treaty that ac-
knowledgeo the independence of the
United States, the King and his min
listers suggested the Ohio river as the
northwest boundary, but Franklin
said, "No, it must be the Mississippi"
and it was. Can our imagination pic
ture the difference in the history of
world if Lincoln, and Grant and Gar
field, and Harrinson and Mckinley
nj tot or
Upper Canada instead Of the United
States. love to read the ordinance
passed by the Continental Congress,
older than the Constitution of the
United States, for the government OF
the Northwest TER. tory. 1t is
best piece of legislation ever enacted
up to that time. In its protection of
life. liberty. property, contracts, ed
ucation, religious freedom and the
rights of men it is a model for all
ages. Why. when you read it you say
"This sounds like Republican plat
form"
The first mission Of the Republican
party was save the union and make
it wholly free. The name Of Lincoln
stands at the head Of a chapter in the
worlds history that time will only
brighten. A generation later we
struck off the last shackles of ancient
despotism i'm. the new world, when we
broke the grip Of Spain in Cuba, and
when Liberty enlightening the world
sent the beams Of her beacon vest
ward across the Pacific, and we gave
the beg innings of the Republican gov
eminent in the Philippines.
The spring Of 1916 found Christian
civilization almost overthrown by the
most appalling danger that had ever
confronted mankind. The Republ-
leans in Congress foresaw that moth
ing except miracle could save west
ern Europe without the armed assis-
tance Of the Stars and Stripes. Wood
row Wilson, misleading the signs in
the sky spoke TO Congress, at the
''heartening events in Russia" with
the same curious lack of understand
ing that had made him believe the
Mexicans were settling their difficult
les by orderly town meetings in their
district school houses. AS blind lead
ing the blind he and the Democratic
majority in Congress had sold some
of our battleships to Europe. and re-
fused to begin to prepare our army
for the great oncoming struggle.
William j. Bryan preached from a
hundred platforms that if an emerg-
ency should arise it could be met
overnight by million of our boys
armed with shot-guns. The pacifst
policy Of the Democratic party, head
ed by Woodrow Wilson, and their
spineless failure to prepare for war,
cost the world millions of lives and
billions of treasurke. If we
hda been prepared to command the
respect of the criminal Prussian Kais-
err. Germany never would have entered
upon her dastardlv career Of UNDER
water murder. and the Allies might
have won without our armed inter-
vention. But God in his mysterious
providence let the heather rage till
it became manifest even to Mr.. Will
son, that war was at our doors. Then
the Republicans took the President at
his word when he said politics was adj
journed. The American people bee
anne unanimous. We turned aside
from the paths Of peace. and UMPIRE