New-York tribune., 1920-05-25
First Meeting
so
OF Republicans
Was 66 Yrs. Ago
=
Convention This Year Will
Be Sitting in Section
Where Party Was Formed.
According to Historian
Slavery Was the Big Issue
No Political Faction Strong
Enough i'll Congress to
Control the Shareholders

iHAGAGC, H.. May -N.--ln assem-
bling at Chicago in June the Republican
national convention will be sitting in
the section where the Republican party
was first named and within 200 miles
meeting was held sixty-six years ago
The approach Of the convention recalls
this early history. though with the
passing Of the years and the develop
ment Of new issues the first steps of
the party have passed from common
view.
1T VIII probably not he possible to
trace 20 the earliest date the first posi-
tive meeting which led to the forma-
ton of the new party writes Francis
Curtis. in his history of the Republi-
can party. ut is quite likely that there
was no considerable gathering of men,
nor discussion Of plans and policies,
until Mr. A. Z. Bovay, a Whig. of
Ripon, Wis, together with a Mr. Bow
en-. q Democrat. and a Mr.. Baker. a
Free Soiler, issued call for a public
meeting to consider the now alarming
situation
The great issue of the hour was the
extension of slavery. Of the political
situation prefacing the formation of
the Republican party Mr. Curtis says:
"No political party was able to elect
enough members of Congress to over
rule the united Will of the slavehold-
ers, and until the anti-slavery senti-
ment of the North should be so welded
together. and us eXponents should be
so united IN one party as to be able to
send TO " Washington CROUCH men to
outyOte the representatives of the slave
power, there was no hope that its ad-
vance could be checked"
Meeting Held in Church
Reference was made to the Ripon
meeting by Henry Wilson, when Vice
President Of the United States, in his
book, "Rise and Fall of the Slave
Power" published in 1874. zone of the
earliest. if not -he earliest, of the
movements" he said, "that contem-
plated definite action and the forma-
ton OF new party was made IN Ripon.
Fond du Lac County, Wis in the early
months of 1881. III consequence OF q
very thorough canvass, conference and
general comparison Of views inaugurat-
cd bv 4. +. Bovay. prominent mem
Der of the Wing party. among the
Wings. Free Sellers and Democrats Of
tha. town. call was issued for a
public meeting to consider the grave
issues which were assuming an aspect
o. such alarming proportions.'
TIE meeting thus called wrote
Charles NJ. Harvey in "The Chautau-
'@'., = sep1ehloer, ~ was hGia IN
February IS. 1854. A resolution was
adopted in the meeting that if the bill
then pending in the Senate to throw
ooen T. slavery the territories of Kan
sas and Nebraska should pass. the old
uartv organization in RIDon should be
cast of and new party. to be called
the Republican. formed on the sole is
sue Of oDposition TO slavery extension.
~7ha bill PASSED the Senate, in which
hode II originated. on March 8, 1854,
ard on March 20. the second meeting,
ral,c,Dated in by men Of all parties.
7- I4'd. this time in schoolhouse. at
% e1 B9vav was the leading spirit.
"By vote of the assemblage. the
town committees Of the Whig and Free
Soil parties were dissolved, and com
mittee Of five. three Wings. one Demo
erat and one Free Soiler. was chosen
begin the task Of forming a new
rartv.
these two meetings was started
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