Evening Republican, Volume 18, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 February 1914 — KEYNOTE OF THE PARTY REUNION [ARTICLE]

KEYNOTE OF THE PARTY REUNION

Hope and Harmony Watchword of Republicans.

WELCOME AWAITS WMBERERS Following the Recent Big Rally at Indianapolis the Word Has Gone Forth That the Glad Hand WHI Be Extended to Mooeers and They Will Be Given Brotherly Reception and Treatment By Indiana Republicans. The Republicans ot this locality are greatly pleased with the success of the Republican love feast and reunion held at Indianapolis on Lincoln’s birthday. It was in many respects the most notable Republican meeting held in Indiana in yean. It surpassed in size and enthusiasm any of the love feasts oven of the days when the Republican party was in power at Indianapolis and Washington. Despite the fact that a blizzard was raging In Indiana, thousands of Republicans rallied to Indianapolis to take part in the exercises of the day. Every congressional district in the state, and nearly every oounty, was represented, some by delegations of from a hundred to two hundred Republicans. The lobby of the Claypool hotel, which was the headquarters for the reunion, was Jammed with Republicans before and after the meeting at Tomlinson halt Many Republicans thought Chairman Sims of the Republican state committee and President Jackson of the Lincoln League had made a mistake in fixing the meeting at Tomlinson hall, but despite the storm that vast auditorium was filled with cheering Republicans, whose enthusiasm knew no bounds as the speakers of the occasion paid tribute to the memory of the first Republican president and advocated Republican principles.

Accepted Call to Duty. Republicans generally feel that the Republican state committee chose wisely in electing Will Hays of Sullivan chairman of the state committee. This action was taken unanimously. Mr. Hays was not a candidate for the place, but accepted the post as a call to duty. He is one of the younger leaders of the party who has never been Identified with any taction, but has stood for Republican principles with courage and ability in the Second district, which he represented on the state committee during the last campaign. Mr. Hays has a wide acquaintance through the state, Is a splendid organizer, a magnetic leader and enjoys unusual personal popularity. His selection will particularly appeal to the young men in Indiana. He is perhaps the youngest man who ever headed a state political organization in Indiana. It is understood that it is a part of his program to make a special effort to rally the young men of Indiana to the standard of Republicanism.

The election of Mr’. Hays as chairman of the state committee was announced by Judge Jackson of Newcastle, president of the Indiana Lincoln League, to the big crowd In Tomlinson hall on the afternoon of Lincoln’s birthday, and the news was greeted with cheers. It was the most interesting moment of the meeting when Chairman Hays moved the big crowd to many outbursts of applause with the following words: “Government by parties is absolutely essential for a nation’s welfare. “We always have had and we always will have political parties in this country. "Political parties are npt instruments for individuals to use for their personal aggrandizement Political parties are the means by which thinking men promulgate and practice principles for the government of their own country—for the control of the influences surrounding the place they call their home.

“Any man who thinks otherwise is not aware of the high privileges of his citizenship; any man who expects or wants otherwise today Is not In tune with the forces that control hi£ present And the political party that will command the confidence that brings support is the party that understands this, Its purpose, and remembers it “The Republican party has been the most potent power of practical progression ever developed by man. “You say the history of the growth of the Republican party Is the story of the progress of the nation. True. “You affirm that every crisis in the life of the Union has been bridged by Republicans. Right “You assert that in that awful tn, tricidal strife the Republican party and Its soldiers saved this nation and made possible al! that we enjoy today. Yes. “You remind us that the Republican party furnished the reconstructive ■tatesmanshlp that brought the country through the trying years of confalesoence. Undisputed. Proud of Record. “You declare that the Republican party has written every law, formulated every statute, advanced every ‘heory and carried out every single -inciple which have developed this mtry from a weakened coalition to station which has no equal. "True. These things are true. The ’arG's worst traduoers cannot deny

Atm. And we are proud of the record, and the record warrants the trust of all. “But these things, my friends, true as they are, as rich a heritage as they may be, are history. Thank God wo have the heritage; thank God for the good we have done, and far be it from me in the slightest degree to discredit Its glory. “But, gentlemen, It is not with the past we are concerned. The burning question of today is, What of tomorrow? ;Can the Republican party, the party of Abraham Lincoln, be trusted now to be true, even as he was true, to the rights of men and their full freedom?

“A very large majority of the people of this country believe in, the principles of the Republican party. Men live and die, but principles endure. The great principles 6f the Republican party since the days of the emancipation proclamation have been everlastingly right. They are right now. The Republican party does not play principles to win. The Republican party advocates principles because they are right and because Republicans believe in them. And we will not prostitute these principles for perfunctory preferment As soon would I sell myself for personal advantage as see my party stultify its principles for power.

To Look Forward. “These principles which have been so wholesome in the past we will preserve. The great advocates of these truths have not been wrong these many years. These principles are as true as when their first practice built up our country. “But we will look forward, not backward. The needs of yesterday, my friends, are not all the needs of today. Brilliant statesmen have said that the world moves. The world does move, and the Republican party shall continue to be the one agency in this country to apply to new conditions ths wisdom of experience and the efficiency of honest, zealous service. "The Republican party is the party of the future. If this is not true there is no use for the party. Our past performance is the best guarantee to the country of our future fulfillment, but only on our future fulfillment will our usefulness depend. "I say, let us- talk less of our past, talk less of our past which was glorious; and think less of our past that was acrimonious; yes, forget entirelv that there is a recent past that was acrimonious—and face our great future of usefulness. Great, great it may be, but it will be what we make it The country needs today, as she never needed before, a united, militant Republican party. Every man who ever voted the Republican ticket knows this is true, and what his country needs, It is the duty of every man .to give, regardless of personal Influences, anger, pique, greed, resentment or ambition. The solution of the matter is a question of patriotism. The duty, I say the duty, of everyone is clear. And I refer to the intolerant individual within as well as the individual now without. Pledges Performance of Duty. "I don’t care how a man voted in -1912, nor his reasons for so doing. If today when I go to him, I say, when I go to him and say to him, ‘Come on over here, we can’t do without you; we have work to do for the good of the country, and it takes us both, to do it.’ When I say that, and He says to me, ‘I will,’ I say, ‘God bless him,’ and I insist that he Is entitled to as much consideration as the man who voted with us if he had no reason for doing otherwise. “My friends, it Is a duty that is before us. My part I will try to perform. The harvest is great—let the laborers be many. I recognize no factions. I have never known what the word means. I look upon the chairmanship as an opportunity for a large work for the Republican party, Its principles and Its candidates, and as such I value it "Your help I must have. Your confidence I beseech. Your advice and the advice of every Republican I earnestly ask for and expect. My only ambition in the matter will be to serve you well. Help me. "And now, absolutely triumphant of the triumphant future of the party and the nation, and with respect yes, and friendship, the warmest friendship, for men of all political parties and political faiths, let us go into the fight together. Success awaits us. Let organization be the watchword. Then we will mount our platform—our platform of judgment and Justice, reason and righteousness, and standing upon it with hands outstretched, we will look to the four corners of the com monwealth and bid all men to come.” Special significance was attached to the utterances of Mr. Hays because of the belief that they foreshadowed a policy of conciliation and devotion to the highest Ideals of Republicanism on the part of the Republican state organization. Lincoln League Officers. New officers of the Lincoln League were elected as follows: President, J. D. Conner, Jr., of Wabash; vice president, C. 8. Preston of Monticello; secretary, Conner D. Ross of Shelbyville, and treasurer, George Kreltensteln of Terre Haute. The meeting was opened by Ed Jackson of Newcastle retiring president of the league. He soon yielded the chair to John C. Chaney of Sullivan. Several speeches were made, among which was one by Gurley Brewer of Indianapolis.. who paid a tribute to Abraham Lincoln as the saviour of the colored race. Mr. Center, the new president, was authorized to appoint committees and delegates t> the national meeting of Republican lubs.