Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Othman Ali Abbott, born in Quebec, September 19th 1842. Age eight, the family moved to Illinois. During the Civil War, this son of an abolitionist served as lieutenant with the state's 9th Volunteer Cavalry. His regiment battled through Tennessee and Alabama. He survived two gunshot wounds. Peace restored, Abbott studied law and relocated to Nebraska. He participated at two constitutional conventions. In 1872, a Republican governor named him to a state senate vacancy. Four years later, this distinguished statesman was elected the state's first lieutenant governor. Abbott devoted much of his retirement to planting trees. His two daughters became notable suffragists. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our p...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor William McConnell, born near Detroit, September 18th 1839. Age twenty-one, he relocated to California, and then three years later, to Oregon, and a year after, to Idaho. Rather than mine for gold, McConnell prospered by raising vegetables for the miners. He was also a deputy U.S. marshal. Back in California, the savvy Republican served a term as state senate president. In 1884, McConnell returned to Idaho and opened a general store. His house is on the national register. He was delegate to the territory's constitutional convention. Statehood achieved, the legislature elected him a U.S. Senator. The 1891 Forest Reserve Act received his vote. President McKinley named him to the Indian Bureau. President Taft appointed him to the Immigration Service. His daughter married William Borah, a six-term Republican Senator. Back to ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute John Rhodes, born September 18th 1916. Calvin Coolidge was a childhood inspiration. His education was at Kansas State University and Harvard Law School. He served in the Army Air Force during WWII and later the Arizona Air National Guard. In 1952, while on the Board of Public Welfare, Rhodes became Arizona’s first Republican elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. This dedicated public servant won fourteen more terms. He was delegate at three GOP national conventions. The 1957, 1960, 1964 Civil Rights Acts and the 1965 Voting Rights Act received his vote. "God had a congressman in mind when He made John Rhodes. And he is just what the Founding Fathers had in mind when they designed the House of Representatives." Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I highlight the beginning of Abraham Lincoln’s campaign to win the Republican presidential nomination. After losing to Stephen Douglas for the Senate, he tended to his law practice and declined various speaking invitations. However, in September 1859, a request from the Ohio GOP to counter appearances there by Douglas was an opportunity too good to miss. The fifth and most important of his Buckeye State speeches took place in Cincinnati on the 17th. He received a hero’s welcome, with a torchlit parade to an outdoor downtown venue. The national press covered this event much more than the Lincoln-Douglas debates. Thinking ahead to the presidential election, Lincoln predicted, correctly, that northern and southern wings of the Democratic Party would not agree to support Douglas. He emphasized that, though constitutionally p...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I spotlight the funeral of a martyred Republican President. William McKinkey suffered two gunshot wounds on September 6th 1901 and died a week later. His remains were conveyed from Buffalo to Washington, DC From the train station to the White House, more than 100,000 people stood in the rain paying their respects. Evening of the 16th, the coffin lay in the East Room. All the next day, it was at the Capitol Rotunda for a state funeral and viewing. President McKinley was buried back home in Canton, Ohio on the 19th. Here are video clips of events . Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know about the history of our party, the more Democrats will worry about the future of theirs. For more information, see www.grandoldpartisan.com .  Here is a YouTube Vid...