Grand Old Partisan

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor Richard Mott, born July 21st 1804. Age eleven, he moved with his family from a suburb to New York City. The ambiguous youth worked at a store, then a bank. In 1836, Mott relocated to Ohio. His real estate firm helped establish the state's first railroad. He was elected mayor of Toledo. Opposition to slavery led him out of the Democratic Party. Mott won election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1854 as an independent and in 1856 as a Republican. He raised funds for the Union cause during the Civil War, and along with sister-in-law Lucretia Mott, advocated women's suffrage. 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 ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I appreciate Republican commitment to racial justice.  July 20th 2006, President George W. Bush addressed the NAACP’s national convention. Agreeing with me, he said: “I consider it a tragedy that the party of Abraham Lincoln let go of its historic ties with the African-American community. For too long my party wrote off the African-American vote, and many African-Americans wrote off the Republican Party." President Bush went on to blame a "wound" for denying African-Americans their right to vote in many parts of our country. What he failed to mention, unfortunately, is that this wound" is the Democratic Party — the party of slavery and segregation — which denied African-Americans their right to vote. Back to Basics for the Republican Party is my civil rights history of the GOP. To quote the book: "The more we Republicans know ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Elisha Dyer, born in Providence, July 20th 1811. After graduation from Brown University, his career began at the family merchandising business. Five years he served as chief administrative officer of the militia. He established an anti-slavery society and was on the Whig Party state committee. Dyer co-founded the Rhode Island GOP. In 1857, he won the governorship for first of two one-year terms. During the Civil War, this patriot enlisted as captain with a regiment assigned to defend Washington. Later years, he was director of a bank and a railroad. President Ulysses Grant appointed him commissioner to an international trade conference in London. 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...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I salute Frederic Greenhalge, born in England, July 19th 1842. Age twelve, the family immigrated to Massachusetts. Denied enlistment during the Civil War because of ill health, this patriot worked as a civilian quartermaster for the army in North Carolina. Peace restored, he studied law.  His political career started on the Lowell city council, followed by municipal judge and mayor and state representative. Greenhalge was delegate to the 1884 Republican National Convention. In 1888, he won a congressional term. In 1893, Greenhalge was elected Governor. His administration stressed education and fiscal prudence. He died in office, age fifty-two. "His strong character, his experience in public life, his patriotism, his courage, his leadership, seemed to be almost invaluable to the State." "He had the qualities which ...

Grand Old Partisan celebrates more than seventeen decades of Republican heroes and heroics. Today, I honor William Wallace, born in Ohio, July 19th 1811. After studying law in Indiana, he moved to Iowa and served in the territorial legislature, as a Whig. In 1853, Wallace relocated again, to Washington Territory. Soon, he was militia captain and territorial legislator. He went on to be county prosecutor and county school superintendent. In 1861, the steadfast Republican won election for congressional delegate. March 1863, President Lincoln appointed Wallace territorial governor of Idaho. Later that year, residents elected him congressional delegate. Remainder of his life he devoted to his legal practice and to local politics. 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 the...