The weekly pioneer and Democrat., 1859-10-07
,ndence of the Pioneer and Democrat.


The Democratic Mass Meeting held on
Nicolet Island on the 9th inst, adjourned
to meet in Woodman's Hall, Minneapolis, the
same evening, to hear an address en- our
State affairs from Ex-Governor Willis A.
GoRMAN. The attendance was very large,
and we were pleased to see quite number
of Republicans present, who exhibited a
proper spirit by listening to the Democratic
side of the question. They did not seem to
be afraid of [" free speech so much as the
leaders and managers of their party, who by
the most contemplate, dirty trickery pre-
vented many Republicans from hearing Gov
S1BLEY and other Democrats answer the
vile Misrepresentation, wicked ISLANDERS, and
base charges of corruption, fraud, and swim
ding that they have had heaped upon them
by Republican speakers and editors. The
Republican leaders are afraid to let the peo-
pie hear bothsid They do not trust them.
They have for months past been Industrious.
ly stufing the people with lies and misrep-
resentations, and their petty tricking plainly
shows that they are ready to use the most
desperate means to prevent them from
listening to the truth from the lips of those
they have villiied publicly and privately.
A large portion of the Democrats of Mime
apolis have listened attentively and respect
fully to the following Republican speakers,
within the past few weeks viz Grow,
CoLFAx, HALE, BAKER, DoNNELLY, CHAND-
LER, WILKINSON, ALDRIcH, CORNELL, BAB.
BIrr, ABRAHAM, BRADLEY, BISHOP, KING,
SMITH, KEITH, HALL and others. Gov.
GoRMAN's speech last night was the first
Democratic address that has been delivered
in Minneapolis during the preseut campaign.
The Republicans have had the field all to
themselves and have had every chance to
ventilate on niggerism, taxation and repudi-
alton. And when the Democrats sought
hearing to answer their calumnies, they
"played foul" by getting up meeting on
the same day, at the same hour within few
hundred yards of the same place, for no other
purpose than to interfere with the Demo-
cratic meeting. They went to work indus.
triously and by low cunning attempted to
prevent as many as they possibly could from
listening to the plain truth in answer to
their infamous charges. Party feeling was
brought to bear upon the Republicans to
prevent their going to listen to the candid,
truthful statements of Gov. S1BLEY. They
were whipped into the traces. The conduct
of the Republican leaders proves that they
are no friends to free speech. That their
pretentious claim is hypocritcal lie
They are cowardy. They are afraid of free
speech. They dare not meet the Democrat
ic speakers and discuss questions of state or
national policy so that the people will have
a full opportunity to hear both sides. They
dare not meet and repeat their ISLANDERS so
that the people will have chance to hear
them answered.
Gov. GoRMANs speech was attentively
listened to. Its character was in strong
contrast to the faultfnding, villifyng
speeches delivered in this place by the Re-
publicans. He met the questions concern
ing our Railroads, State Bonds, Currency,
and other questions connected with our
State affairs, in bold, fearless manner, en-
tirely free of the nom committaism and
absurdties of the Republicans. He went
into an investigation of our Railroad diff
culties and deprecated currency, and placed
the responsibility where it belongs, upon
ALEXANDER RAMSEY, one of the chief d.
rectOrs of the Minnesota and Pacific Rail.
road Company, and JOHN w. NORTH, the
conscientious (?) Republican candidate for
the United States Senate, and President of
the Minneapolis and Cedar Valley Railroad
Company-two worthless, who cowardly
deserted their posts when they saw the
danger and trouble that their conduct had
brought upon the people. Immaculate
RAMSEY was fairly fayed alive. His mad
endeavors to shirk the odium that rightful-
ly belongs to him, was depicted in light
both ludicrOus and pitiful. The Ex-Gov-
ernor then went into comparison of the
two political parties in this State, and truth
fully said that "the Democratic party has
ever been and rightfully is the head of the
house. Their place is w,thin. The Repub
licans have their place too. Their place is
without. They are the uatchdogs. They
may bark and snarl, and do no harm but
let them within and they will eat up every
thing in the pantry"
Toward the close of the address he spoke
of Senator DOUGLAS, and upon the name
being first mentioned it acted upon the
audience like an electric stroke. Cheer af.
ter cheer went up at the mere mention of
his name. The enthusiasm that prevailed
showed most strongly that DOUGLAS has
deep hold upon the heart and feelings of the
mass OF the people, even in this Republican
hot-bed. With the noble Senator of Illinois
upon the Presidential course nothing but