The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-28

earth, at the same price paid for the
first six squares, where it was deeper,
and Of course cost a good deal more
to build it. Here those familiar
with the affairs Of the city will detect
slight error. A Democrat In the
crowd was heard to say that the
/ statement was not true.
He next charged that the Seventh
Street School House, which was let
to Liant Brothers. was not let to the
lowest, bidders, and said that when
the bids were opened, Clark & Allen
were the lowest bidders, and that
when the certain members of the
Council discovered that fact, they at
once decided to postpone the letting
of the. contract till another evening,
and that at a subsequent meeting of
the Council, the contract was awarded
to the Liant Brothers.
There were several other points in
Peters speech Of whieh notes were
taken, but want Of space precludes
the possibility Of their publica-
ton. The Democratic Silver Band
then gave the crowd some music. after
which Mr.. w. H. Walker appeared,
and said:
Gentlemen and fellow citizens: =
I happen to be the individual the
Evansville JOURNAL has been SLAM
dering almost ever since my nomina-
ton, in articles of two or three col
umns each day, but that paper has
not yet put me down. The JOURNAL
has liking for great fuancier, but,
if I am elected, / will fnancier for
the people, for men Of all parties, for
the poor as we'll as the rich. / will
not send to Cincinnati to get man to
bowlder your streets.
The school house on Ninth Street
has cost more than it ought to. A
school house with half the capacity,
and at half the cost, would have done
for that part Of the city for the next
twenty years to come. The JOURNAL
is still harping on me, but l shall
come out all right, and 1 believe the
Democrats of Evansville will see me
through this fight.
Gentlemen, as l have said before,
l am not much Of a speaker. never
made but two speeches in my life, and
for one of them have brought down
the whole JOURNAL corps on me. l
expect to be your next Mayor, and if
the people are not satisfied with me
after a trial of twelve or eighteen
months, I will resign the Office to
them. Gentlemen. l thank you for
your attention"
Loud calls were then made for
Keen, Shanklin, and Blemker, which
lasted for some moments, When Mr..
Walker re-appeared and said:
Gentlemen, l forgot to speak of one
thing more. The public papers have
charged that l was sent East to pur-
chase some arms during the war.
There are many people here IN the
city who recollect the circumstance.
We needed the arms, for the people
were all afraid that there would be
raid from Kentucky, on the city. 1
went to indianapolis and called on
Governor Morton, and told him that
I had been appointed to 60 East to
purchase arms. He promised to give
me letter, but from some cause did
not do it.
He told me that it would be hard
to get arms, as the Government was
purchasing all that we're being made,
and that people going from this sec
ton of the country to purchase arms
we're suspected; that there were fears
that the arms would fall into the
hands of the enemy. went to Phil
adelphia and found that arms we're
hard to get. l at last made a pur-
chase of lot. l then went
to New York and purchased
another lot [ then telegraphed
70 Mayor Baker what sort of
arms I had purchased, and I think,
though [ am not sure, that ne tele-
graphed back to send them on. 1
purchased the best arms I could get,
and got them cheap, too. then went
to Boston, and found that no arms
could be purchased there I tele-
graphed OF wrote THAT fact back. or