The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1868-10-02
TIE pEaIoCRAr1c iIEETTNd.


turn out. We saw some present from a |
distance of twelve and fifteen miles.
Mr.. Click, candidate for Governor,
Col. Isaac L. Eaton, and Verres Nicho-
las Smith were present, to do the speak
ing. Owing to the lateness of the hour,
or some other cause, Mr.. Eaton did not |
favor the audience with specimen of
his oratory,
Mr. Smith was first introduced to the
audience, and made desuitory, ramb-
ling talk of something less than an hour
in length, dealing the Republican party,
as he thought, some severe blows. He
opened By telling the people he had
been to Emporia in 1861 as Lane
''striker"-he didn't say STRIKER" but
that's what he meant. He compliment
ed the people of Lyon county because
they had given 200 votes for Woman's
Suffrage. After praising the enterprise
and intelligence of our people who are
largely Republican, he branched into
taxes, anecdotes and niggers. He dep
recated the fact that Lyon county went
for negro suffrage last fall, but thought it
was done under momentary excitement.
He INDUCED in the worst kind of Dem
ocratic harangue against the negro, turn
ing up his nose when he spoke of the
''smell" and raising his "Ciceroarin'
voice to its highest picth, when he allud-
ed to the idea of negro equality. We
don't wonder that this gentleman fears
negro equality. After hearing his negro
harangue, we could only come to the
conclusion that he had, in youth, enjoy
ed that exclusively Democratic privil-
eye of drawing his rations from negro
wench. The Freedmen's bureau was
the subject of his ire. Tie Government
had spent the enormous sum of eleven
hundred millions of dollars on the freed
men. He got the wink from somebody
and afterwards modified the sum to
eleven millions, and did not have the
honesty to tell his audience that at least
half the expenditures of this department
went to white rebels who were destitute.
| His denunciation of the Indian policy
ofGovernment was hard upon his friend
and fellow backslider, Senator DOolit-
tle-ifindeed it was hard upon anybody.
! By his foppish manners this gentleman
acquired the title about Lawrence in
| 1861, of Very Ridiculous Smith, and the
almost universal conclusion after listen
ing to this speech, was that the title
still very appropriately attaches to him.
1t was certainly ridiculous lot of bosh,
and his cause gained nothing by its de-
livery here.
MI. Clicks address was of higher
order, and much more able and willy.
| His principle themes were Government
| bonds and taxation, and those who be-
| lieve the State and National govern
ments half as badly and corruptly man
aged as he made them must inevitably
conclude they are bad enough. His ar
gument was like that of a skillful law
yer who had prepared his case, and he
made the best of it. 1t was one sided
and unfair, and we have no doubt but
that an unfair speaker could twist the
| figures into as good a shape for the 9TH
er side of the question. For instance,
he took single item or two on the
State House work and showed that on
those single items somebody had bid
lower than the persons who received
the contract, whereas if he had taken
the entire bids, he would have found the
work was let to the lowest bidder, in
stead of to the highest, as he tried to
make the people believe. 1t is an easy
: matter for person to take the transac-
tons of this State, since its organization
and find seeming abuses enough in it:
financial management to make a one
sided argument like Mr.. Clicks, whet
, if the whole story was told altogether ;
, different face would be put upon thu
. subject. John Hammond, one of thu
= State House Commissioners, and gen
tleman whose word will be believed b!
those who know him rs readily as an
. other i'll the State, says Mr.. Clicks state
ments about the management of that in
stitution are grossly erroneous. Mr.. G
i was member of the last legislature, AM
Y was so well satisfied with the manage
S ment of the state house at the last ses
i sion as to offer his services in gettin:
/ through anything they saw fit to ask
C He accused the State officers, from til
Governor down, of populations in tn
+ wood and other contracts, and the off
= GERS of the penitentiary of dishonesty i
the clothing, boot and shoe, and othe
contracts for furnishing goods tothe pen
: itentiary convicts. of course we hav
not the figures at hand to rebut hi
statements. There may have bee
: wrongs committed, and if there has w
J. hope the evil doors will be brought t
: speedy justice. But knowing MI
G Click to be bitter partizan, we tax
his statements with great allowance
s and don't believe them without turtle
q proof
n Both the speakers dwelt at length up
i on the enormous taxes-the great cos
9 of all the necessaries of life, but faile
t to tell the people the cause of these tax
es. 1t is not in accordance with tn
purposes of Democratic orators to tel
the people that the Ia xes on the neces
sarics of life are put there to pay til
: cost of Democratic rebellion. The
are mum on that point. 1t is in yer,
:, bad taste, after that party did all in it
power to- destroy the Government, ant
after the Republican party saved it, t.
a abuse the Republicans for their efforts t
Z preserve the honor ofthe country by pay
y ing the expenses of their Democratic re