The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-04-04
FIRST Ward REPUBLICAN Meeting
LARGE CROWD PRESENT.
Much INTEREST AND EETHTsIASM
MANIFESTED.

pleasant aspect of the weather las
night, a very large crowd, chiefly
voters Of the First Ward, assembled
at McJohnston's grocery, corner OF
Eighth Street and the canal. The
room adjoining the grocery, some 20
by 40 feet in size, was densely packed,
and hundreds surrounded the build
ing, unable to get in. The Crescent
City Band treated the crowd to some
of their best music
Dr. Rucker was called to the Chair,
and Thomas J. Groves was appointed
Secretary. DIR. Rucker, in taking the
chair, stated the object of the meet
ing and passed glowing eulogy on
Mayor Baker, who, he said, was the
right man for the responsible posi-
ton, and gave strong reasons for the
belief. He had been a Democrat un-
til that party had arrayed Itself
against the Government and on the
side of the rebels, and he now found
Republicans far more congenial com
pany. effFxp' J
Mayor Baker was then called on,
and ia his plain, candid, forcible man
ner reviewed the condition of the
eiy 1under the last Democratic city
government, contrasting it with its
present condition. He enum Grated
the vast permanent improvements
made in the city, and showed that
while the. public debt of the city I'M
der Democratic rule was over $40 to
eRch inhabitant, it was now only $40
to each iahabitant, aud deducting the
assets Of the city it was now but 50 to
each individual, and that while the
rate of taxation then was fully II per
cent, it has been, under his admins
tration, with all those vast improve 4
ments, only per cent. He spoke of
the influence these improvements has
had upon the health Of the city, the
value of which cannot be estimated in
dollars and cents.
Mayor Baker spoke IN a bold, dig
nifed manner, remarkably in contrast
with the puerile, malignant, hypocriti-
cal, demagogical style pursued by his
opponent. He expressed his mind
freely on the character of two of the
men whom the Democratic Central
Committee had appointed to act as a
smelling committee. He said Mr..
Reitz, one Of the Committee, was a
gentleman and an honest man, who
would render an honest report, if per-
mitted to reader any, but the other
two were men to whom he would not
trust either his life, his property
or his reputation, and said it was in
dubitabie proof of the malignity add
hypocrisy of his aecusers, BY cowardly
iuuendo, that they had appointedon
the committee two men with whom
ne had not been on speaking terms
for years. His speech had marked
effect on the audience. who frequently
interrupted him with rounds Of APP
plause,
The Mayor was quite i'll, and was
compelled to set down for few mo-
ments, in the midst of his remarks,
during which time the stand was oc-
cupied by Victor Bisch, who had been
loudly called for, aud who urged the
necessity of earnest work to secure
good men-friends of progress, of
education. and of the free schools
to fill the public Offices
Mr.. Baker again taking the stand,
paid his attention to Mr. Walkers
policy of cheap school houses for poor
mems children, aud vindicated the
School Trustees in the erection of the
Ninth Street School Bull Hing. He
told his friends that they need have
no fears Of the most rigid iuvostiga-
ton by honest men, and whether
elected or defeated, he should insist i'm
msdiately after the election oaa hor-
ough investigation Of the management
Of the city government. E o&''
Mr.. Hargrave spoke next and spoke
eloquently and well. lie enumerated
the questions at issue, which might be
reduced to three:
l. The school system.
II. Local improvements.
III, General contiguous improve
ments, such as the concentrating rail