The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1878-09-21

An Interesting Performance az Turner
Hall.--A Regular Circus.


the Qui.vive to know who was the party
styled "a Mechanic that was to SKATER in
to SO many fragments the speech of Johr
B. Hawley. As the time approached ex
citemeDt increased. and Friday evening
when the time for opening the hall ar
rived, quite crowd had collected there
and at 7:30 O'Clock, the time called fol
the meeting, the bali was crowded. Itwal
soon apparent that it was to be national
"powwow" aud that the speaker would bt
one White, who is employed at the pillow
shop, and who ran for and was defeated
for police magistrate last spring. w. II
bunker, after vainly trying to find Hodg.
son, called the meeting to order and nom
mated Geo. Alters for chairman, bu
George had slipped out, or at least dix
not seem anxious to assume the honor
bunker then named Morris Stafford, th,
emergency and general utility man of th,
party, but somehow Morris didn't seem /,
respond, and then a man named Jone
was elected, but ''Jonesey" didn't say any
thing, and bunker who had evidently ex
hausted his list, for a moment seemed
disconnected, but he rallied again an,
called for Hodgson, but tina
gentleman, always ready did no
answer roll call, SO in despair
the committeeman" appealed to tn
audience to name some one, and timiC
voice was heard to say, "Abram Wagner,
and the aged exjustice meandered to tn
stage. Then they wanted Wagner {,
speak, SO they yelled, SAY something,
why don't you talk" SO finally the veneer
able convert to nationalism rose and mad
few remarks which were given good stten
tion,and closed by introducing the orator
of the evening Mr.. White, whom. tn,
chairman said, would answer Mr.. Hawley'
speech, and then the circus began.
White said he had been requested /,
make this speech, but be dida't know boz
he was himself t. blame, as he had ia a
measure volunteered to do it. but, he be,
gan. he wantedithe stage filed, so call:
were made for Danforth, Hodgson, Dunk er
McDermott, of Moline. Stafford, in fact i
was perfect bedlam of clammerings.::fo1
some one to grace" the stage, but the
responses we're few and far between, thu
organ did not go, evidently his refined
nature rebelled, nor did Hodgson, in fact i
was finally settled by securing about five
to set on the:stage. Then the chairman
braced himself against the scenery, and sal
like a living statue-a monument Of
patience and then the orator" be
gan BY introducing the opening over
ture" which was an extract from
that truly loyal sheet, that
symbolism of communism, Pomeroy'.
Democrat He read a long harangue
about bonds, and farmers owning bank
stock, aud how the wealth of the country
was to be centralized, to destroy the exist
ing free Institutions, the whole-a circular
purporting to be written by the secretary
OF the Bankers Association" and which
was largely circulated during the cam
paign OF 10 as campaign document fol
the rag babyites Cooper & Cary. Befor,
he concluded the audience began to wear,
and thin out. and when he announced that
he had few more extracts to read befor,
he got to his argument, there was whole
sale exodus. Somehow he couldn't fnc
slips, and when he did they did not seen
to be the right ones and So be fuddled
around, the audience meanwhile GROWTH,
beautifully less, until be finally announced
he was ready to begin bis argument. Their,
was long drawn sigh--a regular uphea
val ofsuppressed feeling as it were, at this
announcement, and republicans craned
their nec&s, democrats remained TRANQUIL
ami nationals were all attention.
Then be wandered off into defense o
tramps quoting extensively from the Worzc
Tribune and Times OF New York, tn,
Times, Tribune and Inter Ocean of Chi.
cago and other papers, which he claimed
was proof of II subsidized press, press in
the interest of the bondhoidsrs and bouch
up to cry down the poor laboring man
keeping entirely aloof from Hawley. The
audlence.now reduced to about $50, begar
to weary and another rush fer the door.
followed. among;the number, the editor OF
the organ, whose sensitive nerves had no
doubt been shocked and who could M
longer stay to witness the humiliating fz
zle of what was to be the grandest coa1
de etat of the campaign iu the interest Of
the labor greenback party. White, how
ever, remained on the stage and continued
to haraDgue select corner" of silent il
not appreciative listeners. The thing had
now reached q farcical crisis, and the
stamping brigade began by applauding
everything he said-(as a joke) but
White took il Tell in as genuine enthu-
siasm, and Bunker, who assumed the role
of walking gent" during the performance
actually frightened up and began to look
longinRly towards the door, as if expect
Ing that the outside audience would once
more return. The comedy" continued
and finally Whits. aunounced that the
closing act would soon occur. About so
remained 10 the nall at this time, and the
whole affair was turned into burlesque,
when White, after stating he proposed 10
close, received regular ovation from the
martyrs who remained, This was
the last staw that broke the cameI's
back. so. the walking gent. after casting