Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-10-03
n SICKLY AFFAIR.
Ex-Gov. Davis Attempts to Entertain tn e
Faithful.

Ex-Gov. DAVIS Attempts 10 entertain tne
Faithful.
The Republican rally last night, which
was to accomplish such great things, was a
dismal, dreary, dead failure. In saying this
we hazard nothing, for every Republican
present will agree with the statement.
Mr.. Davis effort was like the effort of all
Republican orators who have not the cool
malignity of Conkling, nor the rude audacity
of Blaine; it was the bewildered, dom t-knew
to-get-out-of-it type. The gloom of
impending defeat, like the trail of the SER
pent, was over it all.
Notwithstanding the utmost efforts of the
Garfield and Arthur club, it was half-past 8
last night before the last stragglers had been
gathered in, and about three hundred dis
consotate men were seated in Pfeifer's hall.
1t was evident that curiosity, more than any
stronger motive, had brought many of them
there. At about quarter to nine
Ex-Governor G. X. Davis was intro
duced and made as hard an uphill
fight to interest his listeners under dis
couraging circumstances and with a bored
audience, as newspaper reporter is often
witness to. After the speaker had arrived
the vice presidents of the club were impiored
to materialize on the platform, which, after
considerable reluctance they condescended
to do. One Unidentified himself for the sac
rifce by inconahenty going to sleep, and
the others filed in their time by looking
wise and occasionally nodding appreciation
to the sentiments of the speaker.
Of Mr.. Davis speech we can say bnt lit
tie. 1t was . strained, unwilling and unnat-
ural effort, to bo.ster up
a failing and unmeritorions
cause. He commenced by saying that he
had no defense to make of the Republican
party, and would not attempt any. Then,
referring to Garfield he declared thot can
didates were of small importance, but prin-
ciples were everything, Then came the old
whack at the Democratic party, that it pro-
posed to reinstate in power the men who
inaugurated the rebellion. The changes
were rung on this and other bloody shirt
topics until many of the audience got tired
of the monotony and went home. On the
theme of State rights Mr.. Davis
waxed eloquent, and rounded off a couple of
periods prettily, but the applause he wait
ed for on each was MI.
He then branched off on the
currency, and quoted a lot of figures,
of which nobody comprehendcd the drift,
though when the name of Grant was lugged
In by the ears, the faithful comprehended
it was the Ilacefor applause andwhoopped it
| npin languid way accordingly;but when he
| urged the necessity of the nation paying its
debts in coin, there was an industrious effort
| to maintain solid silence which was suc-
| cessful. A complimentary refer
! ence to the Hayes regime
was received with but little enthusiasm, but
the announcement that there were more dol
| lars in the country than ever before created
| quite an agitation.
| When this point was reached, the speaker
finding his audience dull, sleepy and dis
posed to go home, went back to Andrew
Johnson's time, Tesurrected several old wal
issues, and took feeble tilt at Hancock &
order number 40, but without doing any ap.
preciable damage either to Hancock or the
| order. Even the hushed tones and simulat
ed emotion of the speaker, as he recount
ed the baleful effects of that order
which effects none ever saw
failed to properly impress the unresponsivt
audience. 1t is true Mr.. Davis remarks
were occasionally greeted with a polite
4 though not boisterous clapping of hands
but all these demonstrations were plainly
out of sympathy for the speaker, and for hi
encouragemennt more than from acquie
scence in his sentiments.
In more senses than one this occasion ha.
been one of bitter disappointment to tht
Republicans. They had expected Mr.. Davis
very name to draw crowd, and enlis
a hearty enthusiasm. In this
they were disappointed. They
had hoped for magic burst of eloquenc
which should rouse the sluggish pulses oi
those Republicans who have money to pu
up In the canvass. This class were very nu
merously absent, and the speaker felt i
like wet blanket. When he was about
half done the two stenographers who occu
pied the table shut up their books, pocketed
their pencils and gaped through the rest O.
the symposium.
Take it altogether, the great Republican
rally was dismal failure.