The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1880-08-30
The Republaoan Meeting at milan,


The Garfield Club. about 60 torches.
went to Milan on Saturday night TO attend
the great" Republican rally. which after
months of labor was finally advertised for
that evening.
The attendance. considering the inclem-
ency of the weather; and the generosity
of Rock Island in furnishing an audience.
was very fair. and the speeches OF the
usual stereotyped order.
Postmaster Beardsley depicted the
direiul consequences Of lnaugurating q
Democratic administration. which was
quite natural for the Major. as he holds q
fat Office under Republican regime. Some
how the Major does not fire them up like he
used to, in political meetings. Whether
this is the result of lack of faith iu the
success of Garfield or desire to be a
conservative" does not appear. but
certain it is that the major" always
eloquent. lacks the FIRE of old. He talks
just as eloquently. uses the same argu-
ments. depicts the horrors of Democratic
That is the secret of it all the people
won't enthuse 1t is not the majors
fault-for he goes on until the sweat drops
off in great drops, but the response the
welcome cheer-comes not.
Ex'City Attorney Gest spoke after
Major Beardsley. We confess to q likeing
for Mr.. Gest. He is shrewd worker and
has. about as little sympathy for Demo
Gratis as mott Republican perhaps, but as he
bottles his prejudices as a rule, has made
fewer enemies, and generally commands
the attention of conservative audiences.
But even Gest failed to get up the old
time "whoop" which used to waken the
echoes lin this county whenever the en-
sangu;ned shirt was shook by an iupas~
stoned talker, Mr.. Gest made very good
speech. on the whole, and had he confined
himself TO argument would have done
much better. But beyond respectful at
tention, and occasional stonping by the
committee on applause" was not
cheered. This was no fault of Mr.. Gest s,
however. for he @1abored just as
earnestly as ever, spoke as
fervently, shook the shirt" as violently
and depicted the horrors to follow Demo-
cratic rule. in regular blood curdling style
1t was not. we say, Mr.. Gest's fault, if the
applause was wauting-it was the fault of
the people. They don't enthuse over the
old arguments as of yore-that's all. IF
the people would only enthuse there would
be enthusiastic Republican meetings, But
they won't do it. SO it is no fault of Mr..
Gest that he failed to awaken the respon-
sive chord.
County Superintendent, Sturgeon, was
the next to speak, and he launched out in
regular forensic style. Now, whatever
we may think of Surgeons politics-we
creIfree to admit he IS good talker-a
forcible talker-a talker in fact, who. if
there is anything like enthusiasm in an
audience be will bring it out, So when the
County Superintendent of Schools
labored with his he arers. it was
with an earnestness which proved he
was earnestly and decidedly oppos-
ed to change of administration. But for
| all he labored, and talked, and gesticu!ated,
and argued. it was no use-the people
| would not enthuse. and save the occasional
response by the committee on applause"
his speech failed to arouse the people.
Now this was no fault of Surgeons, for
he really made good (2) speech. candidly
speaking. best [ y of the evening, the fault
was with the people who refused to go wild
over the bloody shirt. 1t used to be potent
used to wake up the boys everytime
was exposed, bu. it is no use anymore,
AID County Superintendent Sturgeon clos
ed his speech without receiving any more
applause than Postmaster Beardsly or Elk
City Attorney Gest. The people would
DOT respond
There was q feature of the affair which
did bring response. and that was the
singing. This was by the G!ce club, aud
was applauded at every song. The club
did well; and were the principal attraction
but the speakers though they labored
hard. to convince the people that the Re-
publican party must have the Offices, failed
to get up that hearty response which has
been the rule heretofore. But, as we said
before it was not their fault-the people
wouldn't respond. If the people would
only stop thinking for themselves, these
bloody shirt arguments would raise the old
time ''whoop" but they refuse to stop
thinking and the Republican alarmists
deliver their wornout essays on dead issues
to silent audi epees