Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-08-01
Grand Ratification Meeting in this City
on Thursday Evening.
A Large and Enthusiastic Audience,
and Ringing Speeches for CIeve-
land, Hendricks and Reform.


make them free. A number
of democrats came in from Dodge
vile; and Darlington sent up a large
delegation, many Of whom had
attended the democratic national
convention in Chicago, and were
brimful of enthusiasm for the
ticket there nominated. The speak
ers advertised were all present, and
all addressed the audience, with the
exception of Hon. Geo. w. Strong, of
Dodgeville, and our fellow townsman
Hon. T. Scott Ansley, who asked
that the time allotted to them be
given the others.
The band began playing in front
the city hall at about seven o'clock,
and after playing a few tunes,
marched up street to the U. S.
Hotel, and escorted the speakers to
the hall, where the audience awaited
them. The meeting was called to
order by
HON. J. NJ. SMITH,
president of the Cleveland and Hendricks
club of this city, who thanked the audience for
the honor conferred in appointing him topreside
over the meeting. 1t was twenty-four years since
-
his first vote. He stated the objects of the meet
ing to be the ratification OF the nomination made
by the democratic national convention. 1t was
not his purpose to make speech, but it afforded
him pleasure to introduce as the first speaker, a
young nan who had recently come among u.s.
and had invested his capital in the only manu-
featuring enterprise here worth speaking Of
The speaker referred to
D.B. JONES. ESQ,
the proprietor of the Mineral Point zinc works.
Mr. Jones wasted no time in vain words but
went to the heart of his subject at once. He drew
a mastery picture of the democratic candidate
for the presidency who had attracted towards
him the pure and good elements of all parties,
and who commands the admiration of his fellow
citizens-republicans as well democrats, and
had drawn to his active support some Of the
ablest and purest republican leaders The speak
er then turned his attention to the candidate
presented by the republicans. and the conf
dence game to which the party had resorted to
catch votes. lie then took up and exposed the
hollowness of the claim advanced by the repub
lican party that it desired to protect American
labor from competition with the pauper labor of
Europe. The chairman of the republican COM
mitee was accredited with being the first TO in
troduce Hungarian laborers into this country
by sending for them to work in his iron works
in Pittsburg. The speaker referred to the great
labor strike i'll Pittsburg and throuhout the
country in 1877. The laborer is not protected
or allowed to exercise the God-given right to buy
where he could buy the cheapest
The speaker said that republicans asked who
is Grover Cleveland and sneered at him as man
without a record. Their vision had become
obscured. When Moses came down from the
mountain and found the children of Israel
worshiping the golden calf which they had made
his face shone SO bright that they could not
look upon it. The record of Grover Cleveland
clear that his opponents dare not look
upon it; but let us hope that their hearing has
not become dull and that they are compelled 10
listen to the voice of the people in commenda-
ton of the record of Mr.. Cleveland, and the ac-
ton of the democratic party in choosing him
as their standard bearer.
HON. D. S. ROSE,
mayor of sister city of Darlington
was the next speaker. He appeared upon
the platform wearing a beautiful badge
surmounted by an eagle, and bearing upon it
md oil
of the city OF Darlington. Wisconsin" Mr.
Rose is very fluent and forcible talker, and
has the manner and gestures of an accomplished
orator. He saw the gallant old ship, democracy,
after years of successful voyages, tossed about
in the pillows of defeat. He saw her once
again calamity riding the waves. The gallant
ship would never go down. The hopes of her
triumph grew brighter and brighter. The
speaker invited examination of the record
of the democratic party, and instituted COM
parison between the republican party and the
democratic party at this time, and spoke of the
high character and unimpeaehable record of the
democratic candidates for president and vice
president. The grand old republican party, he
said, is personified in its candidate for the
presidency, James G. Blaine, and he possesses
its weaknesses and its vices. He compared
the ,Plumed knight" to king Henry of Ma
varre, and said that the title had been tittngly
bestowed.
The President then introduced the Mineral
Point Cornet band, and at the close of their
playing presented as the next speaker one
who, he said, needed no introduction to the
people of Mineral Point, or to the people of
Wisconsin,
HON. MOSES NJ. STRONG.
Mr.. Strong began by saying that it was fifty
three years since he cast his first vote; that he
had participated in thirteen presidential cam
paigns, and that if his life was spared until the
end of the presest one it would be the four.
tenth. He then proceeded to enter upon
a discussion of the tariff question as presented
in the democratic and republican platforms of
this year, and in Mr.. Blaine's letter of accept
ance of the presidential nomination. 1t would
be impossible for us TO present even synopsis
of Mr. strong's speech. He held the close at
tention of the audience during its delivery.
He clearly set forth the true position of the dem
ocratic party upon the tariff question. The
platform delares for tariff exclusively for pub
lie purposes. The republican platform declares
for protective tariff. But the position of the
republican party upon this question Is more
fully explained and more positively asserted in
Mr.. Blaine's letter of acceptance. The speaker
read portions of this letter, and exposed the
fallacies of the arguments therein contained
that the great prosperity of the country isdue
to the protective tariff laws devised and enacted
by the republican party. The sophistries of Mr..
Blaine's letter were laid bare by Mr.. Strongs
incisive logic, and the figures which he pre-
scented.
HUGH GALLAGHER, ESQ,