Devils Lake inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, Ramsey Co., Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1905, 1886-10-23
DEMOCRATIC MEETING.
Hon. M. H. Day and Judges Pratt
and Bangs Talk.

Tuesdays train brought - Democratic
delegation from the east, consisting Of
Hon. NJ. II. Day, tho party nominee for
congress, Judges Pratt and Bangs and
Geo. ID. Lay, of Grand Forks. In tho
evening about 200 people gathered ut tho
rink to hear tho political views Of tho
leaders. Tho weather was very miscr..
able, but the hall was comfortable, and
tho band being on hand. lit up the gloom
to q very satisfactory degree. Receiver
Smith introduced tho speakers in Il few
brief remarks.
Mr.. Day, who is Il very pleasant and
agreeable gentleman, being brought to
the front of the platform. gave a brief
history of the Aberdeen convention, stat
ing that tho most strenuous efforts were
made to induce Hon. NJ. l.. Mccormick
to accept tho nomination, but that gem
tlcman pcremptorily declined, and the
honor had fallen upon tho shoulders of
the speaker. Mr.. Day first took up the
subject Of division and told why he was
in favor Of it, The Republicans, no said,
had indOrsed tho South DAKOTA statehood
movement, but tho Yankton conyention
would not permit the North Dakota dol
egates to express their opinion. The
speaker was in favor of submitting the
question TO the people. IIe believed d.
vision was the best thing for tho torri-
tory, and warmly indorsed tho Hill bill,
which provides for division on the 7th
standard parallel. Mr.. Day then took
up the Republican platform, which he
criticised. charging that it was a mean
ingless document. He believed the pres
ident was honest in his vetoing OF pen
sions, and said that Commissioner Black
was doing all he could for the soldiers.
Mr.. Day regretted one part of the ad
ministration. Ilc was not pleased with
Sparks. [Applansc.l Sparks had been
a dctriment to the northwest. The speak
or had held down a claim in Brule county
for two years, with about 200 others. In
1875 Gen. Grant threw all of that region
into an Indian reservation. Mr.. Day had
tho influence Of the Indian peace com
mission, and he would not say aught
against Gen. Grants actions. He loved
Grant because he was a soldier un-
der him. Applause.] Mr.. Day said
that while he WAS in Washington last
winter he received numerous petitions
from Dakota settlers protesting against
the action Of Sparks. He called on the
president and told him Of the situation.
the story Mr.. Day told him in regard to
the actual situation here. He then went
to Sparks about it, and that official said
he knew the people of Dakota to be lot
Of thieves, and all the government Off
cials here we're thieves. MFR. Day IN
formed Sparks that the people here were
Just as honest as they were in any por-
ton Of the Union, but Sparks would not
believe him. Sparks, in the speaker i
opinion, was disgrace to the party and
the whole country. [Applalise. Mr..
Day said Sparks reminded him of the
philosophers story about there being
three kinds Of fools-natural fools, edu-
Gated fools and damned fools. 1t was
Mr.. Days opinion that Sparks was all
three. He filled the whole bill. Zap
plause.] Referring to Judge Clifford,
Mr.. Dav said he knew him to be very
fine man. He had worked right by the
side OF Clifford, but the trouble was Gift
ford got the salary while he day got
nothing and paid his own expenses. His
mission here was to ask the people to
vote for him that he might have the sal
ary awhile.
Judge Pratt followed in regular Dem
ocratic speech, referring to the twenty
four year record Of the Republican party.
He read from two Republican papers in
South Dakota to show the superiority of
the Democratic over the Republican
platform; pitched into the electoral COM
mission; defended the course Of the