Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1886-10-28
Evasion and Disappointment.

Evasion and Disappointment.
The speech delivered by Col.
John II, keatley, democratic candi-
date for congress, at Court House
Hall, Monday night, and which we
last week prophesied would be in
explanatory form, tell short of that
low estimate, and was in fact evasive
and disappointing. The Colonel's
friends who had hoped that he would
be able to at least rift the cloud
hanging like pail over his record
as legislator are not pleased with
the manner in which he studiously
avoided mention of those acts which
he had been asked and expected to
explain. He was gwen an audience
of democrats and republicans, but
he has not relieved his record of one
particle of the odium attached to it.
The meeting was called to order
by w. F. Stotts, who artfully shifted
responsibility by saying that he had
been requested to announce that
Hon. Nj. Nichols would make
short address and introduce the
speaker of the evening. Mr.. Nichols,
who by his party organ is called
Judge, though he has never been
exalted above the dignity of justice
Of the peace, took the floor and
forthwith established the right of
the people to assemble and discuss
political questions, but before he had
reached the fms of Of his talk the
opinion of the audience was that the
right was one quite difficult to exer-
else as hearers. Mr.. Nichols plead
piteously that the speaker might be
heard upon current issues and that
what has been might be buried in
the dead past, but he was Immediately
! pleased to refer to the victories of
the Union armies and especially the
laurals won by Col. Keatley. Mr..
Nichols continuing in this strain
/ became quite emotional and had the
Colonel Scared with eleven wounds
and might have continued indefinite
| ly had not democrat in the audience
called halt by stating that he
believed it to be but seven wounds.
Nichols maintained that the scars
We're eleven, and compromised with
his disputant by resting the case at
that point. He then introduced Col.
Keatley, who feigned much gratifi-
cation with his reception and pro-
nounced it one of the happest
moments of his life.
The Colonel said he was not
before the AUDIENCE to raise spectre
Of national debt to be incurred by
paying off rebel war claims or pen
sioning Confederate soldiers. He
endeavored to explain the alleged
withdrawal of DR.. Hatton from the
race; said that the democratic and
greenhack state committees had
met and made an agreement to be
valid only in case it was endorsed
by him; that they had dispatched a
messenger to overtake him on his
travels and secure his approval. The
messenger intercepted him at Stuart
presented to him the plans, and
happy coincidence!-it was the very
arrangement he had been advocating
during the entire campaign, The
Colonel did not enlighten the audi.
ence as to the provisions or conditions
contained in these articles Of agree,
ment, but it is sufficient to know
that he endorsed them. In his lette,
accepting the nomination he hat
announced his purpose to refrain
from all personal abuse no matter
what might be the tactics of his
opponent, and in this he adhered
except in the case Of pronouncine
all congressman from this district
for the past II years incompetent tc
fill tie station to WHICH they wer,
elected. About this time ht
laid off his necktie and collar, anc
when he entered upon his record a.
a legislator the audience wondered
that he had not also rolled up hi
sleeves before undertaking that task
1t was in this case that his speech
, was most notably weak. He cndeav
ored to show that he entered tn,
Legislature loaded with bills, specific
for the wrongs the people are suffer
ing. He introduced bill containing
provisions for the regulation OF intel
state commerce similar if not iden
teal with the Reagan bill. He
complained bitterly because the com
mittee reported it back with thu
recommendation that il do not pass
and he charged that the republican
party was derelict to duty because
its Representatives did not champion
his bill; he also assigned as theil
reason for not doing so that it wal
introduced by a democrat. The
wisdom of that committees recon-
. mendation was vindicated on Mon
day of this week when the u. S
Supreme court rendered Il decision
that state laws could not regulate
interstate commerce because i
would trench upon the powers o.
: congress and be a damaging restric,
ton to the freedom Of tariff. The
case was brought from the state o
Illinois. And this bill may be sale
to be fair sample of Mr.. Keatley''
several bills But the speaker die