The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-10-16
EARNEST VOTERS IN ERIE.
A Large Crowd Listen to Speakers EcksteIn.
Sturdevant and Representative
Ed Phillips.

Ed Phillips.
The Republicans of Erie township fol
! the first time for years, held rousins
meeting on Tuesday night, and were ad
| dressed by Messrs. o. G. Eckstein and w
L. Sturdevant The farmers of Erie town
| ship are wide awake, and the house wa:
| fairly crowded with voters anxious to heal
| the questions of the day discussed.
Central Committeeman Carl Miller call
| ed the meeting to order and announced the
old tried Republican as chairman. who
then introduced Mr.. Eckstein as the first
speaker.
Mr.. Eckstein congratulated the Repub-
licans of Erie for the splendid audience oil
enthusiastic Republicans and it ar
gued well for the success OF
the ticket, and it particularly
demonstrated the false position Of the Al
lance candidates when they say that
the members of the Alliance would not
come out and hear Republican truths The
speaker discussed at length the present
depression of business. and the causes con-
tributing TO the stringency of the times
and showed conclusively that the hard
times were the natural result of the whole
sale speculation INDUCED in by the people
of Kansas during the past few years for
which the people themselves are to blame,
and not the Republican party, as claimed
by the Alliance He reviewed the plat
form of the party and called attention to
the legislation since 1888, and that the
same was in fulfllment of all the pledges
of the party.
He eulogized the Democratic plat
form and in comparison with the
platform of the Farmers Alliance pledged
even more than the Democrats
of the Alliance, that the Republican party
was party of the farmers; that the sinews
of the party were farmers and have shaped
and dictated the policy and legislation of
the party, and that, as they controlled its
actions he had too much confidence in the
intelligence and patriotism of the Repub-
lican members of the Alliance to believe
that they would be carried away by the
clap-trap thunder of sore-head Democratic
politicians. who could themselves expect
nothing at the hands of their own party
He said he believed in the doctrines and
purposes of the Alliance, but as the farm
ers' demands have always been hearkened
to by the Republican party, the reforms
demanded by them could better
be obtained through that party
That the partisan Alliance was
organized and is now manipulated in the
interests of Democracy and for the pur-
pose of strengthening that party, which
can clearly be seen by the action of its
leaders. He also referred to the railroad
question, tariff and pension legislation,
and said he did not believe an old soldier
could vote against his party in the face of
the hellish utterances of the southern A l.
lance organs, slurring their noble sacri-
fees in the time of need, and closed with
his respects to the candidates He referred
to the acts of the present representative or
the Eighty-third district, f. w. Phillips, a
man who was practical farmer of this
county for twenty years, and who under
stood their wants. He closed with glow
ing tribute to that gallant soldier and
loyal friend-the standard bearer of truly
western Republicanism and western ideas,
Col. Jim Hallowell.
Mr.. Sturdevant, the next speaker, re-
viewed the legislation of the Republican
party in the national congress, dwelling at
length upon the pledges made to the peo-
pie. He referred particularly to the disa-
bility pension bill, the anti-lottery bill, the
tariff and silver bills, and refuted the ar
guments of the Democracy that the recent
bill did not reduce the tariff. Upon econ
omic questions the speaker was at home,
and he argued the silver question at con-
siderable length. He denied the state
ment that the circulating medium had de-
creased, but on the contrary demonstrated
from the official reports that it had in
creased 90 per cent during the last twelve
years, while the population had increased
but 80 per cent, making circulating med
ium of over S23 per capita TO ST OF 1873
He argued the silver bill recently passed
in a forcible and convincing manner, and
that instead of demonetiZing silver it
would increase the circulating medium
about $40, OOO, 900 in the next ten years, and
that the silver legislation of the present
congress was in fulfilment of the platform
of 1858.
The speaker then referred to the work OF
the grand statesman, John J. ingalls,,
and the action of the Alliance
was stumbling block in their
way, aud that the Democracy had leveled
all their artillery to secure his defeat and
are manipulating the Alliance to aid them
in their purposes, and that il he were not
to the senate it would be a last
ing disgrace to the fair name of the state
Of Kansas. He also referred to the other
candidates and knew that every one Of
them would be elected
Mr.. Phillips upon being called for said
be was member of the Alliance. but said
the farmers could gain nothing by leaving
the Republican party, but that their de-
mands were always followed by the Re
publican party. He said he was in sym
patty with the purpose OF the Alliance
but did not believe that the purposes of
he Alliance could be accomplished by
partisan ends. and hoped that the Repub-
ican members of the Alliance would not
be led to support Democrats TO Office.
Erie township is all right.