Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1890-11-12
Ratification Meeting.

The alliance determined to have a
grand celebration of their victory, and
Saturday was the day set tor the &C.
caslOn. But Saturday was cold and
rainy, and an outdoor ratification was
out OF the question. Hundreds of farm
ers, with their families, gathered in
town to learn the latest news, and to
witness any celebration that might &C.
cur. The drizzling rain continued to
fall till about noon, and the skies be-
gan to brighten. BY o'clock the sun
was shining, with its accustomed south
ern Kansas beauty, but by this time all
the people in town we're gathered at
the postOfice, waiting for the mail,
hoping to get some reliable news in re-
gard to the state ticket. The mail be-
Ing opened, the news read and discuss
ed, the band was brought out, and af-
ter playing piece on the street, march
ed to the courthouse, where hundreds
of people rapidly cOngregated, as it had
been reported that JerrySimpson would
make speech. The large court room
was soon packed, every seat be-
ing taken, and people standing in the
aisles and door-ways.
s. 5. Funk, chairman of the peoples
county central committee, and wheel
horse in the recent county campaign,
called the crowd to order, and intro
duced Hon. Jerry Simpson, the con-
hn I,
About month before Mr.. Funk had
introduced Jerry to large audience as
1.-THE man who will be our next repre-
sentative in congress. AT that time
Mr.. Funk was ridiculed as being a
crank. Now he can show his revilers
that he knew more than they did.
When Jerry stepped forward spon-
taneous cheer broke forth that made
him feel good. 1t was loud, long and
heartfelt. No speech of congratulation
could have conveyed the sentiments of
the people so quickly or so accurately
as did this little action. Mr.. simpson
spoke for about an hour, and his speech
was often interrupted by boisterous
cheers and enthusiastic applause. 1t
is useless to attempt synopsis of his
speech, as all who have ever heard him
know that his speech are made up of
hard-hitting sentences, and every sem
tence contains some important point.
At the close of Mr.. Simpsons speech
there was furious yell for Garrison!
Garrisonl" and Capt. VIM. Garrison, o!
Sharon, who had done as much to win
the victory as any man in the county,
came forward, and made short but
vigorous speech. He was cheered aud
appIauded most thoroughly. While lie
was speaking, w. I. Rouse came in
ana brought the certificates of election
of the various officers on the county
ticket. He gave them to Mr.. Garrison,
who delivered them to the oaicers-e elect,
and with each certificate also delivered
bit of advice. The first certificate
was for Lyman w. DeGeer, and when
Mr.. DeGeer stepped forward, Capt.
Garrison said. Mr.. DeGeer, when
you put your hand on the Bible, to be
sworn in as county attorney, place your
hand on that passage which says: Woe
unto HIM that giveth his neighbor
strong drink" From the way the au-
dience cheered the sentiment we imag-
inc that they understood and endorsed
the advice.
at the close of Capt. Garrison IS
speech, there we're calls for T. A. Nc
Neal, our republican mayor. He came
forward and made very good talk,
considering how badly he felt. He com-
pared the republican party to a jay
bird, which thought itself the most
beautiful of all birds. and bird that
could not be whipped. But q little
hawk snatched all the tail feathers
from him at the first pass, and as the
jay bird saw the hawk go away he re-
markedi HE has all my pretty feath-
ers. but / thank God ana alive" Mr..
McNeal says the old party Will "pick
its flint and come again."
Speeches were also made by l.. w.
DeGeer, H. s. Lands, F. w. Hickox
and Rev. z. j. Pinkston, and 1t was
about shutdown when the meeting ad-
journed. The crowd remained till the
last speech was oyer. and seemed to
thoroughly enjoy all the speeches. 1t
was crowd Of happy people, who felt
that they had gained a wonderful vic.
victory, and had good reason for re-
joicins