Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1890-10-29
ROASTED TO A TURN.
FELKER'S ELOQUENT DEFENSE
OF THE SCHOOLS.
The Davidson Theater Packed to the
Doors with an Enthusiastic Audience
Villas and Bragg Uncloaked-
Scathing Arrangements of
nsincere Democrats.

A A campaign speech, the
e. like of which has hardly
lima ar=a been heard in Wisconsin
laAs E1allI- since the days of Matt
STAND BY Ir. Carpenter, was that of
Charles w. Felker at the David
son Theater Milwaukee, October 18th
Every inch of space in the
large theater was occupied, and so
far from realizing Candidate Peck's fears
that some of his misguided supporters
might make disturbance, Mr.. Felker
was given royal welcome by an intelli-
gent and enthusiastic audience, among
whom any "rotten" egg hoodlum would
have Jared badly A large proportion
of those present were Democrats, and
the Democratic Bennett Law League,
under whose auspices the meeting was
held, turned out in full force. Among
the members who occupied seats on the
stage or in the boxes we're Geo. J.
Obermann, w III. Timlim, John Nagle,
Hugh Ryan, Otto knuesli, P. III. Hewitt,
A d. Bolens, T. P. Van Valkenburgh,
c.. f. Hunter, p. NJ. White and w. J.
Turner.
President George j. Obermann, of
the Bennett Law League, made a brief
speech before presenting Mr.. Felker to
the audience. He made telling point
when he said, referring to the commit
tee that went to Madison during the
last session of the legislature to lobby
against bill intended to discontinue
the teaching of German in the public
schools:
Now it is a singular fact that every
member of that committee who went out
I, - Ion
our public schools is now in favor OF this
Bennett law as it is to be. IApplause.]
1 do not think there is any KnOw-noth
ingiSm in that. / do not think it smackS
of it at ALL A TREND said to me this even
ing-a good Democrat-on my way over
fend our action. Gentlemen, I do not
think it needs any defense. Applause
[ rather think, as a Democrat, that the
Democratic leaders who inject into the
party platform a plank that does not be-
long there, and drive from the party TO-
600 good earnest Democrats. must apollo
glze. Applause
When Mr. Felker was introduced
there was ringing applause. He re-
moved his overcoat, laid his notes on
the desk beside him, and began upon a
speech so full Of earnest eloquence that
| for nearly two hours he was listened to
| with the most intense interest, and
when he had finished he was given
three cheers that would have warmed
the heart of any orator.
| He began by saying that having lived
in Wisconsin since 1916 he felt that he
had a right to be proud of Milwaukee,
as the common heritage of the people OF
| the state He was not long in getting to
the Bennett law, and he first disposed
of the windy argument that the public
| ,oI ton, of
| ed by the Democratic party. He said j:
| happened to live in this state when the
present constitution was adopted. We
| had three parties then in this state, the
old Hunker party. the Free Soil party, and
the old Wing party, and they were all
unanimous upon the recent provision in
the constitution regarding the support and
maintenance of the common schools. All
plauSe.l The Democratic party no more
created the common school system of this
country than they created the world or
the city of Milwaukee. Continued ap-
plause.l But, gentlemen, how jeal-
Ously did they guard and care for
that school fund? Toe constitution was
adopted in 1913, and in 1855, under the old
reign of Barstow, we found them attempt
! ing to steal every dollar there was in that
school fund, (applause) and to-day there
are lying in the treasury Of the state OF
Wisconsin 100000 of the principal OF
mortgages SO worthless that the landS upon
which they were given to the proteges
of that administration are not worth
the paper they are written on. Ap-
plause. So much for this clap-traI
that has been injected into this Democratic
platform about jealousy guarding the
school fund of this state. Laughter and
applause.l
Then he proceeded to show that the
compulsory education law of 1879 was
really a more stringent measure than
the Bennett law, and that the amend
ments of 1882 and 1887 added to its
stringency. NOW" ne said,
from 1879 until 1859 we lived under this
strict, stringent compulsory law. There
was no bowling of Democratic orators
about the rights of citizens being abridged,
no bleating of any kid fearing to be pulled
| from the mother goat and taken away from