The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1892-05-26

% the local managers CndG ue was
willing to meet DR.. Fish or any of the
institute speakers in debate, accepting
heir published challenge; but some
objection was made by league mem-
bers, to turning over any part of the
meeting to the opposition, upon any
pretext. When, however, dispatch
was received from Sleepy Eye stating
that a delegation was coming up on
the train in case debate was arranged,
a conference was had with the insti
tute conductors and they very cheer
fully agreed to the preliminaries and
the subject proposed-"Resolved,
That the principles and policy of the
party are best for the
American people,"
The hall was packed with people,
including a goodly representation of
ladies'. The band and glee club rem
dered some inspiring music, and with
out needless flourish, Chairman Big
ham introduced G. L. Smith, of the
Minneapolis Tribune, who was to af-
firm the proposition above set forth.
Mr.. Smith introduced his subject by
saying that he was proud of his con-
nection with the Republican league,
an organization dedicated to the edu-
cation of the people in Republican
principles, and felt especially honored
in being allowed to champion the
claims of the Republican party on this
occasion. After paying attention to a
certain shiftless class of citizens whose
poverty is chronic on account OF lazl-
ness, the speaker laid down the prop
osition that the test by which Republic
can policy should be measured, was
that more of the comforts and neces
saries of life could be provided at this
time in this country, with less labor
than at any time or in any country
that with short exceptions, the Repub
lican party had been in control in this
country for thirty years, and that the
wise protective policy of that party
had put the laborer on higher plane
MIR. Smith introduced a parable o.
Jones, model farmer who had made
his farming a conspicuous success fol
series of years, and was solicited by
book agent to buy a treatise on farm
management on a totally differen
plan. Jones refused to buy the bool
or adopt its policy Of management
telling the impOrtunate vendor tina
the plans in his book had been trieC
time and again, and had brought ruiz
and bankruptcy every time. The coun
try would not abandon the Republican
policy to take up with schemes tina
had been demonstrated failures by re
pcated trials -(referring to the cheal
money and sub-treasury schemes.
Tie speaker insisted that the bes
campaign document which Republic
ans could circulate was history O
the United States. He concluded b,
relating an incidental talk which h
had with an alliance friend in Dakot;
county, who upbraided him for de
serting Il Q cause of labor. Mr.. Smit]
confronted the Dakota county NAL
with facts out of his own history
showing that thirty years ago the cur
rent interest on one thousand dollar
would pay the ordinary wages of a la
boring man, while to-day the capital
list had to take the interest on at leas
$1,000 to purchase the same amour
of labor.
Mr.. Gladsby, the alliance singe1
then sang very doleful parody o
Sankey's gospel hymn, The Ninet
and Nine.'
DIR. FIsHs REPLY.
DR.. Fish prefaced his reply b
thanking the audience for the oppo
! tunity given him to state his case, e
pecially so in view of the fact that tt
, Sympathy of most of his audience VIZ
with the opposition. He was no farm
er. And he gave farmer Smith di
by telling the story of the orator WI
, boosted of being born in a corn feel
which brough out the retort courteo1
from an old farmer in the audience
! "A pumpkin, by gosh" DR.. Fish tn,
,. referred to the rewards claimed for
r Dor, and as an instance said that Il
y women who made the pants which
:, then wore, were paid for the work
=, the rate of one dollar per dozen, I
q then branches off on the familiar
O rade of Republican taxed clothes,tax
F. lumber, carpets, and household ar
4 c!es, winding up with the oft-explod
charge of a sixty per cent. tariff uno
II the Mckinley bill. He also called t
L Republican party to account for pr
l. posing to abolish the tax on wins
4 and. tobacco. DR.. Fish used some
his time to speak Of his personal b
tory, beginning with helping as b
to smuggle runaway slaves to Ca
# ada, referring to his loss of an eye
, the campaign for Fremont, and ST
sequently to his enlistment three tin
re during the war of the rebellion.
a, returned to the debate to say tt
o. t Q Republican party had outli,
20 it's principles, and that it's onl y obj
o now was to re-elect itself into pow
i DR.. Fish's talk about national fnan
>. was largely statistical, and theref
or not specially interesting. He
ID nounced the extravaganza of the
or congress, and conspicuously the
"a preparation of over million doll
er for national park at Washington.
US asserted that national bank currel
ct' was not legal tender, and that the
erage circulation of money in
A. country had been reduced to $3.50
d. head. Wall street and the matte
ho bankers were denounced unsparins
l 1 To show the hardships of labor,
w. speaker claimed that the Nebra
to farmer last year sold his corn at Sc
Gems mot eleven, as in his staten
no elsewhere) and the Pennsylvania n
ast er toiled for mere pittance and
in. big price for the corn to subsist
a. family, while the Nebraska man I
, ten and eleven dollars for his co;
F. the railroad freights and middle I
cd cutting both ways between the