The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-09-17
HARD HITTERS.
Douglas and Kelley Made two C0nvincin:
Arguments at the Garfield Last Night.

A local Republican meeting was held
last night in Garfield hall with about 400
attentive listeners, of all shades OF polite
al belief, in the house. J. +. d. Casey was
chosen chairman of the meeting. The
audience was an intelligent one. and those
who composed it, appreciated the full force
Of the arguments submitted. The speak
ers were, Hon. George L. Douglass of this
city. and Senator II. B. Kelley, of Nc
| Pberson.
George Douglass made one of
the best efforts of his life though
be had not time to say half
what he wanted to after he
had warmed up. His principal theme was
the freight rate question and those who
! heard him learned more about that sub
ject in half an hour than they could learn
from the Peoples party orators in six
months Mr. Douglas said that the sub
ject of freight rates was an important one
to Wichita and that the Republicans pro-
pose to regulate them in the interest Of
| the people. He said that lac was for
Wichita first. last and all the time and
consequently against the Alliance maxi
mum freight rate bill for that. be said,
would strange. destroy and wipe out of
existance the most important institutions
in Wichita. He not only said this but he
proved it by the bill itself and by the docu-
ments In the matter Of rates on cattle,
hogs, etc, which are constituent elements
in the stock yards and packing house in
| dustries, he said that the Alliance bill in
creased the freight rate on a Car load of
| cattle from Greenburg to Wichita about
IS, while it decreased it from the same
point to Kansas City about 81. so. This
was but one OF the many instances of the
rank determinations it made against
Wichita and yet, said he, these people are
asking the support of the citizens whose
| industries they try to strangle. He quoted
| letter received from Eldridge and Camp
bell, one OF the leading commission firms.
which said that the Kansas City
Stock Yards company could not
have framed bill more in their own in
terest. Mr.. Douglass also read letter
| from one of the prominent coal miners of
! the state, which said that If the bill passed
1t would annihilate the coal mining in
dustry of Kansas, drive 10000 men out of
employment and take the bread from the
mouths of $4,000 men women and chill
dren in the state
wouldn't do at all, that it would cripple
the institutions of Wichita, and he &C
cordingly went to his Republican friends
and asked them to help him to pass bill
that would help all interests and hurt
none. The Republicans said: eyes,
Douglass, go ahead, we prom
ised that we would give tie
people better freight rates and
we will do it, Make out your bill and we
will support it.
He Dougias) did frame bill; it was in
dorsed by the shipping interests of Wich-
Ita, and when he introduced it the Alliance
defeated it, simply because their iron-clad
caucus rules bound them to do so. This
bill was voted for by every Republican in
the house and by every Democrat save two.
He stated that the Peoples party are not
sincere in their stand on the freight rate
question; that they are opposed bitterly to
Ex-Governor Anthony the greatest cham
pion of cheaper freight rates in the state;
and are supporting Mr.. Harris, man who
lives on the banks Of the Missouri
river. and who is surrounded by
influences hostile to just and equitable
rates for interior towns. He stated that
congress has perfect right to legislate on
such matters, and in this connection he
asked what has Jerry Simpson ever done
in the matter and dared any Peoples man
to point TO him sentence Jerry Simpson
ever uttered since he has been in congress
in connection with cheap rates. He then
took up book, highly endorsed by the
Commoner, entitled 1.-The Seven Financial
Conspiracies," and read from it the most
astounding and disgusting statements
one of which was that Grant was a notori
Gus consplrator TO plunge the nation into
a fratricidal struggle or words to that
effect This ghonlish re-opening of the
grave of the honored dead, to besmear his
character, warmed Mr.. Douglas up, and in
eloquent language he condemned such an
outrage against the memory Of such a
noble patriot. 1t is really an injustice to
Mr.. Douglass TO pretend to give his speech
for all the good things he said would fill
four columns of this paper. As he warmed
up the audience warmed up too, and they
cheered till they were horse
Senator II. B. Kelly of Mcpherson, was
introduced and after turning good joke
on Chancellor Snow onto the fusion party
be reviewed the condition of the country,
and showed that since Lees surrender at
Appomatox the world had been at peace
for a longer period of time than at any
other period known to civilization. Pro-
duction OF all kinds had increased. Every
civilized nation had been engaged in de-
veioping their resources. improving their
internal affairs, and today all resources
are being used and utilized for the i'm
provement Of mankind. In consequence
of this condition there has been great and
wonderful production. In this country
there has been such an opening of the ways
and means Of growth of production of
manufacture and all avenues of
labor. and industry SO wonderfully en-
larSed that it was almost impossible to
keep record of the accumulation and re-
sources. Under this condition there nat
urally arises questions Of local and ma
tional interests, and we are interested in
those questions more directly concerning
our own affairs. Our nation is as a family
and our legislation should and must be
for our own interests as against the world.
We can live within ourselves, and with
the millions of population annually added
to our population there comes questions
of great moment TO be carefully consd-
cred. In illustrating the tariff he was to
protect our family. Wichita is al
city and has defined corporate
limits. Within those limits are schools
and diversified interests and business pro-
tected-these are taxes and pay a license
for the maintenance of local government
man comes along and says / will sell
goods upon your streets; the authorities