Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1892-09-17
POLITICAL.
Republican and Independent Speakers
Hold Forth at the Court House
Monday and Tuesday.
Captain Lucas, Our Congressional No
minee Expounds Republican
ism and Makes Votes.

Captain Lucas, Our Congressional No
minee Expounds Republican
ism and Makes Votes.
VIM. Lardner, of Deadwood, and John
4, Kelley, OF Flandreau. Independent
nominees for representatives in congress.
from South Dakota, filed an engage
ment, previously made, at the court
house in this city, last Monday evening.
The audience assembled to listen to the
gentlemen was neither very large nor
very appreciative. II numbered sixty
or seventy in all, about one-fourth being
independent votes, one-fourth demo
crats, and the remainder republicaIy,
Mr.. Lardiier was first introduced and
prefaced his remarks with the statement
that he was well pleased with Custer
and the surrounding country, and ex
pressed his surprise that we had not
made greater progress in the last few
years, and attributed that fact 10 the
lack of invested capital in the Southern
Hills. He spoke, or rather read from
his manuscript, about twenty minutes,
deyoting his time entirely to what be
termed the money question" He por-
trayed, not very vividly, a terrible con-
dillon of affairs which he believed ex-
listed in the United States at this time,
attributing il 10 contracted currency,
high rates of interest, etc. He main
tanned that the free coinage of silver
would relieve the pressure, increase the
circulation. and enrich the laborer, but
he did not so much as attempt to show
how or why an increase in the govern
ment price of silver would do this. He
made the bare assertion that such would
be the effects, and failing to explain the
why's and whefefore's, or offer any sub.
stantial proofs Of his claims sadly dis
appointed many in his audience who
were there for information regarding
the much mooted money question, of
which the independents have seen fit
TO make leading issue. Mr. Lardner
quickly excused himself and made way
for his more glib colleague, John f.
Kelley.
Mr.. Kelley spoke for an hour and a
half, pointing out the conditions which
he believed made reform and a third
party necessary, and very briefly allud-
ing to the remedies which be as future
congressman intends TO assist in effect
ing. Kelley is a very easy and fluent
talker, but with respect for policy
which one would hardly look for in
representative Of a great reform move
ment, he showed marked tendency to
skim along the surface of the issues OF
tire campaign, anu carefully avoiGed
penetrating them to any great depth
He occupied most of his time with dis
cussion of the financial question, but
slipped around the tariff as il 1t was
loaded, as it evidently is. He gave re
publicans and democrats credit for be
ing honest in their convictions, but
thought they were not so we'll posted as
he, that they had not investigated as he
had, in other words that they did not
know as much. The speaker referred
TO the recent strikes, the unemployed
men in the country. and the number of
mortgages now on file in the United
States, and made these things RESPONSE
BILE for the birth and present existence
of the new party. Knowing as he does
that right here in South Dakota there
are needed hundreds more men than
can be secured, and that every agricul-
turai state in the Union is in the same
condition, he still insisted that thou
sands Of men are seeking employment
with no success. Knowing az he does
that no other nation on the globe could
receive and employ the immigrants that
are flooding America. he never 30 much
as suggested restriction of immigration.
He refused to admit of even possibility
that labor troubles and mortgages were
indicative of anything but hard times
and oppression, and yet any thinking
man knows that the mortgage is nothing
more or less than substantial evidence
Of the credit basis on which all COM
mercial countries transact business, and
that strike may be an evidence that
labor is 80 organised. and 80 equipped
financially that it can successfully cope
with capital in all differences that may
arise. He laid part of the responsible
ity for the oppression Of labor to the
"unfolded secrets of nature" or more
plainly speaking, the labor saving inven-
tions Of modern times. The sewing
machine, which the housewife con-
siders one of her greatest blessings
came In for its share Of the gentieman's
maledictions. He stated that only 80
per cent of the citizens of America own
ed their homes, but wasn't fair enough
to admit that large proportion of those
who do not are immigrants who come
here almost penalties and seek employ
ment In the manufacturing cities. where
foot front is worth Q small fortune.
He attacked the currency Of the United
States, alleging that It was contracted to
such degree that 1t was impossible for
laboring man TO prosper, and yet he did
not presume to deny that the republican
party had given the people q currency,
every coin, every note of which il worth
its face value in any state or territory In
the union. He did not deny thst more
Of this American currency Is paid to
American laborors than ever before,
that the purchasing power Of dollar ID
greater than ever before, neither did he
deny that there was cash market a.
ways ready for the products Of Ameri
can labor and American soil, but the
currency was at fault, this he was free to
say. though pitiialIy unable to point out
in what respect It was lacking.
Az remedies for these conditions he
suggested In behalf Of his party CO.