The record-union., 1896-10-16
OUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN.
Hon. Grove L. JohnSOn'S Meeting at
Chico.
The People Turned Out En- Masse
to Hear the Eloquent
Speaker.

(From the Chico Enterprise, Oct. 13th.)
Were the President-elect, William
Mckinley, himself to address the peo-
pie of Chico no greater crowd could be
able to receive him than that which
was present at Armory Hall last night
TO listen to Grove L. Johnson, the
honored Congressman from the Second
District. From all parts of the county
came the people to hear the noble and
patriotic address of one who has done
for his district more than any of his
predecessors. From the beginning of
Mr.. JohnsOn's address to it's close not
q sound could be heard from the audi
ence except the loud and frequent ap-
plause at intervals, and it is an undiS-
guised fact that no speaker ever pleased
the people better than did Congress
man Johnson.
Attorney c. A. March, acting as Pres
3dent of the Mckinley and Hobart Club,
called the assemblage to order, and an
nounced the list of Presidents, as
published in the Enterprise of yester-
day. He then announced a song by the
glee club, which was we'll rendered.
AS President of the evening, Attor-
ney March introduced that old time Re-
publican patriot, Hon. b. Collins, who
addressed the meeting and concluded
by presenting Hon. Grove l.. Johnson.
The latter was greeted by loud and
prolonged applause and cheering, and
1t was some time before the audience
had Quilted sufficiently for him to be-
gin.
Congressman Johnson is a man of
and firCt q mr. r-an 6naG
not betoken the grand oratorical force
that lies latent within him. But after
his Introductory remarks he gets en-
Unused in his subject. and words of
wisdom and knowledge flow gracefully
but forcibly from his lips. Mr.. John
son began as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen: I thank you
for this kind and cordial greeting.
thank you for the large attendance, and
I apprehend there are some Republican
ladies in this city as well as men from
the appearance Of the stage. I take it
not as being for myself alone, but be-
cause I am a candidate of the Repub-
lican party for Congress in the ensuing
election. But personally, and as a can
didate for the party, / thank you.
THE large attendance see here this
evening bespeakS on your part an inter-
est in the campaign that bodies well for
the success of the Republican party. I
shall speak to you tonight not as Re-
publicans only, not as Democrats, nor
as Populists, nor as Independents I
shall speak to you upon what 1 believe
to be even a higher plane than that.
] want to speak to you as one citizen
speaking to another
The "Enterprise" would like to pub
1ish more fully the remarks Of Mr..
Johnson They related to the political
issues of the campaign. He affirmed
and reaffirmed his sterling Republican
principles from one end of his speech to
the other. He was attentively listened
to, and made a conclusive and telling
argument against the Democratic party
and it's folly and foibles. He talked of
its record and it's faithiessness to the
people, illustrating his points with
stories that evoked enthusiastic ap-
plause and hearty laughter.
Referring to the funding bill he said:
II am proud of the record 1 made in
Congress. l kept every promise I
made to the people; did my duty and
am proud of it. / understand some
people make some remarks about some
sort of a bill there called funding bill
I understand somebody has made some
sort of objection to me on that ac-
count. DO you know where that OBJ
lection began? There is a man by the
name of w. r. Hearst. He formerly
liy ed in San Francisco, but now he has
run away to New York. He is a black
mailer He blackmailed the railroad
company out of $1,000 month for
twenty-five months and when they
would not give him any more he abused
them and he abused me.
Now, that blackmailer through the
columns of his paper has started all
this talk about the funding bill and nc
Republican does right when he takes
the facts from the San Francisco "Ex-
aminer" regarding another person to
be correct, and when they say anything
in the San Francisco Examiner" about
me you know it is a lie even If it is
praising me.
But I understand some people have
even gone so far as to say / was attor-