The Wichita daily eagle., 1896-09-16

They Were Disappointed-His Speech
Was Mostly Quotations of Past Party
History That Few People Cared About
He Made q sickiy Effort to Justify the
Democratic Attack on the Supreme
Court-Col. johnson Spoke Also.
There was a rally held at the opera
house last night. It had no name and
nobody knew to whom II belonged II
was an orphan that was claimed by
three mothers and no father. II was
sad looking thing. Judge Tucker
and Harry Hagny kept watch over il
On one side, VIII Ayres and Captain
Shields watched its interests in front,
Pat Healy and Colonel Jecelyn watched
Il from the rear and George Locke and I.
p. Campbell looked after it from the
center. Nobody has ever seen such a
mixed affair. II was, however, a big
meeting that was Initiated by a torch
light procession containing not more
than $50 out of the 5000 voters of the
county. The meeting, as stated, was
large, but not large enough 10 fill the
opera house. More than two-thirds of
-
great lot Of the faithful, with quite a
sprinkling who are not faithful, had
seats on the stage. Some said il was a
Democratic meeting. but If II was none
Of the Democratic candidates were
present. Neither was the chairman.
Others again said 1t was a Populist meet
ing, but not trace of Lewelling, Kies,
Sankey or Rufe Cone could be seen.
Others still said IL was Silver Repub-
lican meeting, but the Garst boys were
conspicuous by not being seen. The
fact is, it had, as above stated, no visl-
bic father.
The two speakers Of the evening were
Webb 8IcNall Of Gaylord, Kansas, and
Colonel J. W. Johnston OF Oklahoma
City. The melting was opened with
put prayer by Will Ayres who turned
the aggregation over 10 Captain John
II. Shields.
The captain makes a dignifed ard
pleasing chairman. He made pretty
little curtain raiser" but when he
came 10 introducing Webb McNall he
did not know whether 10 call him a
Democrat, Republican, Pop, Demo-Pop
or Popocrat, 50 he shrewdly caught the
idea OF introducing him as a philanthro-
pist.
NFfltn i JHtldHlHtOplSl -hC-Ndli duNdIC-
ed TO the front of the stage the people
actually thought he was an orator and
gave him a great ovation. His speech
disappointed them. He read a great
deal from papers and actually declared
nothing himself. The only thing origin
al he said was that this is a campaign
OF education" Of curse nobody ever
heard this expression before and it was
cheered. For thirty minutes he re-
galed his hearers with the declarations
Of the Republican party and representa-
tive Republican statesmen on the money
question. He said that they had edu-
Gated him TO believe in bimetalllsm and
that now they condemned him for prac-
ticing what they taught him To listen
to him one would think that the Repub-
lican party was hostile 10 bimetallism
which, everybody knows, Is not the
case Instead OF that they know that
the Republican party has been the
greatest friend of bimetallism this
country has ever seen. He talked as
IL the Democratic party was the great
champion Of silver when everybody IN
the audience ought TO know that in
thirty years the Republican party gave
the country forty-eight times more sill
yer dollars than the Democratic party
gave the people in sixty years.
Webb boasted OF being as strong IN
advocate Of the protective tariff as ever
he was and said he fully believed in 1t.
This, OF course, was a siDene song 10
catch Republicans in the Democratic
trap, but he fooled no one Republi-
cans are not silly enough TO think that
the best way 10 get a protective tariff
Is to go for 1t 10 the party which has
denounced il for twenty years and
which has. at last, struck It down and
struck down with it the industries and
prosperity Of this country.
Mr. McNall then proceeded 10 Justly
the attack of the Chicago convention on
the supreme court. He justified II on
the fact that Lincoln and the Republ;-
can convention Of 1860 denounced CHEZ
Justice Taney on his Dred Scott decis-
ion. He ought to have known that the
cases are not parallel. The lives, the
God given liberties and the happiness
Of three million people were involved in
the denounced decision of Chief Justice
Taney, while only a mooted question OF
taxation was involved in the denounced
decision Of the present supreme court.
He justified the threat Of the Chicago
convention TO increase the judges in the
supreme court so that enough new men
could be put in to declare the income
fax constitutional by saying that Grant
at one time added two members TO the
supreme court and thrat the first duty
Of the court thus reorganized was 10
pass upon certain case and reverse the |
former decision. Everybody ought TO |
know, including Mr.. McNall. that Grant |
increased the members os the supreme
court on account OF increa Sed business
caused by the enormous expansion and |
settling up OF the country, under the |
encouraging laws OF the Republican |
party.
The reference of Mr.. NcNau to Mr.. |
Bryan was the occasion for great ap-
plsuse.
on the whole lr. MoNau's speech
that a leading Democrat told an Eagle !
reporter after he had finished that the
Democrats should never allow a man
to make d speech on the year he Topped |
to them. In other words, that a Re
publican should be taken in On proba- |
ton
The remainder Of the evening was oc- |
cupied by Colonel ]. W johnson of |
Oklahoma City, who has always been a j
Democrat and always politically wrong |
IN consequence. Colonel johnson Is a l
brilliant orator and puts Up a mighty |
good talk from a Democratic stand I
point His talk would indicate that he !
IL a great friend OF silver and hence a /
great enemy OF the Democratic gold |