Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-10-29
GERMANS HEAR JOE HAAS.
a Novel Feature &C the Rspsbslsas One.
Rtag Cire0o.

\ Novel Feature oe the Ropuoeoooo One.
Risg Cireos.
Joe Lsla Haas in his fathsrland
tongue proved quite . novel feature
in connection with last nights per-
Torrance at the one-ring circus
which the repu blicans have launched
on the vacant lot on Eleventh street
and Fifth avenue. 1t broke the mo-
notony which the faithful have been
enduring, anyway, and even IL
they did not understand Just what
Joe WAS saying. they had every rea-
son 70 believe that he Was playing
square.
The tent was full Of people-and
smoke. and dust and malaria;
and there was o bit OF enthusiasm
occasionally. But there was . pa.
rade first, the Lincoln and Mckinley
clube. a few OF Col. Quayle's soldier
boys and q couple Of bands drilling
around the streets for an hour or 90.
DR.. c. Bernhard told the crowd
to be easy when the door tender au-
nounced that all were on deck. Hon.
c. A. Ficke, who used to hold the
mayoralty reins over In Davenport.
was called on to render . pre-
lude to Mr.. Haas turn. The
gentleman from Hawkeyedom used
the English language. He said
he had been . democrat OF the FIRST
water from 1880 until the recent
Chicago convention, the principles Of
which did not harmonize with his de-
mocracy. So he bolted. aud deter
mined to tie his kite TO Mark Hanna
and Maj. Mckinley, win or lose. He
would go against the game once
anyway. Mr.. Ficke went through
all kinds of motions in endeavoring
to emphasize his condemnation Of the
policy led by william J. Bryap.
He said that he realized he
was taking an important step, proba-
bly, killing future political aspira-
tions. il he ever had any, but he had
considered his country above his
party. And he related q numb OF
other cock-snd-bull stories in his at
tempt to hem together an explana-
alton justifying his desertion Of the
democratic cause acceptable 70
those Of his former conviction. Blu.
no tears we're shed.
All eyes were now on the entrance
to the big tent. After the band had
spelled and Steve Collins shouters
had vocalized, the interpo, ator
stepped TO the front and told the
people to prepare. The curtain was
drawn aside and now entered ice
Lulu. The suspense was over. Be-
fore Mr.. Haas could pull himself TO.
gether and begin mis- talk an in
fernal urchin in the rear Of the tent
exclaimed:
''Ah there. my Lulu"
Mr.. Haas, Of course, paid no heed
to the interruption. 1t was really
uncalled for. and Andy Etxel, who
was holding up the center pole Of
the circus. should have hunted up
the boy and warmed the south side
OF his trousers. Then the speech
was begun. Mr.. Haas first told the
audience in English that he felt
pleased sto be called upon to do his
fatherland turn at the circus.
Then he got down to business.
After he began talking in German
you could notice ali the leading
lights getting out. Others who did
not have the nerve went to sleep
while Mr.. Haas was making his talk ,
while the German citizens apparently
enjoyed his remarks-that is, some
OF them. But the audience gradu-
ally diminished from the time Mr..
Haas began talking until he finished.
A number Of the crowd enjoyed a
pinocle game, which was being
played by quartet Of. boys in the
south end of the tent.