The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-05
A. E. STILLWELL TALKS.
A Large Audience Hears Him
at CrawfOrd's Opera House.
He Is a Witty and Entertaining
TaIker.
Presents the Argume of the Gold
Side in an Effective Manner
Many Railroad Men Present.

Arthur Z. StillweI of Kansas City,
vice president of the Kansas City.
Pittsburg & Gulf road. was greeted by
a large audience at Crawford's Opera
House last night.
The gallery was empty The house
holds 1900 people when every seat is
filled. and all the seats in the balcony
and lower floor were filled. There were
500 or 500 present
A portion Of the audience consisted
of Santa Fe employees, both from the
general offices and shops A number
Of ladies were present
The meeting was under the auspices
Of the Capital City Mckinley club and
was one of the largest Republican pO-
HU1cal meetings held In this city so Tar
10 this campaign, President Lindsay of
the club called. the meeting to order and
introduced Mr. StillWell as the author
of Political Fables and the vice pres
ident Of the only railroad in the west at
present in the course OF cons tructiOn.
When making speeches, Vice Presi-
dent Stilweu carries with him q com
plete parapheTnalia which he uses in
illustrating points made in his address.
This was arranged on the stage last
night, and the different portions fire.
quently referred to by the speaker.
Mr. Stillwell is q plain but entertain
ing talker, and held the attention of
the entire audience for nearly two
hours He was frequently cheered and
2pplauded. He said.
Il am not partisan. Prior to this
year I took but little interest in poll
tics and never discussed political Ques-
lions at all. When the tariff question
came up 1 gave it but little attention;
1 felt that 1 was in favor of protection
but thought that the American people
would decide what was best for the
country But when politics boiled down
to a question of finance. when the DO
Htical situation became purely a finan-
cial issue, I at once became interested.
From the fact that [ was instrumental
in bringing "A millions of dollars from
Europe and the east TO invest in the
grand old west, / had reason to be in
terested, and 1 determined to do all I
could to save the country from repudi-
alton
There are two things which this
country is suffering from at the pres
ent time. One is the 'hoof and mouth
disease people hOOfing it around talk
ing about something they know moth
ing whatever about, and the other is
ignorance of what 10 to L means, I hope
to show you tonight that the free and
unlimited coinage of silver viii only
benefit the % mine owners. which is the
number who own the principal silver
mines in this country, and that they
are the men who will get the dollar
and YOU viii get the free This cOun-
try has been crazy in the free for
long time 1t chased free trade for
years and didn't get free anything. and
now the chase is for free silver
The question today is whether we
are going to put in the white house a
true and tried statesman, q man who
is informed on the financial question
and who has been identified with the
interests of this country for years, or
whether we are going to put in a man
who has nothing behind him but a
theory, q theory which has been proved
a failure time and again
During the last three or four years
we have had q severe depression in all
lines of business Everyone has felt it
The trouble lay in the fact the ReDub-
licans were taken out of power and the
confidence in the country lost IF the
people Of this country don't want this
depression their plan must be that the
minute they get Republicans in power
they must work TO keep them there. As
long as the Republicans are out of pow
er we are liable to have this depres-
sion During HarisOn'S administration
there was paid to the Workingnen on
an average year two and one quarter
billions Of dollars. Last year the work
tngmen received one and one-ouarter
billions OF dollars. What We want is to
Put g true and trusted man in power
and get the wages of the wOrlSingmen
back again as they were under Presf-
dent Harrison They may then reach
rhe three billion mark
The wOrkingTnan and the employer
are twins The wordngman cant get
along without labor, and labor can't
get along without the employer. I don't