Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-10-22

A fine audience filled the opera house
Oh Saturday evening to hear Hon. A.
{. Rankin on The political issues. Not
only was tie body OF the house filed
throughout the evening but there we're
men standing In the lear from first 70
last. IL nearly doubled the audience
Grawn by Senator P~cttigrew the night
before and while at first it appeared
Somewhat cold and critical after the
speaker WARMED up he caught the
sympathy Of his hearers and from q
third Of the address to the Ond there
was a constantly rising food Of enthu-
siasm, hearty laughter and loud cheers.
Though Mr.. Rankin spoke for two
hours and a half the audience kept
growing and at the end the enthusiasm
was buoyant. There were q large
number OF Populists in the house and
several OF them went forward after the
meeting and declared their change Of
belief. The whole meeting, in size, en-
thusiasm and effectiveness was in ,ha
most marked contrast to the Pettigrew
frost of the night before.
Mr.. Rankin is a most clifton speaker,
dramatic. with a pleasing voice and
free gesture, Astounding In anecdote and
group his points into striking argu-
ment.
lie started by saying that the Repub-
Leans always have a great advantage
over their opponents. They a cam
paign after campaign keep talking the
same arguments, for history and cX-
p~erience always justiics their promises,
while the Pops have to got up a new
speech each two years TO take the place
OF the stories which each two years eX-
plodes. In 1892 they talked free trade
but they wanted the PEOPLE to forget
that. Two years ago they talked trea
silver, but that won't go this year. In
1898 they are trying to got votes Tor
abusing the conduct OF the war. The
speaker declared that should the cleo
ton 20 again the Republicans 1t would
be paradCd for two years as a b
to the administration which had won
the most brilliant series or victories
and raised the name and fame OF the
country higher than any since the civil
war.
Mr.. Rankin referred to the sneers
which Senator Icttigrew had directed
against him, the senator's statement
that he was no iron mouldcr but only n
professional temperance lecturer n
stated that be could not see anything
riminal In that. 81 don't think a lit
@ total abstinence would hurt the dis
tinguished senator either" This sally
caught the house and was greeted with
loud applause and laughter, as was the
declaration that "a seat in the United
States senate Is not All infallible PROOF
that It's occupant Is n man Of integrity
and vcracity. As Abe Lincoln would
say. there's some mighty small nubbins
f. tic senate"
air. Rankin also drew out load APP
rlause by his declaration that while
Inc demagogucs were trying to make
rcoplo believe that the Republican par
/, was the party Of the rich it was the
proud boast of the Republicans that
their great statesmen have come from
the humble walks Of life.
We are CONFRONTED with three parties
together, an old man and two
boys, and it Is n high compliment to
the Republicans that three PARTIES have
to fuse 10 beat It.
The speaker took n whirl mt the free
silver Republicans. lie read from the
Introduction TO their platform which
thrt they believe "in tho prin>
cipels OF free government as crunciated
by Washington, jefferson, Lincoln,
Grant ard Bryan" Washington"
said Mr.. Rankin WAS the first great
rrotectlonist in this country. Jefferson
closed the ulints 10 silver. Lincoln re-
stored the protective tariff. Grant was
a gold bug. And Bryan is the leading
Frce trader In Tie country and believes
sixteen 10 orc. Now what do the
rec silver Republicans believe iA|'
Laughter and a]pplauSe)
Not one Of the three fusion parties in
this state has n word TO say about the
.arilf. And yet the greatest measure
passcd during the Republican admin
Istration had been the DinGley tariff
bill. the restoration OF protection. The
president had called a special session to
mass what our opponents used to call
the robber tarin" which Mr.. Bryan,
he greatest free trader in the country,
congress and out OF congress, had de-
dared was robbing Tie many for the
of the few. And his followers
this state have not the face 20 say
|, word. Are they afraid of the record
nade by this bill, afraid that making
he tariff an issue would give them too
leavy q load?
Our opponents made the campaign OF
1876 crying for more money. They are
little about it today. Why? Be
,ause they find that the Republican
arilf policy has brought them far more