The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-10-07
REPUBLICAN RALLY AT BURTON


The Campaign IN Shiawassee County
Opened Monday Night-Speeches by
F. H. Watson. Van r. Pond, and ]. w.
Fordney.
The Shiawassee republican campaign was
formerly opened at Burton, Monday night
when the residents of that vicinity were
given an opportunity of shaking hands with
our candidate for congress, Mr.. Joseph w.
Fordney. and OF hearing him discuss the
questions at issue during this campaign.
The meeting was called to order by +. ID.
Watson, chairman of the county committee
who made few remarks appropriate to the
occasion. 1t was appropriate he said that
he should speak few words at this the
opening meeting Of this campaign In this
county.
1t looks easier this time than two years
ago because the arguments of the free silver
party have all been proved false by the test
of time. The price of products has, as was
claimed by the republicans, been proved to
be regulated by supply and demand and
not by the price of silver as the democrats
had claimed.
w. G. Stiff was then called on to preside,
and he on taking the chair called on Van Il.
Pond to address the meeting.
MIR. Pond opened his remarks by telling
his hearers that he did not wish them to
think the speakers of the evening were out
to educate them, for the farmers are the best
informed of all because they read and keep
posted. 1t was, however, the hope of the
speakers to arouse anew their interest by
talking over these questions in this school
house campaign, so that they would 60 out
and convert others.
If the question of the conduct of the war Is
brought up, there were more tents issued IN
this war than in the whole civil war where
millions were In the field and for over four
years. When the terrible conditions of the
country into which they were sent Is taken
into account the fact seems almost Incredi-
BILE that the death rate in this war was fully
eight per cent less than in the civil war.
Mr.. Pond urged his listeners to vote the
straight republican ticket, tor while he had
nothing to say against the Australian ballot,
yet a ballot which even judges of the SUI
preme court have to ask about before yOt'
ing, is dangerous one to fool With.
In addition to this the men on the repub-
lican ticket were all good men and Mr..
Pond passed down the list from governor
to the end of the county ticket, urging the
claims of all, making especially strong pleas
| for Gov. Pingree, on the State ticket; j. W.
Fordney, candidate for representative in
| congress, and Messrs. Fred Edwards anC
f. f. Bumps. candidates for clerk anC
prosecuting attorney, respectively, on the
county ticket.
Mr.. Joseph w. Fordney was then called
| to the floor and the audience listened with
the closest interest throughout his address
Opening with humorous allusion to his
opponent, Mr.. Brucker, he went on to de-
ways stood for protective tariff. Then, too
have always stood for an honest dollar
one worth a hundred cents on a dollar
The silver issue always was distasteful Il
me, because it did not seem honest. If thu
thirty mine cent dollar should be adopted i
would drive out gold, and we should be il
the same current with belated China ant
Mexico. The way this works there i
shown by recent incident connected will
the sale of an American engine to Mexi
can company, when the Mexican compan.
sent 1900 Mexican silver dollars to maxi
the first payment of 5000 on the engine, be
ing unable to secure gold, which had beef
entirely drawn out of the country. Thel
look at the wool industry, run almost to tn
ground by the free trade features of tn
Wilson law, now again improving unde
the influence of protection and the resultan
better times.
In 1897 we had millions of bushels NOR
wheat in this country, after all of on
enormous foreign shipments had been dc
Quoted than we had In 1894 and 1895, an
yet with all this enormous supply the pric
averaged over thirty cents higher.
Why was this? Can the laborer VIII
works but three days week buy as muc
and consume as much as when he work
six days? Statistics show that the labOrin
class in 1918 received millions more |
wages than in the years 1894 and 1895
The republican policy, putting the none
in the working mems pockets which on
abled them to buy more of the necessitie
of life, was both directly and indirectly tn
cause Of these higher prices.
The late hard times and the crime of y
are apty illustrated by the story of a ma
who was sandbagged in '73 but who me
with no worse mishap than to have ba
looking scar on his head. Then in '96 tn
man was kicked by mule and nearl
killed, but the doctor refused to listen
the claim that he had been hurt by til
mules kick, insisting that 1t was, instead
the old scar of twenty three years befor