Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1898-04-21
POLITICALLY
Opening Gun of the Cam
paign Was Fired.
AT MACLEAY WEDNESDAY EVE,
The Hayseed Candidates Make a
Good Impression
AT MACLEAY WEDNESDAY EVE,

MACLEAY, April 2l.-The opening
gun Of the campaign in Marion
county was fired here Wednesday
night, when the Macleay Union b.
metallic club held rousing political
meeting There was a splendid audi
ancC present, including large at
tendance of ladies and young people.
Great enthusiasm prevailed. There
was an appropriate literary program
carried out as usual. II was a regular
war meeting in behalf of Cuba free
dom from the start, and the patriotic
sentiments OF the speakers were re-
ceived with great cheering, The
temper Of the meeting disclosed the
fact that the American people with
out party division favor the independ-
ence and liberation of Cuba and are
heartily In sympathy with the ag-
gressive policy of the American con-
gress
CANDIDATES PRESENT.
Candidates on the ticket, OF the
Union party, we're present as follows:
Hon. l.. G. Griffith for state senator,
f. A, Myers for representative, X. l..
Hibbard for county clerk, Franz Dur.
bin for sheriff, q. l.. Simeral for treas
urer and @, Marsh for county commits
sioner. The gentlemen were all called
out to make short speeches and made
a very favorable impression. They
put themselves squarely on record in
harmony with the sentiments of their
platform. Macleay precinct, which
has heretofore been a Republican
stro nghold, will leave the Gold Stand
ard party very small margin Of
votes. Hon. e Hofer, the hayseed
orator OF THE CAPITAL JOURNAL, was
present and delivered the main
speech for the evening. For an hour
and a half he reviewed the vital issues
of the campaign. He eulogised
the Union county and legislative
ticket and referred briefly to some of
the candidates on the state ticket.
The mention Of Hon. VIII r. King
for governor, and Hon. Harrison r.
Kincaid for secretary of state ELECTED
great applause.
Discussing the money question, the
speaker showed up the Gage policy
dlsowned by many Republicans. Col.
Hofer showed that for eighty years
prior to 1873 there had been practical
and substantial bimetallsm and ac-
tual free coinage Of silver. The coin
age and bullion value of the two
metals at ratio of about l5i to had
varied during that time' only fluctu.
ated few per cent, and the price
leyel of all staple products in the
markets of the world had been main
tained during that period. Since the
decentralization Of silver in 1873 the
level of prices had been disturbed and
values of products and property had
been destroyed. Republicans who
really wanted to restore prices should
be willing to restore bimetallism,
Mr.. Hofer challenged any gold stand
ard orator TO refute his historical
statements as to the maintenance Of
the leyel of prices up to 1873. Unless
Republicans could refute those histor-
icaI facts It was their duty to vote for
blmetalllsm II they really favored
restoration OF values.
STATE ISSUES.
The speaker did not refer to Mr.
Geer other than as an amiable expo
nent of the gold standard theory.
He commented on the fact that two
OF the most important places on the
Republican state ticket had been
filled with Republican county officials
from counties where there had been
very recently large defalcations by Re-