Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-02-22

Congressman Romeo H. Freer spoke
his mind at the Republican mass
meeting at Pythian hall, last evening.
The audience was not a large one,
as might have been and doubtless
was, anticipated, in view of the pop
ular excitement and interest in the ar
rival of Admiral Dewey. but among
those present were some of the best
known local Republicans, including
Richard Robertson, Justice C. S.
Greer, Justice w. w. Rogers, William
Mccormick, C. H. Henning, Prof. F.
H. Crago, Samuel O. Boyce, Will
Bowers, and many others. Hon. John
w. Mason was also a conspicuous fig
ure in the audience.
The meeting was called to order by
Richard Robertson, who introduced
Mr.. Boyce in a few words. as chair
man. Mr.. Boyce said it was a pity
that the hall was not filled. but the
reason was apparent in the great pop
ular interest in the expected arrival
of the distinguished guest of the city.
Proceeding to the political situation,
Mr.. Boyce said the conditions in the
county at large were eminently sat
isfactory, and there was no shadow of
doubt of the triumphal reelection of
President Mckinley. But in the
State of West Virginia another condi-
ton presents itself" He proceeded to
urge that success here was by no
means assured, and that it would re-
quire the best management and a
strong pull to assure the election of
the Republican ticket. Mr.. Boyee
spoke about ten minutes, and his eu-
logy of Mr.. Freer was vigorously ap-
plauded. When introduced Mr.. Freer
received a very hearty welcome.
At the outset of his address the
Congressman said that the fact that
the attendance was light was not at
all a discouraging feature, under the
circumstances obtaining. He had
been a Republican in West Virginia
for thirty-fve years, and for twenty
years of that time had lived in a sec
tion of the State where a meeting al
large as that he addressed would
have been a large and overlooking"
Republican meeting. He said he re-
membered attending Republican State
Conventions where they could not get
together an attendance as large as was
there present. That was in the six
ties and early seventies. Mr.. Freer
then entered upon the usual eulogy of
the Republican party, enlarged upon
the thought that Republicanism was
a good thing for the country, with
reasons attached, announced his belief
: that the young men of the country
were with the Republican party be-
cause it was the party of progress
and believed in doing things; it was
a party which did not believe in stand
ing still, because standing still means
DEATH" Progress and development
is a law of human life, and the Re-
publican party has always been COM
mitted to it." He illustrated this
view by its development of the great
water ways of the country, the build
ing of the Pacific railroad, and so on,
and said: THAT is the reason the
young men are all joining the Repub-
lican party-or nearly SO. You can't
get a young man to stand still. He Is
full of life and ambition, and when he
sees the great procession go by. and
the bands playing and the flags fut-
tering, he joins the Republican party
and gets in the SWIM"
Mr.. Freer gave a few other reasons
why the Republican party was COM
posed of the elite and constituted the
salt of the earth, among them being
the general belief in the extension OF
the civilization of the United States
to the benighted citizens of other lands
and then he passed to a consideration
of his personal candidacy, saying:
81 am a candidate for the nominal
ton of Governor on the Republican
ticket. l have always supposed that
in this country a man had a right to
aspire to any position he might choose.
The people may not think he is fit for
the Office, and many of them may not
vote for him, but that does not
abridge his right (applause.) And be-
lieving so, some people of the party to
which l belong and to which l hope l
always shall belong, thought ought to
be a candidate, and l consented, but in
this ambition l have met with the an
tagonism of people connected with the
party who thought differently. l am
not here to use harsh language, but l
claim the right, as a citizen of West
Virginia, to be dealt fairly with. ZAP
plause.) l am no better than my neigh
Dor. (Applause.) Some people, how
ever-human ghouls and hyenas-I use
the words advisedly and knowingly
have digged down into a grave closed