The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1900-10-16
Republican Speaking.

~
) from a Republican standpoint.
J Mr.. Reese, of Lemhi county,
formerly Pop, but now train.
! ing as Republican, also spoke
briefly, telling us how he used tc
;, be a Pop, but now he was awful
sorry that he had ever been a
: Pop. But then he was elected
four years ago as State Senator
( from Lemhi county because he
! was a Pop, which helped in a
way to lessen the disgrace of be-
: ing Pop.
Next appeared in the political
, arena was one John Abbott, of
Ohio, who told US that he was
sent out in the wilds of Idaho by
, Mark Hanna to convert the
) people to the doctrine of gold,
trusts and Imperialism. A fair
sized audience greeted the speak
ers, although it was Bryan and
silver by good majority. The
best of order and respect was
shown throughout, which cannot
J be said when the Democratic
speaking was held here short
time ago.
Hon. Norman M. Ruick, of
Boise, speaker of considerable
note was expected, but Mr.. Alb
bott was substituted in his place
and he was the main speaker Of
the evening. He is far from an
orator. His voice is sharp and
shrill, although he told us that
he was suffering from a severe
cold. He presented no logic or
argument, but told several little
stories which pleased the child
ren. The applause was mild
throughout, because there was
nothing to enthuse over. The
speech did good for the Demo
cratic side.
| Mr.. Abbott's principal talk
was about prosperity under
the present Hanna administra-
tion, but he never said word
about the 10000 coal miners in
Pennsylvania now striking for
living wages. Prosperity" he
said. was unbounded. Yet facts
show that over 100000 work
ingmen are out on strike for liv-
ing wages in the United States
today. He told US that the farm
ers were prosperous, and the
miners were prosperous, and yet
at the same time our farmers are
selling the products of their
farms for less than one-half
what it is worth, and nine tentns
of the mines closed down in Gus
ter county because of unjust
Legislation, while every thing the
people have to buy has increased
nearly double in price because of
trusts fostered under the Repub-
lican party. Has the the wages
of labor increased ? Is this what
our Republican friends call
prosperity ?' He gave the
wool-growers considerable taffy.
Today 8 cents a pound is all buy
ers will advance on wool. On
the silver questionable touched
this the greatest industry of Gus
ter county very lightly)-he said
it was a dead issue. But Mark
Hanna, President Mckinley and
other party leaders say silver is
the paramount issue of this cam
paign. Are we to believe these
men or Abbott ? Mr.. Abbott
also informed US that there were
a few trusts, but most of them
were good trusts, and that they
were organized and upheld by
the Republican party just to
benefit the dear people. Again
Mr.. Abbott does not agree with
his great political boss, for Mark
says there are no trusts.
Mr.. Abbott mistated facts
when he said the Republican
platform never changes. How
about the silver plank in the Re-
publican National platform ? In
1892 it declared for the free coin
age of silver; in 1896 it declared
for silver by international agree
ment, and in 1900 it declares for
for the gold standard. Oh, no,
it never changes The G. o. p.
has changed from Lincoln, the
great exponent of Liberty, hum
anity and the Constitution. to
Mckinley, the oppressor of Lib
erty and humanity.
We were disappointed in the
speech of Mr.. Abbott, who came
all the way from Ohio on Marks
''slush fund.-" for we expected
something grand and eloquent
something logical and sound. His
speech was not adapted for issues
in the West. 1t should have been
remodled when he crossed the
Rockies. AS for Mr.. Reese, we