Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1900-10-25
M'KINLEY NOW
ASSAILED AS
WAS LINCOLN
P. Gray Meek, Candidate For Aud
itor General, a Typical Rep
/. resentative Of Democracy.
HIS C0PPERHEAD RECORD REVEALED.

iIIV UVI kIlllkllD llkUVuD Ill kuhubkDs
Missing Documents Found which
Tell the story OF His Arrest by the
United States Authorities on the
Charge Of Interfering with the
Drafting of Troops-His venomous
Attacks Upon the Martyred Presi-
dent in Line with the Bryanite
Policy of the Present Campaign.
/, Especial Correspondence
Bellefonte, Pa, Oct. %.
The attacks of the Bryanite Democ-
racy of today upon President William
Mckinley in their "anti-imperialism"
campaign vividly recall the assaults
made by the leaders Of the same party
upon the martyred President Abraham
Lincoln.
Sensational interest is attached to
the discovery this week OF certain
missing documents and other papers In
a case in which the Democratic can
didate for auditor general in this cam
paign, P. Gray Meek, was involved.
P. Gray Meek, during the dark days
Of the rebellion. was one OF the most
blatant and bitter vilifiers OF Presi-
dent Lincoln and his administration.
He was arrested by the United States
authorities and had a very close call
from going to Jail for long term
upon the charge of interfering with
the drafting of men for the Union
army and other reasonable actions.
But for the intercession of influential
friends and, possibly through means
which it might be we'll not to dwell
upon. he escaped punishment for his
l ,easonable work.
Meek was then venomous copper
Head democrat.
His newspaper, The Democratic
Watchman, which he still publishes,
fairly teemed with abuse of Lincoln,
members of his cabinet and those d.
rectly in charge OF the suppression OF
the rebellion, in almost every issue dur
ing the war.
The attacks Of the Bryanite Demo-
cratic leaders of today upon President
Mckinley in connection with their
criticism of the conduct Of the cam
paign against the insurgents in the
Philippines are mild in tone and puerile
in character compared with the abuse
and defamation heaped upon Lincoln
by the Democracy Of his day and men
of the type Of Meek.
When P. Gray Meek was proposed
for the nomination for auditor general
this year there were those who re-
called the circumstances of his arrest
in 1865 and of the terrible character OF
his editorial comments upon Lincoln's
administration and his work in trying
to incite citizens of Pennsylvania to re-
sist the drafts for troops to defend the
flag and the honor of his country.
The Democratic leaders who were
then engaged in condemning President
Mckinley for his policy in the Philip
pines evidently did not regard Meek's
record as inconsistent with the policy
of the Democracy of today. They
blandly asserted that the voters would
not be Influenced by what Mr.. Meek
wrote or did 35 years ago, anyhow.
Besides, it was stated that the pa
pers in the case had all been distracted
from the public records and that there
would be no material other than the
reiteration of a vague story with
which to direct the attention of the
people to the fact of the arrest OF
Meek at the instance of the United
States authorities.
90 hto MI hC
were familiar with the circumstances
of Meek's arrest went to work to try
to get at the documents in the case.
After diligent inquiry they have finally
gotten hold of the copy OF the indict-
ment against Meek and other papers
of record, and they succeeded In get
ting q copy Of his newspaper, The
Democratic Watchman, of the issue OF
July %, 1864.
The leading editorial OF this date
read as follows:
100000 MORE.
Another edict has gone forth,
and on the 9Th OF September the
wheel from which is drawn the
order of death will be put In mo-
tion again. King Abraham wants
more victims. fanaticism demands
more blood. and five hundred thou
sand more men must offer up their
lives on the bloody altar of infidel
abolitionism. Is there to be no
stop to this terrible work. no lull
in the cry for blood? Must the
:. powers that be" surfeit on 1t, be-
|. fore we can hope for an end to this
=. horrid butchery-this fiendish,
x frightful war?
4 ALREADY two millions of men
have been called for and respond
ed. Where are they today? Let
4he millions of graves that mark
Hha soil of the southern states
the aickening hospitals filled with
their suffering victims. and the
thousands of men. disabled in
limbs. broken In health. who are
wasting away the miserable REM
nant Of their lives In pain and
poverty around US. answer, and
then let the condition OF our coun-
try today tell what these sacri-
flces have been for and what xood