Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-10-06
MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY DELIVERS
4 OPENING ADDRESS AT COM.
e. PETINE.
Republican Campaign In wapelIo
! County Formerly Opened Last Ev.
ening with An Excellent Meeting
w. w. Epps and A. ]. Gardner Talk.


fee of county attorney, spoke to an
enthusiastic audience last evening in
the Baptist church in Competine, and
the opening gun of the campaign in
Wapello county was sounded Although
saddened by the death and burial of
the late Scott Dickens, son of Hon,
George w. Dickens, one of the most
highly respected and most influential
men OF COMPETING township, the resi-
dents of that vicinity turned out en-
masse and listened to the eloquent
words of Congressman Lacey. Mr.. La.
cey confined his address entirely to
the presidential campaign, refraining
from the congressional or county pros
poets. His speech was listened to
with the closest attention and at its
conclusion he was compelled to hold
an impromptu reception and person
ally greet large portion Of the audi
ence
The meeting was called to order by
Committeeman Hiram Davis,an after
calling for chairman he gave way to
Rev. j. w Megan, who was chosen to
act in that capacity. With few we'll
chosen words, Rev. Megan introduced
Major Lacey.
Mr.. Lacey's Address.
In part Mr.. Lacey spoke as follows:
Mr.. Chairman, Ladies and Gentle.
men: know the hearts of the PEG.
pie are sad today. You have under.
gone misfortune that is a very re.
grettable one. Death has stricken
down one of youth, vigor and strong
manhood, member of family that
has had the respect of every one in
your Vicinity When I learned this
afternoon of the sad death of Scott
Dickens had almost decided to turn
around and not visit you this evening.
But you are here in a goodly number
The campaign this fall is unusual
ly quiet. The political sky is cloud
less. Satisfaction is felt in the hearts
of the people and you can see it plain
ly in their faces. There Is a solid,
quiet expression there which echoes
the satisfying manner in which the af-
fairs of the government are being han
Adled. know there are many demo
AAcrats here tonight and want to talk
ITO them also. Ny democratic friends
SS1iyou too are satisfied with the present
administration, for you carry the
Essame expression that characterizes
republican.
81 Reviews the Party.
Il want to go back tonight and
briefly review the party I represent.
have been called upon as one of it's
standard bearers and firmly believe
Yin the doctrines it breaches. Now let
me briefly review the party In 1852
the wings and democrats merged and
organized strong party. In 1854 the
republican party was organized, and
the first presidential candidate, John
. G. Fremont, was named. In 1860
Abraham Lincoln was nominated and
elected to the presidency, and he
therefore was practically the father
of the party. This man was selected
almost as by the hand of God and he
served his country well. During his
administration, he abolished slavery,
and you, my democratic friends, are
glad now. Then came the question of
war. You are glad now that the four
years OF struggle and bloodshed be-
tween the north and south resulted
the way it did. Later on came the
question of specie payments. The
democrats opposed that. But they are
glad now that they were again defeat
ed. So now we come to 1896, when
the gold standard and the free and un.
limited coinage of silver were the is
sues. AT that time you would see the
men on the other side of the fence
with Coins financial book in their
pocket. DO you see any of them now?
NO. Coxey has ceased to carry hoboes
, across the country and has started a
factory This is one of the big
changes that has marked the admins
tration of the republican party"
The Panic of 1893
MT. Lacey then dwelt at some
er Cleveland and the panic of 1893. He
spoke of the Wilson bill and of it's
successor. the Dingley bill He illus
trated conclusively to the voters that
people are satisfied with the present
conditions and warned them to leave
1t alone and refrain from trying an
experiment AS an illustration of the
attitude taken by many democrats,
Major Lacey said: II met democrat
in Ottumwa the other day and he in
CURED of me how the campaign look
ed. In answer to an inquiry as to how
he expected to cast his vote this fall
he replied that he had always been
a democrat, always voted the demo-
cratic ticket and was going to con-
tinue to vote it unless it did something
worse than it did this year, and he
didn't think it could"
Parker for Gold.
Parker's letter of acceptance was
then dwelt upon by the speaker. He
! laid stress upon Parker's attitude
toward the gold standard as express
ed in the platform; the opposition to
the army and upon the attacks on
the personality of the present occu-
4 pant of the presidential chair. A con-
vincing argument which he mentioned
relative to the opposition to the stand
ing army, was that in Washington's
time the army was larger in proper
ton to the population than at the
present day.
Theodore Roosevelt Personally.
The personality of President Roose.
welt was pretty thoroughly handled by
Cartoonist John McCutcheon of the
Chicago Tribune when he pictured the