Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-10-25
CONGRESSMAN OF SIXTH DIS
TRlcT ADDRESSES oTTuMwA
VOTERS ON THE ISSUE
Has LARGE AUDIENCE
Tells of What the Republican organl-
zation Has Accomplished as Party
In LeglsIation-What the Protective
Tariff Has Done.
From Tuesdays Daily.

from the Sixth district and candidate
to succeed himself, delivered politi-
cal address last evening at the Fry
opera house in South Ottumwa. The
audience was a large and enthusiast
tic one, filling to it's capacity the large
auditorium, and according the speak
er generous applause.
Previous to the beginning of the
meeting the Fifty-fourth regiment
band paraded the streets of both the
north and south sides. At o'clock
the gathering was called to order by
County Chairman e. K. Dougherty,
who introduced ]. A. Ballard as chair.
man.
Chairman Ballard took his place
and addressed the convention briefly
closing by introducing as the first
speaker of the evening Major Lacey.
Mr.. Lacey said in part:
"Mr. Chairman, Ladie, and Gentle.
men: For good many years 1t has
been my custom to speak on the
South Side. I always like to speak
on this side Of the river and it has
come to be an established thing that
should do so, once during each cam
paign
"As came into the hall this even.
Ing and looked over these front rows
here, for moment / thought l had
gotten into post meeting, saw so
many of the grand army boys here
1t has been a pleasure to me to look
after the business of the old soldiers
Of this district. There are on record
something like 10000 pension cases
that l have looked up. That seems
rather large doesn't 1t? for there are
not 10000 old soldiers In this district,
but have not confined myself to this
district, and wherever an old soldier
has written to me about his pension,
have tried to look it up.
"The old soldiers of this country dc
not need much information or instruc
ton concerning what has been done
by the political party that is in power
today, and has been during the great
err part of the time in the last fifty
years.
However for the benefit of the
others here tonight I want to gather
up few of the tangled skeins of his
tory SO that they may get an idea OF
the conditions that existed at the time
Of the formative period of the republi.
can party
'.In 1852 both the democratic party
and the wing party declared for the
fugitive slave law. In 1854 1t came in
the shape Of the new republican party
In 1856 under the oaks at Jackson
Mich, John G. Fremont was nominal
ed as the first republican candidate
for president"
After speaking of John Browns
wild and reckless raid into Virginia
and his defense of the old engine
house at Harper's Ferry the speaker
continued, "The man who led the Vir.
ginia troops in the attack on the en-.
CINE house was Thomas ]. Jackson
later known to fame as 'Stonewall
Jackson. The man who led the FEEDER.
al troops was Robert e. Lee then un.
known outside of army circles.
Brown was defeated, captured and
sentenced to be hanged. AS he was
led out to his execution he saw in the
crowd colored woman with a little
colored baby and he motioned to her
to bring the baby to him, and took the
child in his arms and kissed it. Then
he went off to die, to die for men as
certain as did ever any man die for
men in this world. His death warrant
was signed by Henry A. Wise, then
governor of Virginia.
"Now let us turn to April 9, 1865, at
Appomattox. The name of Stonewall
jackson had flashed across the sky OF
fame with all the brilliance Of me-
teor and he had taken his place as a
soldier along side of Napoleon. AT
Charlottesville he had laid down his
life. Robert E. Lee was in command
of the army of Virginia and hence
surrendered
Henry A. Wise, now major gene.
ral also surrendered and Grant re.
turned his horse to him as he did to
all the mounted confederate officers
and soldiers telling them to take them
home to raise grain with. When Wise
returned to his home he found it desc.
late and in ruins and his house was
being used for negro school. And
who do you think was teaching that
negro school in Henry A. Wises
house? None other than daughter
of old John Brown of Ossawatomie.
Think of it, what wonderful
chain Of events we are thus permitted
to outline in few words. Think of the
changes that the space of a few
short years had brought. This was
the formative period of the party con.
corning which l am to speak to you
tonight.
"In 1860 Abraham Lincoln was
elected as the first republican presi
dent of the United States. When the
war commenced the loyal democrats
rallied to his support. When the wal
closed it closed upon an united people
From this point on l want to out
line some of the salient features OF
the progress of the republican party
The first matter to confront the party
was the payment of the enormous OBJ
legations assumed to meet the ex
penses of the civil war; The constitu
ton was SO amended that none of the
obligations of the Confederate states
should ever be assumed but that the
debts incurred by the national gov
eminent should be sacred. The re