Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1910-11-03
THE WILSON MEETING
WAS A GREAT SUCCESS
The Big Secretary Talked Good Sound
Republican Doctrine To A House
Crowded To The Street.

The Wilson meeting at the cour
house ON Thursday evening call ed to
gether large audience. Though every
available space was used to advantage
in seating not less than five hundred
people, many went away because OF
lack of room. The building was well
lighted and the people i n good humor
The Audubon Cornet Band furnished
good music outside; and the Martial
Band assisted by two comrades from
Coon Rapids, entertained the audience
while waiting for the meeting to begin
Miss Flora Wilson, the only and gift
ed daughter of the Secretary, came all
the way from Washington to sing al
his two meetings in the state. And she
can sing with the greatest ease. Hel
voice is clear, smooth and strong Sc
that she can reach the highest notes
with but little apparent effort. She sang
several pieces before and after the speech
The only regret we heard was she had
not given some patriotic airs, which
would have been very appropriate. Mrs.
Chas. H. Wilde accompanied Miss Will
son on the piano. County Chairman
Farquhar introduced Chas. Van Gorder
to preside over the meeting, and he did
SO with grace and dignity. After a few
humorous remarks in which he took a
sly stab at the democrats, he introduced
Secretary Wilson as the man who has
had longer continuous service as a
member of the Presidents Cabinet than
any other man since the beginning OF
our government.
Secretary Wilson made good strong
Republican speech, and he spoke as one
having knowledge of governmental affairs
during the last half century. He served
four years in Congress, from 1873 to
1877 and again from 1883 to 1885. For
number of years he was connected
with the experiment station at Ames.
In 1897 he was appointed to his present
position by President Mckinley and has
remained with Roosevelt and Taft be-
cause of his ability and meritorious
work in his department. While presi-
dents have come and presidents have
gone, he has been retained to the great
benefit of the people. Mr. Wilson said
he had come all the way from Washing
ton to keep promise he had made to
Judge Smith two years ago, and ne
hoped to induce some one who was wav-
ering, to cast vote in his favor because
the many changes had left him as the
only big man from Iowa in the lower
house. If the democrats secure the next
house, Champ Clark will be speaker
without any doubt and il the republl-
cans have control, Walter /. Smith will
just as surely be the Speaker. We wish
we could give his entire address which
occupied more than an hour. but we
must be content to present just brief
outline as follows:
The Republican party was organized
for liberty. He himself had voted for
Fremont in 1856, and every republican
candidate for president since that time.
Liberty was secured by the service and
sacrifice of the men who fought its
battles, saved the Union from disrup-
ton and gave freedom to race held in
bondage for two hundred years. He
favored everything that would furnish
care and comfort to the old soldiers, a
sentiment that received emphatic ap.
plause from the audience. He said ii
there was anything wrong with the
country today it is the fact that pro.
duction of food is not keeping pace with
the population. Consequently the in
crease in the cost of living. In 1890,
there was clamor for cheaper things
SO the bars of protection were let down,
foreign goods were brought in, our fac,
tories closed, and the laborers were out
of employment. Things were cheap
but the working people had no money
to buy anything. He remembers very
well the time when he sold dressed hogs
at Cedar Rapids at $1.75 hundred,
while they are now bringing. So.4O on
foot. From 1893 to 1897, during Cleve.
lands reign we had democratic rule
and democratic prostration. Since that
time we have had republican control
and republican prosperity.
The Secretary referred briefly to the
work of the Department of Agriculture
under his supervision. His object has
been to increase the production just as
much as possible of everything we eat
and especially of those things Of which
we must import large quantities to meet
the demands. He referred to the pro
duction of sugar, our own country nav
ing made 5l2, 900 tons last year, and yet
that was only half as much as we need
ed. We raised 80 million dollars worth
but we had to send 80 millions, abroad
in order to supply our needs. The pro
duction of rice had been increased very
largely, and the protection on fruit fhac
enabled California to ship $4,000 cal
loads in single year Take the com
parison of prices now with what they
were under the Wilson tariff law, and
you will find everything in favor OF the
farmer. He didn't think the farmers
would vote to strike at their own pros
perity. He referred to the fact that all
told there are 1850 employees in his
department working for the govern
ment. Many of them are in different
parts of this country, and many times
agents are sent to foreign countries to
study plants and grains and grasses and
the soil and climate in which they are
grown, hoping to find something worthy
Of transplanting to our own country
Thirty years ago there were four OF
five gentlemen in the state of Iowa by
the name of Wilson who were promi
nent men, and most if not all of whom
were holding public Office. To distin
guish him from the others the present
Secretary was called "Tama Jim" be
cause he lived in Tama county, where
he still owns property and retains his
residence. Audubon was highly honored
by the coming of member of the Presi
dents Cabinet and particularly so or
account of his long and valuable service
to the people Of this country.
Have Given Him Enough.