Wheeler's Oration

At the Republican county ccmvention held in this city on Tuesday, the Hon. George S. Wheeler, of Salem, was called on lor a speech, confessed himself "f uil, too f uil" and proceeded to unload the political bile f rom bis stomach. He began by saying that the principal issue made by the demócrata two years ago had been eliminated from the campaign now opening; that two years ago the democrats had charged farmer Luce with being a banker aiid a bond holder, and had vigorously attached the Nationa Banks, but that having now norninated a millionaire forgovernor,another millionaire for lieutenant-governor and a National Bauk president tor state treasurer, he didn't think even the Free Press would ring the changes on baukdirector, stock-holder, bond-holder, etc. Keferring to Burï he magnified his wealth and exclaitned, "I see that brother Pond- you all know Brother Pond- is quoted as saying 'Burt has money, but that won't hurt him, 'boodle' is a good thing' or words to that effect." "Brother Pond" requests us to say that he has said nothing about Burt's money or the good qualiiies of "boodle" and turtherinore that "no newspaper interviewer or reporter has been stupid enough to credit him with any such nonsense." H also desires us to say that if the other alleged facts and statements which comprised the web and woof of Mr. Wheeler's "long talk"- not argument- were as baseless of foundation and reason (and he thinks they were), his partisan hearers have serious groutid of complaiut against him. ♦ Proceeding iu the same vein Mr. Wheeler said that never iti the history of this govornment was wealth and aristocracy and snobbery, so in the ascendant ,at Washington as to-day; and Representative Scott, Senator Payue, and Secretary VVhitney were named in proof of his allegations. He forgot to cali the roll of the republican millionaries who have seats in the seuate, ignoring Stanford and ötewart, JohnSherman andDónCameron.our o wn Palmer and Stockbridge and numerous others made rich by being promoters and stock-holders of perhaps wageworkers in protected industries. Keferring to the charges made in the campaign ot 1884 that corruption reigned in high places, he conceded that after the organization of the republican party it received large accessions from the democratie party, and claimed that these democratie recruits proving to be star-routers,etc, brought great scandal upon the party, to avoid which in .future recruits from the democracy would be required to furnish certiücates of good character. Tut, tut, Brother Wheeler. did Oakes Ames, James G. Blaine, Schuyler, Colfax and the other credit mobelier statesmen fiud their way into the re publican party from the democratie f old?i)id James A. Garfield of De Golyer f ame gradúate as a democrat? Were Babcock and Belknap renegade democrats or "to the manor bornV" Mr. Wheeler also charged that the democratie party carne into power in 188-5 pledged to "boom the country" and give it increased prosperity, but that business of all kinds is stagnated, prices lower, and thousands of laborers unemployed. He should have told tiis hearers that in the last congress a small knot of protection democrats shook hands with the republican members of the house and blocked the wheels of tariff and revenue reform, and that the existing laws under which the country is going to the "demnition bow wows", he being the judge, were of republican enaetment and that a republican senate, now that the democratie house has come to its senses, stands in the way of a reduction of taxation and the return of the treasury surplus to the people. And then he had the aud acity to father the standard oil trust, the sugar trust and the recent raise on sugar, upon the democratie party because a democratie house had preferred the Mills bill,ref using to amend it by putting sugar on the free list. It is no wonder that "Brother Pond laughed" at this and other erroneous statements. He was momentarily expecting that Mr. Wheeler would charge u? "Noah's flood" to the democracy because the river and harbor bill of two years ago tailed to become a law, or the drouth and short crops of a year ago to the veto of the dependent pension bill. Mr. Wheeler said chat the very day the Mills bill .was passed by the house the "sugar trust" put up the price of sugar two cents a pound, and charged that the price would not have been increased had sugar been put on the free list. "Brother Pond" was challenged to deny his statement and conclusión. If reducing the sugar duty Erom 82 per cent. to 68 per cent. caused that increase of two cents a pound, how large an increase would the "trust" have made if the duty had been entirely removed. Perhaps Mr. Wheeler can get the conundrum answered by some candidato for a teacher's certifícate at the next examination. Until he has tried that method of solution"Brother Pond"may well laugh rather thau deny.