CHAPTER IV. (CONT'D)
POLITICAL SPEECHES.
Ira B. Clark was the first political speaker who came to the county. He was running for Congress on the Whig ticket, and spoke to the people of Indiantown in 1834.
Judge McCarty, of Winterset, father of Leander, was a very illiterate man, but in 1856, he received the nomination on the Democratic ticket for State Senator, He came to Indiantown in that year for the purpose of making a political speech, and expounding to the villagers the doctrines of government as laid down by his. In the course of his remarks, in speaking of Kansas, he said they were "all treasoners out that." His speech provoked an Englishman in the crowd, who answered McCarty's remarks.
In 1856 Samuel R. Curtis was running for Congress, and came to Indiantown to present his side of the case to the inhabitants of the settlement. For the impression it would make on the minds of the people, he brought with him a Kansas refugee, the Rev. Mr. Moore. In the course of his speech, in telling the story of the attack on Lawrence, he spoke about Capt. Pate riding into the town at the head of his men. He said Pate pointed his guns at the Free-State Hotel, "fired away, and missed it elah!" He is said to have been much more illiterate than those whom he was attempting to enlighten.
District Judge Samuel H. Riddle was a jolly character. While holding court at Lewis in 1858, it is related of him that he passed a good deal of his time evenings playing poker with the boys. The next day, if information was filed against any of his associate poker-players, he would asses a fine against them. One of those wtith whom he played and afterwards fined, was Ross Temple. He paid his fine, and remarked to some of the boys, who were near: "It's all right, boys; I'll win it all back from the Judge to-night."
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Transcribed by Deb Lightcap-Wagner, January, 2014 from:
"History of Cass County, Together with Sketches of Its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Representative Citizens", published in 1884, Springfield, Ill: Continental Historical Co., pp. 260-261.