The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-09-10

forti-Good report from Braxton.
SUTTON, September I, 1870
Editors of the Register; 599ifI o.
To-dayses the FIRST day ofour Court
and also the day ANNOUNCED for aDem
ocratic meeting. Early in the morning
it was known that Major Frank Here
ford, the Democratic candidate fol
Congress an this District, was here, a
was also Colonel Witcher, the Radical
candidate for the same position; and
an effort was made by the Democratic
to have joint discussion. After con
siderable talk, it was fpally arranged
that Witcher should open in an hour
speech, Major Hereford should then
have an hour and half, and Witcher
close in half an hour. The Court ad
iourned in the morning, and about II
o'clock y. B. Squires, Esq rose and
| introduced Mr.. Witcher, Like a'Iamt
/ led TO the slaughter, with. the same
iuefaceable, insipid smile on his coun-
tenance, he rose and proceeded to
speak his piece" He commenced by
saving he was here to discuss what he
considered the live issues before the
country, and attempted to forestall crit,
icism by saying that be was not a
speaker-that he had been born and
raised in the hills of West Virginia,
educated in the common schools OF Old
Virginia and brought up among the
mountains; but he was proud to say
that he was here as the nomiuee OF the
Union Republican party-as their
standard bearer, and to speak for the
principles of that party.
The Republican party was a party OF
progress. There were two parties be-
lore the country, one of which goes for
ward, the other backbone is Washing
ton, the other is George III; one is
Grant, the other is lee; one hopes and
looks to the future, the other looks only
TO the past The Democrats do not dis
cuss live issues, but in all their speeches
they refer only to matters which have
become fixed facts.
The gentleman then proceeded to dis
cuss the Democratic platform adopted
at Charleston, and referring to the sec
ond article, said the charge that Federal
taxation was unjust was untrue. That
the taxes were raised from the rich and
not from the poor. 1t was only the
hondholder that paid his taxes who
would lie relieved by its repeal. He
had voted against the reduction of the
tax from five TO three per cent, but he
had voted to continue it until 1877, and,
if elected, ,could vote against lis ever be-
ing repealed. Congress had also funded
the debt into bonds running five, ten,
fifteen and twenty years, at rate OF IN.
terest averaging about Al per cent, and
thus reduced the amount Of interest
thereon about $40 100000.
The gentleman then spoke Of the Sum
ner bill and assured his hearCrsthat al
talk about it was ,humbug, that ii
never would be passed, and then read
an extract from Henry Clay Deans
speech and fromthe La Crosse Democrat
but for what purpose Lid not clearly
perceive.
The gentleman then paid his attention
to free trade, announcing that the Dem
ocrats were in favor of it and that he
was in favor of protection to home In
dustry and discussed this question until
his time was exhausted as well as him
solf, as he had asked no less than three
times how long yet )" he was always
met with the discouraging reply OF
plenty OF time yet"
Major w. D. Rollyson, then intro
duced Mr.. Hereford, who said
|. White FslLo1o Citizens Of Brartor
County,: 1t is to you that ]. come tc
talk, belong you to what party you
NAV, whether Democrat or Radical
YOU are Of my race, and claim you a.
| a brother, and | come here, white
man to talk to white men, of the issues
which so nearly concern you. The
present contest between the two politl
cal parties, is one of noOrdinary import
ance 1t is one in which the rights anc
liberties of the people are involved to
greater extent than ever before. | see
around me to-day, hundreds of white
men-men OF the pure Anglo-SaXor
race, who have not the rights which, by
Congressional legislation, are conferred
upon the ignorant and degraded negro
or the wild Indian of the prairies
What commentary upon the Radical
PARTY Here are hundreds Of men
to the manor born, whose fathers falleC
the primeval forests on your beautiful
hills and cleared out your fertile valleys
deprived OF the right to vote, to hold
office, to suit on juries, in short, of al
the rights of freeman, while the negro
who but lately was his slave, has al
these privileges and has become. mas
ter.
Who has done this? Who has
pIac,d these chains upon You? Wht
| DISTINGUISHED and Inundated YOU
General Witcher, my opponent, wher
in the Legislature Of this State, II
1866, roted for the registration lag, ,chlc'
! has BROUGHT ell these crLs upon you II,
voted for it, in violation of the Constr
tuition of YOUR State, for that lnstru
ment, although framed in the midst o
a terrible war, secured to every whit
man this equal, indefeasible, God-sive'
RIGHT 10 vote for his own rulers Blu
the General has done more than this
He said in the convention which nom
mated him, that while he was not
member Of the Legislature which rat
fed the Fifteenth Amendment, If h
had been, he would have voted for
very cheerfully, and that he did vote 70
the act OF Congress which enforce
negro suffrage in this State as well a
others. He first uoted TO disfranchise 20,
and then voteS 10 enfranchiSe the negro, ant
now. pretends TO be your friend From
such friends, Good Lord, deliver us /!
But this negro question troubles m
friend. He saws it is dead issue
Will the gentleman tell me when Il wa