The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1874-10-14
The Republican Meeting and Speeches
=; - ;.z5 on Wednesday.

. Uu NV
] = according to announcement, the Re-
publican meeting cutne off in the Court
House at this place on Wednesday OF
the past week. The meeting was order
ly and respectful, good proportion OF
the audience consisting of Democrats
who had come to survey the situation,
for the time being, from a Republican
standpoint. The assembly address
ed in the morning by Messrs. D. H.
Chamberlain, S. w. Melton, and S. L..
Hoge, and again at night by Messrs. II.
H. Cooke, Parmalee and Hoge. The
spceches of Messrs. Chamberlain and
Melton we heard; and were much
pleased with their tone, temper and
spirit. They nre both able men, and
earnest and eloquent speakers, and dis
cussed party issues and opposing princi-
pies calmly and dispassionately, with
an absence of anything like vituperation
or invective, or nm appeal to the preju.
dices and passions of the hour.
Mr.. Chamberlain discussed at length
the principles of the Republican party,
and attempted to prove that it was the
true Democracy-the custodian and ex-
ponent of those great principles of
equality which were announced near
one hundred years ago by Thomas JEFF
ferson. Yet it could be easily shown
that the acknowledgements and elcva-
tion of the black NAH have been at no
time the inspiring motives and domi-
nant principles of the party. Mr..
Chamberlain admitted that the strongest
argument that could be used against the
party in the State, and the chief obstacle
to Its SUCCESS, was its past record, and
pledged his best efforts to stay the tide
of corruption and 10 redeem the charac-
ter of the party. He urged the necessity
of electing an honest and competent
Legislature, without which the Execu-
tive could do nothing. In his argument
to the colored people, showing that 1t
was to their Interest to elect honest and
competent men to Office, Mr.. Chamber
lain made strong point In the position
maintained by him, that the laboring
man after all paid the taxes, and that he
above all others was interested in low
taxation. Mr.. Chamberlain's pledges
were all that could be desired, but to
use the words which he quoted from
Lord Chatham and applied to the DEM
ocrscy, "Confdence is n plant of slow
growth" and as against the party, so
against its standard bearer, the strongest
is that four years record of the
Scott administration. .-'".
10 the vindication of Mr.. Chamber
lain, Mr.. Melton, the Attorney-General,
first addressed himself, claiming that
whatever might have been "his sur
roundings" originally, he was a party toll
none of the corrupt schemes of the ring,
and that he had been brought out by
himself and Others as q most efficient
champion to strengthen his own hands
in the work of reform. He claimed that
the efforts which had been made of late
to reduce the volume of the publie debt
and to lessen the expenditures of the
State, afforded an earnest of a better
administration. Mr.. Chamberlain spoke
about two hours, and Mr.. Melton, on
account of hoarscness, about an. hour
only. They received from the Demo-
cratic listeners the courtesy of a patient
and respectful hearing, though, we sup
pose, they made no converts to the
Republican faith. The other speeches
we did not-hcar, but learn that some OF
them were characterized by much parti-
san feeling, and appealed to those preju-
dices of race which furnish the elccc-
tioneering capital of many stump
speakers. ... ... .-.....,-... -
At night Judge Cooke made strong
Republican speech, in which he advo-
catcd the claims of the regular nomi-
nees of that party for office. The Judge
spoke for over an hour and was fire.
quently applauded. He was against
corruption in office, aod urged the Re-
publicans to be careful who they nomi>
mated for office at the coming County
Convention. Said that the party de-
nandcd better men than had been In
Office heretofore. Towards the close Of
his speech the Judge spoke with more
animation and paid high tribute to the
capacity, honesty and fidelity with
which Messrs. Melton, Hoge and Car
doza had discharged their duty to the
people of the State in resisting the law
requiring the! Comptroller! General to
levy q tax to pay the interest OF our
fraudulent bonds {; that these three
men had done more torclieve the State
of its heavy burden than all the men in
it; thought the people owed them a
debt of gratitude for the faithful manner
in which they had stood between the
tax payers and tho plundering bond
holder.