The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-05-18
~ Speeches on Saturday.
NAY M, 1876

W. Speeches on Saturday.
Ihttswas 4 la1ge attendance at the Court
House Il, last Saturday evening, to listen to
the spccchestf tic Nitrous gentlemen who had
been billed FOL the occasion. The
iloor Was we'll aIled with men of boil, sides to
the questions which were to be discussed only
on onf.side. and the galleries were crowded
with coldtcd' people, eager to'hear what was to
be said,- an,lata quietly receive tile taunts that
are inssparably, s6niiected with a public adj
dress astw,a:lays., Speaker Hanger presided.
We were. not present at the organization, and
only heard part of the remarks of Judge Coch-
ran, and those OF Gen. .Echol<, DR.. Fauntleroy,.
and the eSordium of Capt. JAS. Bumgaardncr,
when we had to leave. III r.
We confess our.astonishment at the line of
thought suggested by these gentlemen. We
cannot.say that It was connected thought, for
all that We heard was badly and disconnected ;"
" said. Ii But the central sentiment announced
had fs5biiK {fte. contest to justify it. 1t
was a4sppeaF to race prejudiees, and the as
sertie,a ilistsfhe, Issue is White or Black SUI
prematty in tile city OF, Stauntcn. Judge Coch-
ran, Geaf. EchoIs and DIR. Fauntieroy surely
did rGf aaderstana the import Of the contest,
They are perfectly aware that the gentlemen
whoAre rllk1i.ss % the Independents Ticket,
are in .atfraapects, to say the very least, the
eqlalsfef the primary nominees. They know
that the people Of .Staunton have elected them
to office tille and again, and that they are
amolg oIr Most active, responsible and ener-
geticsbusi hcssfrncn. They know that. com
pared With Tie primary ticket, the independ-
cnts OF old ticket, are infinitely the superior by
reason Of business experience, and familiarity
with the affairs of the city. 1t was a violent
prcsumptlon in these gentlemen to assert, with
their knowledge of the facts of the case, that
the contest now going OH was, which shall rule
the city of StaunUon, the White People or the
Black People. We had thought they would, if
they spoke at all. rise above. the subterfuges of
the lcfilagogue, and address the reason Of
thetrAearers. We did not expect from them
thaErthay would repeat the disgusting slang of
the 1cttrb stone statesmen,''.t whose poverty
OF brains, indifference to truth and despicable
selfishncss, we are indebted for the present
disturbed condition. of the public mind. Judge
Cochran, Gen. Eclos and DR.. Fauntleroy did
not obey the dictates of their better Judgment
-theydid not deliberately consult and abide by
what they thought was best for the community
but followed IN the wake of the superficial
aSitstors who inaugurated this contest from
purely selfish purposes, and allowed themselves
to be dragged irto it., without thinking really
of tfe consequences. The speakers, to whom
we have alluded, certainly did not weigh what
they said when they asserted that it was an is
sue. between the races for the. control of
Stannt9ih ahd-they assuredly could not have
tAeNdft FRA second, when two of them logged
In the private schools of the city. 1t was be-
meath their reputation for fairness and common
sensc-it was in conflict with the conservatism
they haye always shown, andinconsistent with
the facts and the reasons of the case. And
We were not surprised that it was with difficult
ty Gen. Echols and DIR. Fauntleroy could ar
tct.Este= when they yentured upon these asser-
tions. Gen. Echols had sit in the Council with
most of the gentlemen on the Independent
Ticket he has sit in the Board of Di-
reGtQrs Of, the Bank with Mr.. Bickle and MIR.
Witz-rhe meets the gentlemen of the old Coun-
ell and the Mayor every day on the streets
cleerfliliy and III cordial friendship, and
DOGS not recognize in them nlen who would
lend themselves to any policy that would oper-
ate to the disadvantage of the city or any of its
intcrests+t IT.. either of the speakers desired
fIn o,,;,, Of Of oil;
business transaction, involving the exercise of
business Judgment, they would, in all proba-
bifity, call upon at least some of the gentle
n1Sn who are associated with the old ticket, in
preference to those on the primary. The sue
cess in business that has attended the efforts
of Robert G. Bickle, John B. Evans. Benz. T.
R$gby, Isaac WITT, John W., Abby, nj. p.
FHnkhouser, Thos. A. Bledsoe,P. B. Hoge land
the interest they have manifested in all public
enterprises, surely are arguments sufficient to
condemn the assumption of Messrs. Ecliols,
Cochran and Fauntlcroy that harmful result
would follow their election. These gentle
msn. know that tile city has been as prosper
cr:?the schools haze been as prosperous, the
anleF,ot the corporation as complete and uni-
form hinder the administration of Mr.. Rickle, las
Mayor, for the pascstwelve months, as at any
time in the history of Staunton. They further
know that Mr. Bickle is not running as the
cxnditlate of any party-that his election can,
in justice and truth, have no party significance
that his discharge of the Duties of the Office
will be in the interest Of no party-tllat there
are no party ends to encompass: and that
none Of the substantial and material interests
OF Stalinton will b, in the reinotest degree
compromised, by his election. d. r,
The speakers know this as well rs we do, and
hence Our surprise that men of tlIeir position
In socie:y-their acknowledged conservatism
in nearly all things. should have permitted
themselves to be lragooned into the dsspica-
bic plots OF the curb-stone schcmers who
inaugurated. the movement, regardless of all
the considerations that appeal to their highest
sense Of duty as citizens. 1b- ~ ~ J., :.
There was an evident embarrassment atten-
diHgIhef utterances of these gentlemen to
whom we have more particularly alluded to-
Senator Cochran was driven to the extreme
expression, that he would follow his party
wherever it would lead, and even his estate to.
pefaiGon.n 1t is reasonable to suppose that
wllcn'a gentlemen can work himself up to
such sentence. the cause he has espoused
mIlSt indeed he (1esDer.tta IT. in some DEGREE