The Van Buren press., 1876-08-29
Pleasant Hill Mass Meeting.
Witch Refuses to Give Way and al
low u New Man to be Nominated,

| PLEASANT HILL, ARK Saturday. Aug. .28.
| MR.. EDITOR: This morning found your
correspondent Oh the grounds to partici.
pate in the meeting. at this place. Of the vo-
tiers Of Crawford and Franklin counties
agreeably to call made by mass meeting
held here. on the 18th inst
On the arrival of several prominent gentle
men from Ozark, we learned that Col. l., L.
Witch would soon arrive with fourteen
chartered wagons, loaded with delegates and
whiskey At the appointed time the would
Ex-senator, Witch. and his subservient
crowd, arrived. After much confusion and
calls for order, the meeting was organized by
elecing DR.. Doris chairman, and F. W. Lee,
Esq. Secretary.
After few remarks by the chair, stating
the object OF the meeting. Col, Witch took
the stand, ana commenced one of his ctarac-
teristic TRADES against Gen. Armstead. and
what he styled the Van Buren and Ozark
rings During the delivery of his speech. his
followers yelled and brayed at the end of each
sentence, disgusting and insulting all with
their curses and vulgarity. Gen. Armstead
was then called tor, aud attempted to address
the people, but could not proceed because of
Witch. Gen. Armstead then proposed that
he would withdraw finally from the canvass,
and leta new man be named, If Witch would
agree to such an arrangement. Col J.
King then nnhi.cc..y asked Witch ifhe would
agree to the proposition made by Gen. Arm
stead, and he answered that he ,oould not, but
proposed to withdraw, II Gen. Armstead
would. but reserved the privilege to go before
the meeting for nomination as the new candi-
Tho a IA irn n v,fxx
so plain that many intelligent gentlemen
present who had heretofore been supporters
of his, could endure it no longer. and came
out openly and publicly for Armstead,
An attempt was then made to pass a reso-
luton indorsing Witch as the choice of the
meeting. but owing to the great confusion the
vote could not be sustained Witch then
proposed that all favoring the resolution
should tall into line An obedent scramble
was instantly made by the Jolly wagoners'
radical rag tag land. bob-tail. But. alas for
poor Wittich. BY this time, his unterritied
supporters were SO drunk that they could not
stand up long enough o. still enough to be
counted suppose that all the reports of the
vast numbers that stood in those zig-zag
lines will be simply an approximation.
So ended one OF the most remarkable meet.
ing ever held in our town; remarkable for
disorderly conduct on the part OF some par.
ticipating; but most remarkable on account
of the unblushing and shameless political
etfrontery and trickery on the part of Wit
itch
This, Mr. Editor, is simply statement of
facts about the truth OF which there is no
sort of doubt. and all of Which can be amply
substantiated. In speaking of the conduct
of the Wittich followers here, | 90 not. of
course. include a few gentlemen who went
there Wttich-men but who neither assisted
in nor endorsed their conduct, some ofwhom
publicly denounced the proceedings. ard de-
clared themselves. by reason thereof, Arm
stead men. announcing their determination
from that time, to work in the interest of
Gen. Armstead. =.