Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-07-27
FRIDAY MORNING. JULY q, 1877
THE MEETING MONDAY.

THE MEETING MONDAY.
The gathering Of the people of Augusta
Monday at the court house, presented some
features worthy of comment as being I'M
usual in meeting of our people. The course
Of events ran in this wise. First in an as
sembly to consider one of the most impor-
tant questions ever before the people of
Augusta, after only two speeches to the
resolutions before 1t-one of them from an
ex-member of the legislature who partici-
pated in the passage Of the Funding Bill
and defended it, and the other from gen
tleman representing the opponents of it.
a motion was made to limit the time OF
speakers to tve minutes. Again, on the
rising of MAJ. ABsALOM KOINER, lately
a faithful and useful delegate in the legis-
lature, there was so much noisy opposition
to his speaking by what may be called the
ssAdjusters' that for some minutes it was
doubtful if he would be allowed to proceed.
Again, and Immediately following MAJ.
KoINER's remarks, came call for the
previous question. At this point the crowd
were DESTROYS of hearing Ex-senator WAD-
DELL who was in the Senate at the time the
Funding Bill was passed, and when he rose
the bowling and hooting was such that he
could not be heard. nor was he allowed at
any time, though, he stood on the rostrum
waiting fully ten minutes, to address the
people and tell them what it was their
right to hear. Such deliberate attempt
to choke off discussion will never be coun-
tenanced by the people of Augusta, nor was
it then. When the game was fully under
stood it was repaid with compound inter
est and soon showed the factious agitators
that they were in too great minority to
make stand, and they soon retired from the
courthouse to have their own meeting.
The whole affair was a fit exposition of the
desperation of small body of men who de-
termined to choke off free debate over
the now paramount public question in
Virginia.
Again, it was noticeable meeting, in
that after all the row there was no differ
ence in the conclusions OF the two repre-
sentative speakers. Hon. MARSHALL HAN
GER, in conclusion, said that if there was
any way of adjustment he didn't see it, but
would gladly accept any that was satisfac-
tory to the creditors; but if there was
none, he wanted the Legislature to levy
the right tax to pay the interest, and let
us march up like men and pay it, and Mr..
S. BROWN ALLEN in concluding his
speech said he was opposed to the Funding
Bill, but if it couldn't be gotten rid of he
was in favor of levying the tax to pay the
interest. And so, as the results Of the
Funding Bill are planted with their roots
in the constitution of the United States,
and no State authority can tear them up,
the leaders of the two opinions stand on
the same platform before the people as to
their pockets having to suffer for taxes.
But not so with the people; they must
know more about it, and they apau know it
before any man goes from Augusta county
to the Legislature, and from the man him
self, too. The people want to know what
this talk of relieving them from taxation
was, what it was for, who promised it and on
what the promises were based. The choked
off speeches at Mondays meeting must be
made. No man can deprive the voters and
taxpayers of Augusta county of informa-
ton on State affairs, that it is their right
to have. We think that we can safely
predict, that any man who expects to rep
resent us in the next and most important
meeting of the General Assembly, must
prepare himself for competitive exami-
nation on the stump before the people
and we will predict, in addition, that the
men who come out best will be those
who come square out as debt paying men.
The people Of Augusta if they were
looking around for model, caught sight
of one Monday at the Court House. His
speech was bold, straightforward, honest,
wise, concealing nothing, excusing moth
ing-no lodging. It hadn't bit of the
politician in it. 1t was the speech Of a
man thoroughly informed about what he
was talking of and not afraid to say what
he thought whether it was popular OF not.
And the popular heart of Augusta respon
ded to MARSHALL HANGER with such ELL
thusiasm and the popular lips with such
cheers as haven't been heard in the Court
House for many day.
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