Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-10-11
Harris DENY Early (Rep.)
17,143

These figures were the subject OF much
coming over here to-day as the Two Demo
cratic candidates for the congressional
seat. Gen. John Echols and Hon. john L.
Harris were to address the people. The
,ne.tine at the court house to hear them
was not a large one, not probably more
than two hundred people. The oratory
was a. surprise to me. While all who know
Echols have conceded his great ability.
few of us eyer thought he was the man to
meet Harris in his favorlte rough ana
tumble style, and he fairly astonished me.
Tn a. meeting where the feeling was
tboroughly for Harris, there not being
probably more than score OF DEBT payers
in the assemblage; in locality where ne
was not personally known and wnere his
views were extremely unpopular, ne not
o,1u held his own but several times got the
b,rrah hadly on Harris. He treated Har
ris,s views on finance as he would thoSe Oh
a child. as they deserved to be treated. and
Harr;s's believing and anecdotes OF DOUBT
fu, cleanliness didn't save him from Ech-
ols,s we'll pointed ridicule and ready humor.
Rut after the speaking was over and the
affect of Echols personal presence was
gone the only effect l could see on the
Observation-Disclosures was swhat you may
obtain by stirring up hornets nest and
mailing them mad. From what can see
here I am confirmed in my opinion that tne
canvass comes too late and that Gen.
Echols will not secure all the debt payers
MANY of them having already, by some
strange process of reasoning "commltteo'
themselves to one of the two GreenDack-
Roadiuster candidates. The following is
a sketch of the discussion.
GEN. ECHOLS' OPENING. @
Cen. Echols said it was. known to some
of the citizens of Shenandoah, though I'M
fortunately he had not been able IN the
short time to make it known to all, that ne
nod been announced as a candidate Tor
congress-. It was bis misfortune that the
two competing gentlemen had an extensive
acquaintance in the district and had haa
the opportunity to make canvass OF II,
which he from one cause and another had
been prevented from doing. Two issues
had been introduced into this canvass, one
of which could have nothing to do with IT,
for congress could by no possibility nave
anything to do with the settlement OF the
state debt, which was a question Tor VIZ
ginia alone to deal with. Still, while IL
had nothing to do with it, it had been Tor
ced into it, and candidates forced to de-
clare their views on it, whether pertinent
or not He had heard at his home that
majority of the people of Shenandoah as
approved OF his views in this matter, OUT
be knew they would cease to respect MIN
if on that account he hesitated to express
them. If you ask me whether the state
debt can or ought to be forcibly adjusted L
reply that it cannot be and should mol pe
if it could. No man, whatever his views
about paying it, denies that the debt IN
CURED by Virginia was an honest one. IL
was contracted by her own representatives.
three OF them from this county. The spea.
ker then gave history Of the mode the
debt was incurred and the legislation
which preceeded and followed the Fund
inc Bill. He then showed that in 1850 our
state expenses were $500, 900 and are now
81 100000 and urged that the extravaganza