Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-10
Public DlseRsslsn.

beng no court business, and the de-
mand being somewhat urgent tor pub
lie speaking, Captain Riddleberger took
the platform, announcing that his
physical condition was not such as to
justify any effort at speech, but as an
humble citizen, and constituent of the
Hon, Jno. T. Harris who was on the
ground, he wanted to ask for himself and
others what that gentleman's views
we're on certain public questions, and
among them the readjustment Of our
State debt.
Judge Harris took the stand and for
about 80 minutes recited his record in
the last congress, and said that upon
this he proposed to stand as candidate
for congress, taking occasion to deny
the right OF any one to catechise him as
a school-boy and giving his questioner
several thrusts for presuming to do so.
He concluded by saying that the State
debt had nothing TO do with congress
and he would have nothing to do with
the State debt beyond advising the peo-
pie to do all they could to relieve them
selves and to await the result Of the
compromise bill Of the last legislature.
At this point an earnest contest en-
sued. Capt. Riddleberger came back
for an hour, claiming the right of every
voter to know the views Of a represent
tative man on all questions Of state
politics. He showed that no man had
ever before attempted to put state ques-
lions behind him when seeking the
sufrages Of Virglnians for a federal
office. He claimed that the public debt
was an issue, and that it was recog-
nized issue, and that the very fact Of
congressional or place prestige which
attached to Judge Harris made it desir-
able that his views should be known.
lie claimed that If Judge Harris was so
far removed from his constituency and
State that he could not now say that he
was on one side Of this question or the
other, then the time had come when he
should be returned to his people until
he again became one Of them, according
to the JeherSonion theory and practice.
He then piled the Judge with questions
very pointedly put, 10 which none but
eyasive answers were elected. The
Judge read a letter which he said he had
before written to man he called my
Dear Purvis" as defining his position.
Again Capt. Riddleberger confronted
him with the questions before put,
claiming that the letter had been
written 70 avade and that he had been
once deceiyedby such a letter. He then
went into Judge Harris record on
The money suesG5n--greenbaCks-and
touched several other points IN the record
which was relied upon, manly: his vote
against the repeal Of the bankrupt law
after an awkward attempt to avade the
issue by pairing eff &C., his vote in
committee for the Barchard resolutions
and his failure to vote for or against
the Same resolutions when before the
House from which it would get 10 the
country.
On the greenback question the Judge
said he was opposed to government
either enlargiHg or contracting the cur
rency volume Of to-day, that the States
should have control by local currency,
and claimed that John Sherman had
defeated the labors Of congress on the
Silver bill, from which he had hoped for
relief. The Burchard resolutions he
said were Of radical origin and he ascer-
tanned that a democratic committee
would put in the same thing, and so he
held his vote fer the democratic resolu-
ton, as he should always do when a
radical offered the same thing &c.
On the Bankrupt bill he said he was
sure he had voted against repeal but he
had not examined the record to see
whether his name was recorded, as it
was quite usual TO miss names. He
thought this vote was demanded by the
hard times.
Capt. Riddleberger claimed that this
law had coat the state more than the
relief it afforded and the hard-times
should now be relieved in some other
way by government, if government
would try to relieve them at all. A
general skirmish commenced here on
public records-both gentlemen being
very earnest and carefully avoiding all
gross personalities. To so into all of
this would require our whole space
Capt. Riddleberger summed up and
stated his reserved reason for desiring
the Judges views. He said Col. Jas.
H. Sibert was representing Judge
Harris as saying that he was forcible
readjuster and that ifhe had been in the
State convention he would have voted
for Malone. He was tired of this
duplex system of electioneering and
wanted Judge Harris and his cleo
tisneering instruments to take enc
position every where. He did not like
forcible readiustment in Shenandoah
and funding bill in Staunton. He would
Vsstiy prefer to vote for an ayonsd