Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-08-30
Local
THE STRUGGLE FOR CONGRESS-.

Local
THE STRUGGLE FOB CONGRESS-.
LONG JOHN, SHORT JOHN AND REV
JOHN, ALL ON THE sTAND-PAY NOBO-
DY, STATE NOR FEDERAL-THE REV
JOHN e. MASSEY ON THE HIGHEST
GROUND OF THE ADJUsTERs-LIvELY
sPARRIkG ALL AROUND.
&C., &C., &C.
The three candidates, Hon. John T. Har
ris, Senator Massey, of Albemarle, and Sen.
ator Paul, of Rockingham. addressed the
people of Augusta on Monday, in the Court
House, there being besides citizens of the
county, many friends of the last named
gentleman from Rockingham, who led the
applause with much nervousness. The
addresses, except Mr.. Massey were pretty
much the same delivered in Charlottesville
and reported in this paper at length. The
speakers took an hour each, the first hour
being occupied by
SENATOR PAUL,
who said that since his last address to the
people OF Augusta, which was delivered in
the interest of adjustment, he had deter.
mined to take part IN the race for Con.
gress with his two distinguished fellow
citizens. Before he came here he had been
advised to be cautious how he talked at
Staunton about adjustment, but. while it
might be his misfortune, he had yet to
learn how to make different speech in
Augusta from that he made in Rocking
ham, Bath or Highland (Applause). He
held it to be the duty of politicians not to
found abroad, but to teach people indie
pendence and how to think and act for
themselves [Applause]. In speaking of
the low financial condition of the state, he
said that in Rockingham some $1,000 or
Sc, 600 was due the school teachers and the
state owed the school fund 100000. He
claimed that the talk about the honor of
the fathers was idle-one of the greatest
speeches made by Patrick Henry, was
against the enforcement of a contract and
the 'fathers" didn't pay anybody in the way
of national or state debts. Coming up on
the cars gentleman It'd him that this ad-
justment talk was running the reputa-
ton of the state and at the White Sulphur
Springs he had blushed to hear how Virgin
ia was spoken Of. What do they know at
the White Sulphur Springs Of the necessi-
ties of Virginia? What does the man in
New York, with his government bonds
sailed down in Washington, know of Vir-
ginia's needs 1t is easy for men to talk
about what people ought to do if they
DON'T have to do it themselves [Applause]
The speaker was in this fight Oh the Ad
justment policy and if he failed he inten
ded to die game and go down with the flag
flying. (Applause.) This is no time for
dodgers and shirkers. The congressional
seat is not my seat, nor Mr.. Massey's seat,
nor Judge Harris's seat; it is your seat to
give to who you please. (Applause.) He
knew his platform offended some well
meaning men in Augusta and some of his
friends but he couldn't help that, and if he
lost friends here and there be would have
to make it up out of, the masses-at all
events he wouldn't have but one platform
through the whole district. OF Mr.. Har-
ris's proposition to start the State banks
again, he said it would only give some peo-
pie employment in shaving money, that
have nothing to do now. and he would re-
gard their re.establisl ment as the greatest
that could befall the State. He
favored paying off the U s. bonds in green
backs and then those fellows that were set
tang back at the White Sulphur drawing
their interest, would have to invest their
money in something that would give the
people work. (Applause.) He said that the
making greenbacks receivable for all dues
to the government was not on the same
principle of parting with sovereignty as
making Virginia coupons receivable for
taxes, because the coupons are cancelled
and the greenbacks are issued over again,
and went out as currency and the news
paper (VINDICAT0R) assertion of the in
consistency Was i'll keeping with many OF
the editorials nowadays. lApplause.)
Mr.. Massey had spoken patronizingly OF
him us new convert and as one OF bis chill
dren, but Mr.. M. should recollect that the
fact that man had been soldier in the
ranks only made the better officer of him.
AS for Judge Harris. don't know when
be was converted. (Laughter.) I shall
have to leave that to Mr.. Massey, as he is
more eOpversant with penitents than am
lGreat Iaaghter.) One thing know: that
IN the contest in Rockingham for sending
Malone or Holiday delegates to the State
Convention he adjusted himself away from
the polls. And when we held an indigna-
ton meeting in Harris0nburg over 1t.
GOV. Walker calling Readjnsters thieves
and highway robbers, he rallied to the sup
port of Walker and endeavored to defeat
his censure by every means in his power.
And right we'll do we recollect that in his
letter to my dear Puryis'' he said adjus-
ment had nothing do with the eongEession-
al election, and refused to answer when
Joe Sherrard asked him in Bath il he
would have voted for the Barbour bill
Again; when the Readjusters held meet
ing to decide against sending delegates to
the district convention he tried to defeat
it, and remarked that be was ''a readjuster
in the cool"
Some of my friends Say am too young
to go to Congress. am as old as Judge
Harris was when he was sent. We Mustdo
like they do out in Indiana and Illinois and
those Western States.-When they Want
to carry a measure they don't wait for the
old member, but they just take new man,
a man of energy and brains, that thinks
i ust like they do, and they put him right
inf Avplause]. lind that all these good
friends that think I am too young are
good friends of Judge Harris, too Laugh
teri. Some want me to stay in the Senate,
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