Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-10-29
FOR the SPECTATOR
Letter From BarterbrOOk.
FURTHERMORE. Oct 26th I,

BARTERBRooK, Oct. Goth, 1878.
EDS. SPECTATOR A few days SINCE
it was announced through the columns
of your paper, as we'll as those of your
neighbors, that there would be public
speaking at this sequestered village on
the evening of the 18th inst. Accord
ingly very select audience awaited the
speakers, who proved to De two of
Stappton's young lawyers, Messrs. Pat
rick and Tucker. These gentlemen
ably advocated the Principles ad-
vanced by Gen. Echols, the candidate
of their choice, and held," very Justly
too, that the principles of the man, and
not the man himself should call forth
the suffrage of the people. Touching
lightly on the State debt question, with
the ott-repeated remark that it did not
properly belong to a Congressional cam
paign, they urged upon the people to
think for thenfselves on the currency
question, and proved to them that no
government was so sound in regard to
hNcurrency as that one which built on
gold and silver basis.
Two days after this speaking, our
usually quiet community was again
somewhat startled by the announce
ment that there would again he public
speaking at RaFterhr0uk Oh last Thurs
day evening. This was pre-eminently
Harris meeting" and no little Curl
osity was felt and expressed as to who
would be the orator of the OCCASION
BarterbrCOk and its vicinity are noted
and coErteSy CT the inhabitants, and
nothing would weigh more heavily up
on their minds than to think any one
had been treated with discourtesy. At
the appointed time, therefore, a goodly
crowd had assembled aud all was expec-
tation. This was relieved by the ap-
pearance of the orator of the evening,
our falloY- citizen and friend, Mr.. A. A.
Alexander. The gentleman commenced
his speech with the remark, that it was
the first stump speech he had ever at
tempted to make, and hoped like the
| school boy of old, that his audience
! would not view him with critics
eye, but pass all his imperfections by"
he remarked that as the views of Gen.
EchOls had been eXpounded week pre-
vious, he thought that it was eminently
proper that Judge Harris should have q
representative, and confirmed his re
mark by reading the Judges letter.
| published two weeks ago in The Staun-
ton papers. He argued that as Mr.. Har-
riss past record in Congress had been
irreproachable, this should be one grand
inducement for the people to vote fol-
him. Mr.. Harris's Views on the cur
rency question the gentleman ably up.
held, but failed to say whether DC
agrees with him in regard to the State
debt. We hope that he does not. In
the course of his speech he adverted tc
the fact that all men had enemies who
tried to injure them, and referred as an
example to ancient and holy writ, where
Daniels enemies worked for his de.
struction. Daniels fault was that he
was found upon his knees in prayer
The gentleman did not inform us wheth.
er Judge Harris's opponents ever made
the same accusation. After speaking
forty-hve minutes the speaker took hi
seat amidst long and loud applause.
| Several gentlemen were called upor
to speak, but none responded, and tn,
inference was that all thought that lit
tie boats should keep near the shore
We hope the success that attended tn,
gentleman's first effort may be but
token of what yet awaits him, and tina
he will not bury his talent, but otter
favor us in the future as he did a few
evenings ago. We are now compelled
to subscribe ourself and this letter as
FAITHFUL AND TRUE.