The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-09-18
THE ROCKINGHAM RALLY.

wITHERs AND TUCKER ENCOUNTER PAUL
/ AND RIDDLEBERGER AT HARRIsoNBURG
THE BACKBONE OF NOZARrIsM RECEIVES
a SEVERE sHoCK-ATTORNEY GENERAL
FIELD ON THE STUMP.
Reader, in drought Of crcuses, and when
amusements of a like eleyating and instruc-
burg on :. county court day and hear po-
litical discussion 1t is the best substitute
that the Ingenuity of man could devise, and
Just so Tonga the four walls of the Rocking
ham Court House are able to withstand the
shock OF occasions like that Of Monday last,
Just so long will we favor an excessive tax
N foreign menageries, and direct the atten-
ton OF patriotic citizens to the profit and
necessity OF encouraging home enterprises.
We of Augusta, who are accustomed to note
the meagre attendance and languid interest
with which the greater part OF our political
gatherings are marked. can form little idea
of the enthusiasm and wild delight OF the
citizens of our neighboring county, when an
opportunity is offered of screaming VA h
for Paul, and indb!ging in a mad revel Of
boisterousness. They go into it with vim
and determna tion t. which we are strangers,
and from the grey haired grandsire to the
urchin just introduced to the dignity OF first
pants. each considers himself the specia-
champion of the loud mouthed, and plunges
into the business with an ardor that threatl
ems every moment to rend him into thons-
and pieces and resolve the particular parts
into reverberatng echoes. Noise, thunder
ing, ,leafening and terrific, seems to be the
mission of their temporary existence, and
when stirred TO the depths. the tumult oil
Pantlemoniuin is as a soothing lullaby.
Many and oft have been tie times when the
old Court House has trembled from cupola to
foundation stone with the yells and screams
of its people, but never yet has there been
such an exhibition of lung power as that at
forded on Monday last.
It had been widely advertised that polit-
zeal discussion of no little magnitude was to
take place, and no men within the broad
limits of this Union more readily respond to
such a summons than do the voters OF Rock
ingham. From Port Republic to Brooks
Gap, and from Messy Creek to the Shenan-
doah line they poured in. The advocates OF
the McCulloch bill were to beard the cham.
Mons OF the Mozarters in their stronghold,
and all knew that the fight was to be fierce
one. Each side bad marshalled its clans, and
was eager for the fray, and the time con-
sumed in the arrangement of preliminaries
was grudgingly spared.
When the meeting was called to order,the
court room was packet, and Col. Emanuel
Sine took the chair. The skirmish COM
menced by DR.. Moffett announcing himself
as candidate for the Legislature in opposi-
ton to the McCulloch bill, and then the plan
of enga gement was laid. Harry Riddleber-
ger was to lead off, and to be followed in the
order by Senator Withers, Senator Paul and
Hon. J. Ran. Tucker. Each OF these were
to consume one hour and ten minutes, and
Riddleberser was to have ten minutes 10
| close.
When the train from Staunton reached
Harrisonburg, Riddleberger had been speak
ing nearly en- hour, and we were consequent
iy debarred from hearing much more than
the closing sentences. All who have ever
listened to Harry Riddleberger on the stump
must acknowledge him an able, ready and
polished speaker. His blows fall thick and
fast, and ere one is parted, another Is aim
ed. His chief desire seems to be to put in
the number, without regard to the effect, land
in striving for this he loses sight of real sub
stantial advantages that might be obtained.
We have never heard n public speaker so
thoroughly reckless OF assertion. and in this
his chief fault as q political champion lies.
Towards the close of his speech on Monday,
he charged Senator Nithers with having
been, as the editor oil the Richmond Enquir-
er, the active advocate of the old Funding
Bill, and then arragned him for dereliction
of duty in the Senate, in that he failed to
work for and secure tie 50 100000 due the
| State by the general government. lie also
waded into Hugh McCulloch, denounclng
him as a sharper who was trading on the
misfortunes OF Virginia. In reply to the
question ''wilat you propose to do, it the
present bill is repeaed?'' Mr. Riddleberger
answered that as soon as the Mozarters Sc
cured rwo-thrlls of the Legislature, then he
would show them what they would do. AT
the conclusion of his speech which was fire.
quently interrupted by applause. lond cheers
assembled, and when
SENATOR wIrHERs
advanced to the front, the shouts of paul -
ssPanl - "Withers ~ ssWithers y were
deafening, and there was an evident inten-
ton to cry the speaker down. But the man
who faced them was not to be silenced by any
such means. We have never been partic-
ularly ardent admirer OF Senator Withers,
! but as he stood there with his hair thrown
back from his forehead, and manhood de-
pieted in every lineament of his face, de-
handing simple justice. fair play and that
courtesy which Virginian 81 ould never need
prompting to accord he looked the worthy
ch ampion Of any cause. however noble it
might be. And well did bis conduct bear
out the app earance, for in the hour that sue
ceeded he made clear, convincing and cap
| ital argument BY far the best of the occa-
|
son, so far as the merits OF the McCulloch
| bill were concerned. When order was re-
stored Senator Withers turned to Captain
Ridlleberger, and denied point blank the
charges made against him-denied that he
had ever written paragraph in favor OF the
| funding bill of 1S71-denied that he was the
editor OF the Enquirer until after the fund
|
ing bill was passed, or that he had penned
sentence for that paper prior to that time.
He recognized. he 81 id, the right of every citi-
zen OF Va to cliticise his Senatorial course,
and he was prepared to meet the response
blity that attached to any OF his official acts.
With reference to the 81 100000, lie had la
bored day and night to secure it. and al
though it had failed by vote of two to pass
last session, he had strong hopes of yet get
ting it.
Nothing rebounds with such telling effect
as charge boldly made which meets with
point blank denial in the teeth of its utterer,
| and as Senator Witbers refuted outright, one