The Portland daily press., 1879-08-27
HALL VS.. HARPER.
Another Greenbacker Busted"

When Gen. Hall appeared ON the ground at
Shapleigh Corners, Tuesday, by appointment
of the Republican committee, he found the
Greenbackers had asked for half the time, and
that Col. Harper of Illinois was to speak for
them.
He replied that while he regarded these po-
litical tramps who were endeavoring to destroy
the settled business of the country, with con-
tempt, yet if the Republican committee so de-
sired, ne would be only too happy to demolish
the Colonel.
Arrangements having been made for each to
have one hour and a quarter, Gen. Hall
opened and spoke thirteen minutes, arraigning
the Greenback leaders as disturbers of the bus
mess interests, appealing to low prejudice as
they do, classifying all records and history,
striving to build up party on fault finding,
and then briefly gave an accurate history OF
the greenbacks, bonds, and banks, citing the
several acts of Congress, and declaring that
the financial legislation and management of
the Republican party, for eighteen years,
would compare most favorably with the best
record ever made by any party on earth.
Col. Harper then began by stating that he
had attended every Republican national con-
vention from the first to the last, and until
1877 was one of the active men of that party.
He then launched out into the same old abuse
of the financial legislation from 1862 to date,
abused Sherman, Grant, and everybody else,
told the silly story about the nickes and sub
sidiary coin, ETC. Then he shrieked about
how hard money and resumption had produced
murder, insanity, tramps, and wickedness gem
orally, at the same time asserting that he was
amember of the Presbyterian church. The
whole talk was but TRADE of misstatements
and abuse; yet no Republican in any way in
terfered with him, and the General sat at his
side in the desk facing the audience, and now
and then taking notes. Harper quit with eight
minutes of time left to his credit.
Then the General followed with one hour,
during which he belabored Harper most sound
ly for having allowed himself to belong to a
party through all the years when it was COM
hitting the outrages which he had assumed to
portray; and this he did in a manner that
made the Colonel vince. He arraigned him
for boasting of his professed religion, when he
stood up anG slandered his fellow men, and at
tempted to prove that every body but himself
was dishonest. We venture to say that never
was there discussion where an audience was
more thoroughly convinced of the unfairness
of the contest, than this enc; for every point
the Colonel attempted to make, was turned by
Gen. Hall against the Greenbackers and for
the last half hour Col. Harper, who left the
desk the moment Gen. Hall began his rejoin-
der, and took seat down on the floor back to
the audience hung his head. The audience
made up from of all parties, during the Gen.
erals peroration sat with breathless Stiffness
and hearty burst of applause followed the
closing sentence.
AS we have said the Republicans treated
Col. Harper with the utmost civility but the
moment Gen. Hall began his reply, while he
was making a terribly damaging charge upon
the Colonel, from several parts of the hall
came Interruptions; and one or two arose and
advanced toward the speaker.
At this point the General, breaking from his
line of argument administered to his disturb
ers a rebuke that they will probably never for
get. In manner that must have been wit
messed to be appreciated, with force OF will and
determination of voice and gesture, he said
"Now you fellows don't know what trouble
you are making for yourselves, and the sooner
YOU stop this interruption, the better it will be
for YOU" Still they kept it up, and one man
moved still nearer the desk, when the General
with increasing force said: "You miserable,
ill-bred scoundrels, do you think you can break
up this meeting, as your plans evidently are?
If you don't stop now, Immediately, I'll come
down there and beat the cussedness out of your
poor weak heads, and I'll do it very quickly if
there is any more of this business" The de-
termined, cool and plucky manner OF the Cen
eral convinced them that there was no boy to
contend with, and order was at once restored.
During the disturbance an elderly gentleman
arose and said he was Greenbacker, but de-
nounced this interruption as mean and ungen-
tlemanly. The Republicans are jubilant over
this signal victory, while the combination are
down in the mouth. and free to curse the day
that ever brought Col. Harper in contact with
GaD Hall 5,