Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-09-21
non. FONTAINE SMITH.
A Brief synopsis of His Speech Delivered
at the Great Democratic Meeting at
Dallas, w. va

A Brief Synopsis of His Speech Delivered
at the Great Democratic Meeting at
Dallas, w. Va
An account If the large Democratic
meeting held at Dallas, Marshall county,
". Va, on September Is, appeared in
the REGISTER OF YESTERDAY. Col. Ben
Wilson and Hon. FOntaine Smith
addressed the assemblage in very
lengthy speeches, but owing 10 a want
of space the REGISTER was compelled to
withhold q synopsis OF both, which were
made By its special reporter. This
morning the REGISTER publishes a brief
report OF the
SPEECH OF I'll H0N. /. SMITH,
who will be the next Senator from the
second Senatorial District OF this state.
IL was one OF the most forcible and
Interesting speeches delivered since the
opening OF the campaign. He opened
with q few local remarks, stating that
at would be difficult for me TO discuss
the subjects involved in the issues be.
tween the two great political parties
without referring to many things that
had been 50 forcibly presented by Col.
Wilson.
But I will endeavor in the first place to
point out a great injustice done us by
our ~opponents in their newspapers and
public speeches when they charge that
the Democratic party was the author oil
| secession. which led to the last war.
Justice demands that ! should say that
secession was not born o. Democracy,
but on the contrary it met with great
opposition from the Democratic party.
Tie last unhappy war was Of a 10
cal origin, and was to protect a
local institution, an institution pecu-
liar TO the South. 1t was a dernier re-
sort OF the Southern people to protect
their local institution-slayery, and was
participated in by all the people OF the
Southern States, without reference to
party. Two distinguished leaders oil the
Wing party OF Virginia at that time, and
Mr. John Bell, of Tennessee, the nomi-
nee for the Presidency, with Mr.. Evarts,
of Massachusetts,, as Vice President,
were about the first 10 give their adher-
ence to the doctrine OF secession as the
last and most eifeCtual means OF defend
ing their rights under the Constitution.
But the great National Dem
ocratic party, under the leader
ship OF Mr.. Douglass, opposed
secession, and when the war broke out
| contributed service OF the most heroic
kind in defense of the Union, and filled
the ranks 81 the army ofthc Union with
! some of tue bravest and heroic men the
world has ever seen. He then referred
| TO Democratic Missouri to show that she
| contributed 1911 soldiers to the Fed
eral army. "While Kentucky, which
was and has been stcadfastly Democratic,
| contributed 1925 soldiers TO the Fed
| ersl army. Missouri, Kentucky, West
Virginia, Maryland and Delaware, the
five border States, all OF which are now
solidly Democratic, contributed more
soldiers 10 suppress the rebellion, to.wit,
375,OS5, than Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Rhode Island, Connecticut,
| Minnesota, Kansas, California, Colorado,
| Nebraska, Oregon, Nevada and Iowa,
total 1922, all Of which
| have heretofore been steadiastly
| K pn5lican." lie therefore argued that
il was unjust TO charge the Democratic
| Marty rs being disloyal and u%nfriendly
10 the perpetuity of our Federal gov
ernment. Applause.l 1t is equally
untrue that secession was the offspring
o. the Democratic teaching upon the
subject of State rights. The Democratic
party, as a party, never taught
the doctrine that a State had a right to
veaceably secede from the Union. A
few extremists Of some party may have
then advocated such a doctrine, whilst
the Democratic party is and always has
been opposed to it. As has been said,
this doctrine had its origin in Massa'
chusetts and was firmly met and ami
hilated by a Democratic administration.
1t next showed its hydra-head in the
celebrated notification movements OF
South Carolina, which were SC etfectual-
" crushed out by President Jackson
one Of the fathers OF Democracy.
[Cheers.l On the contrary, the Demo-
cratic party has always taught that the
Federal Union is perpetual, and that
the highest and best hopes OF humanity
are subserved in its perpetuity.
The Republican party has
sought TO cast odium upon Democracy
by ridiculing the doctrine Of State rights,