Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-28
AT THE WIGWAM.
TWO BRILLIANT OBLIGATORY 40
DRESSES.
Col. Arnett's Seathing Review Of Golf S
Address-cracrafts Dissecting
the Rotten Argument Of
"SoIid South"

The "wigwam" erected by the gallant
Democracy OF the Seventh ward, on
Zane street, was dedicated, last night,
with regular Democratic speeches ana
an old time love feast. The building Is
OF wood, neatly made and finished, and
"a decorated with bunting aud pictures
of the National Democratic nominees.
The crowd present was not large, but
MAS exceedingly attentive and enthus!-
as,ic, being composed OF such men as
Gibson Lamb, q. A. Beail, W. ID. Eng
lish, James p. Rogers, John Z. Rosebo,
rough. G.. P. Brown, G. IL. Wheeler and
other pnminent Democrats.
About 8 o'clock the meeting was
called to order by Judge Rogers, presld-
inr chief OF the wigwam, who intro
dcced Colonel W. w. Afnett as the
first speaker OF the evening The
Colonel, after a short prelude, turned
his attention and paid his respects 10
the Republican orator OF Thursday
evening, the dapper little General
from Harrison County. He reviewed
in the most scathing manner the line oil
argument pursued by Golf, and fatteL-
ed out his speech in way that was
mite refreshing. Coli had charged the
Democratic party with want OF fixed
principles, shifting from year to year,
from time to time. This was utterly
untrue, and the speaker knew II.
Those principles which inspired the
party in the time OF jefferson
and OF Jackson inspired 1t today and
will SO continue as long as the Federal
constitution endured. Thegreat under
living principles, the cardinal doctrines
OF the party could always withstand the
n,utability of earthly things, but oil
comse there would be minor changes
70 suit the times and the wants OF the
people. Foolish would be the party
that had them not. But what party was
represented by the orator who had thus
charged the Democracy with cb anging!
Was not the Radical party forever
changing? 1t was the Wing and the
American, and only Uncle John Boring
memory went back far enough to tell
what it had not been in the past.
Its platJorm had been somewhat
changed from 1868 TO 1876. In the first
il declared certain amendments to
the Constitution null and void, and
in the second. it accepted them.
OF course those amendments were
null and void. as the necessary
majority OF States had been obtained by
coercion. The South, then undergoing
the reconstruction process, had been
told it must adopt those amendments or
be wiped out Of the Union. 1t had
adopted them. No court would have
sustained them. as the same principle
applies which applies to signature to q
note obtained at the pistols mouth. He
himself had experienced this coercion
this pressure of the military power.
Down in Virginia, Ben Butler had stood
over him with his cockeye upon him
and said: Here, you lat rascal, vote
for those amendments" He did so and
was let up. The first name on the roll
OF the Legislature, recorded IN the al
iirmative, was that ol W. w. Arnett;
and his constituents has approved it.
Then in 1876 the platform had accepted
the amendments, then forced upon the
people. This was the change the Cen
cial had prated about.
Then the speaker took up Colts little
appeal to the Democrats to come out OF
the South and JON the ranks OF the Re-
publican patriots. Coil should been
there to have heard the bottom bounced
from his argument, il argument it could
be called.
Goh had dilated upon the horrors OF
the South, with it's frauds and stuffed
ballot boxes, and said We West Virgin
lans could not appreciate such things.
But did not that versatile gentleman tell
the the National Committee that the
ku-kluX and night-riders in this State
made it dangerous to be a Republican?
And to show how the poor colored
brother was buldozed Radical cam.
paiyn liel in the South, Colonel
Arnett related an incident III
Chico county. Arkansas.
Acolored man had been elected Sheriff
of that Democratic county and then was
unable to give bond. In his extremity,
he called upon some Democratic friends
and they went on his bond to the
amount OF Sl20,00O. Here was intlmi-
dalton for you,
And he related the circumstances con-
nected with VIM. III. Council. the color
ed editor OF the Herald, OF Huntsville,
Alabama, who, Democrat had stood
out against his enemies until he
triumphed. And this was told TO an
swer the argument of GOii, showing the
decrease OF the Radical vote. But the
General had stood up and with the Iri-
buns almanac with slip pasted in it
RIA these figures.
Then came that race OF Radical car
pet baggers, which, worse than the Upas,
orthe bosom oil destruction had swooped
down and beggared the already pros
trate and bleeding South, and this was
some more Radical intimidation. Gem
eral Coil should have been there TO hear
the little speech which tore 10 flinders
his poor array OF so called arguments.
Col. Arnett's spec n was COO, calm and
brimful of argument, powerful, clear
aud convincing He spoke for at leas
an hour, during which he was often APP
plauded and always listened to with at
tcntion.
Then came Bridge Cracrait and such an
other D ,ech was never. heard OH the Gar
den Spot" Ii overlooked with humor,
with scathing sarcasm, with bitter de-
nunciation. Now his hearers would he
convulsed with laughter and now stilled
with burst OF fine language, eloquent
lv describing some wrong or advocating
a right. He began in humorous strain,
by wishing the wigwam contained all
the braves from the Democratic hunting
ground OF Wetzel and kanawha, Wy
oming and Pocahontas, even from the
Republican camps OF Monongalia and
the little Radical sachem from
Ohio. Then would the highest
feather be worn and the scalping knife
be reeking with gore. ILaughter.l But
he believed the battle should be fought
with the velvety lip OF the rose leaf and
not with its thorn, though he would
certainly like to plunge one of the thorns
into certain OF the Radical leaders, for
the lies they had told.
There was but one argument in the
mouths OF Republican stumpers and