The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-23
A Divided Democracy.

WISE GIVES HIS VIEWS OF FUNDEKlSh-
VANCE OF N. c., UPHoLDs THE FUNDER FLAG.
We venture to say that Harrisonburg can
supply more politics to the square inch than
any town within the broad limits of the Union.
Every urchin foot high is partizan, and
every boy, youth or man goes into the polltl-
cal business as if his souls salvation depended
upon the result Last Monday was regular
gala day. Before noon quite large crowd
was in town, notwithstanding the fact that
the seeding and corn cutting season is at hand.
In the morning magnificent Readjuster ban
ner was thrown across Main street in front OF
the Court House. 1t is the handsomest cam
paigu flag we have ever seen in Virginia.
Inscribed on it are the names of the National
Democratic candidates for President and
Vice President, Jno. Paul for Congress, and
several notices. In the centre is the coat
of arms of Virginia. In size and artistic
execution it quite surpasses the funder flag
which was thrown to the breeze several weeks
ago, but which for some reason, has since
been taken il, When the passengers from
Stanton reached the scene on Monday, the
readiuster banner had just been suspended, and
beneath it, and all around the square and
streets centering there, were little knots OF
men discussing the situation. Each group had
two or three orators and wildly did they GEES
ticulate The pavements were blockaded, and
the air was thick with imprecatons OF read
ulster and filnder, Paul and anti-Paul advo-
Gates. Never before in any political contest
have we seen such bitterness manifested The
adherents of the two factions seemed ready to
fly at each others Threats upon the slightest
provocation. As one passed along the street
and listened for Il moment TO the sounds which
greeted his ears, he could well understand why
the alleged compromise scheme had ended so
tarcically in Richmond last week. National
politics are entirely subordinate to the
spirit of antagonsm between the funder and
readiuster, and any reconciliation that could
be patched up between them would indeed be
hollow truce. They actually hate each other
and many there are who, if The alternative was
with Republicans rather than see their enc
mics in State matters i'll the ascendency.
When Coy Vance and others spoke'in Har-
risonburg week before last, it was then an
nounced that at least some of the same speak
els would address the voters OF Rockingham
on Monday. In the meantime the read
illsters had determined to hold IA meeting on
the same day, and joan 5. Wise Of Richmond,
was invited TO be present. The Funders had
possession of the Court House, and the read
llsters gathered in front OF Paul's Office, where
A stand had been erected. The Harrisonburg
band was engaged for the outdoor meeting,
and by one O'clock, the hour announced for
the commencement Of both meetings, a large
crowd had assembled Just before the read
iusters opened fire it was announced from the
Court House steps that GOV. Vance would
speak inside. This announcement was greeted
with storm Of derisive ''b-a-hs" and Kisses, and
then the respective audiences separated. Those
who remained outside numbered twice or thrice
as MANY as those who listened to Vances
speech The meeting in the yard was organ
lied and
JNO S. WISE
of Richmond, was introduced. Wise's appear
ance was the signal for round after round of
applause The crowd was eager for funder
blood, and they knew that he who stood be-
fore them didn't intend to spare the steel.
From the jump they were gratified. The
speaker commenced by stating that he had
come in the interest of peace; he had appeal
ed to the flinders to allow their champion to
meet him in joint debate; he had offered them
their own terms and had promised to be a
gentle with them as he could. But his oyer
lures had been rejected for the reason that,
funder like, they were afraid to let the people
see how weak their cause was when compared
with the yeoman strength of readjustment.
With this preliminary discharge, he COM
menced to pour in the hot shot and almost
every utterance was caught up in a whirlwind
of cheers. He denounced Vance as tar heel
Knownothing, who, when Henry A. Wise
was fighting the great battle of democracy in
the State of Virginia, was the leader of Know
nothingism in North Carolina and now had
been imported to teach the people Of the old
tenth legion of Democracy what their duty
was He came from State that had openly
repudiated its debt and yet his special mission
here is to teach Virginians what State honor
is. He was fit representative of the party
whose cause he had lately espoused. A party
which on the true Knownothing principle
organized its clubs and pledged the members to
secrecy as to the transactions in meeting and
pledged them also not to attend readjuster
gatherings; a party which with the cry of
honor on their lips had rushed the State to
rain; party more bitter and intolerant than
the rank Radicalism of the past, and which had
voted to make Horace Greeley president, and
place WINS. G. Wickham in the United States
Senate AS the speaker proceeded with his
fierce philippe, the crowd yelled like mad men
and seemed wild with delight, "Give 'em
HI !" "Hit him again," go for him Johnnie
were but few of the countless EXPLANATIONS
with which Wise was interrupted. After he
had polished up Vance he turned his attention
to Harris and Moffett and thick and fast hail
ed the blows upon them while the crowd yelled
more flriously than ever. Moffett's name was
greeted with Kisses and boots and cries of
traitor" and Harris Jared but little better
GenI Echols and Judge Allen came in for
share of attention and Garfield was denounced
for his alleged hatred of Southern soldiers.
In regard to the Richmond compromise fail
ure the speaker said that true to their past
record the funders feared the people and
dared not submit their claims to primary
But they had been made to show the hollow
ness of their pretence in claiming to desire the
election of Hancock and English, for they had
rejected the only means by which they could
have contributed to that result. Throughout,
the speech was bitter and uncompromising,
but it was exactly what his audience longed
for and when the speaker stated that the fight
was to be hand to hand and throat to throat,
and that he would die in the ditch rather than
surrender. his words were caught up in hur-
ricane of applause.
John Paul, the readjuster candidate for con-
gress, followed Wise in a short speech, in
which he echoed pretty much what his prede-