The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-30
More Democratic Harmony.

PULLING.
Monday last was county court day and as
a matter of course there was political speaking.
Jno Paul, readjuster candidate for Congress,
was announced to speak in behalf OF himself
and the July ticket, and Col. Jas. ii. Skinner
was to represent the funder, 10Th of May ticket.
A large crowd of country people were in town.
discussion was arranged and at the hour
fixed for the meeting to commence, the Court
House was packed. Paurs entrance was
greeted with deafening shouts from his adhe-
rents who seemed to he in majority and full
ly armed and equipped for any feats of ap-
plause. The tunders ere also demonstrative
and came amply prepared for the battle Of the
lungs. Fiercely the fight waged between
them. Each faction shrieked and screamed
like demons, as its champion cut or thrust.
There was no appeal tor quarter and no dis
position to call halt on either side. They
have enlisted for the war. and it is to be war
to the knife. At every meeting the feeling be-
comes bitterer-the breach widens. Conserva-
tive Augusta almost equals iniamnatory Rock
ingham The meeting on Monday was more
like Harrisonburg gathering than its prede-
cessors held in Staunton.
1t being the readjusters' day, S. Brown AL
len, chairman of the Readjuster County Com
mttee, called the meeting to order and an
nounced the terms of the discussion as follows:
Col. Skinner was to lead off in one hour, Capt
Paul to follow in like time; Skinner to have
thirty minutes for rejoinder and Paul thirty
minutes to close.
COL. SKINNER,
after some illusions to Paul and Malone com
menced by stating that for some years past he
had not been actively engaged in politics. In
days gone by, however, he had upheld the
Democratic banner against any and all corners,
and now when again called upon he would
not shrink from the duty. He was Democrat
and in a sense, a Bourbon. He believed that
the WI lite people of Virginia should manage
its affairs but to prove that he had no hostility
towards the negro, said that he had given $500
to a colored school in Petersburg He then
briefly reviewed the history of the Democratic
party since the Wharf.-The candidates it had
presented and the old story OF so-caled fraud
in the election OF IL. Coming down 10 the pres
ent he pictured Gen. Hancock in glowing terms
for his order No 40 and invcighed against Gar
field for having refused to give Il vote of thanks
to Hancock and for his alleged declaration
that he would vote to disfranclii,e Conteder
ate soldiers forever That was all the allusion
If hic
party colleagues, Col Skinner did not descend
to Il retailing of the groun,iless ISLANDERS against
Gent Garfeld-slailders which are infamously
false and are resorted to only by those whose
mental poverty is a standing protest against
anything like argument. The speaker then
proceeded to tell OF the regularity of the May
ticket and the efforts made 10y the flinders to
effect compromise. How the readjusters had
been undecided as to which of the national
tickets they would support, and the reputed
inclination of Malone towards Gen'l Grant
&c. He closed the best speech from his side
we have heard in the canvass by saying that
the best thing that could be done with the
leaders OF the read listers was to send them to
Congress or somewhere else out Of the State,
and by asking Paul what would be his posi-
ton in reference to the national debt should
he be returned as the representative of this
district. Throughout the speech there were
number of excellent hits and APPLY applied IA
bles and illustrations and loudly and roundly
were they applauded.
CAPT. PAUL
was wildly cheered as he came forward, and
the applause was renewed with fresh vgor
when he commenced by saying that he had
canvassed the State from the mountain to the
sea, and from the Potomac to the Tennessee
line and had met all sorts and kinds of politi-
cal opponents, but this was the first time he
had ever been brought face to face with real
live genuine Bourbon. He then pitched into
Col. Skinner with gloves off, and in his usual
style made the fur fly. He defended the July
ticket, saying that the readjusters had proposed
acompromse upon exactly the same terms, with
reference TO primaries, as had been set forth in
the call for the May convention. He de-
nounced the Bourbons for their intolerance,
hatred and malignity, and for their undemo-
cratic methods. They were afraid, he said, to
ever submit their claims or propositions to
the people, for they knew that upon every oc-
casion they were signally rebuked by those
whose confidence they had betrayed and
and whose interests they had shamefully disre-
garded With force and fervor the speaker
poured it into his opponent and the crowd
yelled like mad men. "Go for him" Hit
him again." and like EXPLANATIONS resounded
and re-resounded from all sides of the court
room and men stamped and waved their hasand
shrieked until DR.. Fauntleroy turned pale at
the thought of the inadequate accommodations
at the Asylum and the demands that would
likely be made upon HIM.
THE REJoINDERs.
By the time Paul had gotten through with
his first speech, funder spirits had dropped to
zero and were feeling for the bottom whilst
the readjusters were at white heat. eau
tiously Skinner came to the front and anxious
ly his friends watched the attack But their
anxiety soon faded away for with telling effect
he brought up his reserve forces and charged
straight for the enemy's breastworks. 1t was
a splendid assault and assumed the proportions
of a storm. Like hail the polemic blows fell
sharp, keen and incisive, whilst those whose
heads moment before dropped, now thunder
ed forth the most deafening and defiant APP
plause and the building shook with the echoed
shouts
When Skinner had finished, Paul came up to
the string in excellent keller and with terrific
earnestness renewed the battle. The harder
he struck the louder his friends cheered Paul
put in some of his best ticks and they went
straight to the mark. He was fierce, defiant
uncompromising and bitter and the more this
feeling was manifest the more pleased were
his supporters, and louder rang their storm
of assent.
We have not undertaken to give anything
like synopsis of either speech. In substance
they were but a repetition of funder and read
juster speeches as now heard from almost
every hustings in the Commonwealth, and as
have before been reported through these col