Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-08-27
GENERAL GOFF,
AND HIS ADDRESS, LAST NIGHT.
A Fine Audience Listen to a Speech
Below the Generals Standard
His Remarks Reviewed.


Perhaps there is no speaker in the
Radical ranks within the confines oil
West Virginia, that has won such rep,
utation as brilliant orator rs General
Nathan Golf, Jr. He is generally re-
yarded by the Republicans as having al
his command prettier language and
more OF it, than any speaker tney can
their own. And further than this, they
look upon him with reverence as mar,
tyr. a man who has thrice been led
like a lamb to the slaughter, at the call
of his party, The two facts coupled,
drew out a large crowd at the announce
ment that he would address meeting
in the First ward, last night.
A stand had been erected on Market
street, where that thOroughiare IS inter-
sected by the pike. 1t was small, but
porveously hedizened with flags and
Chinese lanterns, row OF the latter
having been strung across the PIKE. in
the rear were chromos oil the hadicai
nominees at Chicago, surmounteI 10y
placard. which announced that WASH
inpton district spread its welcoming
arms TO the elegant General. The stand
faced south, fronting on space capaoie
Of containing 10000 people, though, II Is
needless to say, that many did not APP
pear. by large majority.
Gen. Golf arrived in town yesterday
morning and spent the afternoon, per.
hans. in preparing for greatest effort
Of bis life. In the evening he prepared
TO 20 up street. AS Is intimateu ABOVE,
he has somewhat OF reputation as
sneaker and this brought out great
many people, Democrats and others 10
hear what he might say. And the ward
clnhs. such as are organized, did noOiy.
The bows, especially, did we'll and turn
ed out some fifty strong, capped and nat,
ted and bearing torches. The FIRST
vard club made a fair sho and Tell
in. under command OF Capt. Otto IN vet
eran style. The procession thus form
ed. with Vaas' band in the lead and the
General i'm a carriage i'll the rear, started
mn Market street. Arrived at the STAND,
The procession opened and the barouche
swept slowly through and deposited ITS
contents on the stand. The crowd closed
about the elevation and the women ana
children hung on the outskirts. There
might have been as many as 2,oOO pres
emf, at one time, but the acoustic prop,
critics of the selected spot were not GOOD
and COTS voice was bad and before ne
finished the crowd had dwindled sadly:
About 8 O'Clock G.. p. Hamilton called
the meeting to order and named A. w.
Campbell as president, who, as there
was no imposition and no rival candl-
date, was promptly chosen. The duty
of introducing the General oil course fell
to Campbell, but before doing so, II
occurred to him that he might just as
we'll launch little speech OF his own
upon the crowd. This he at once pro-
ceeded to DO in his usual fashion. Those
who listened to Archie's attenuated
rhetoric i'm 1876 and 1873 will have no
difficulty i'm arriving at the burden anu
the SOM OF his grand oratory, and do not
need a lengthy report thereof. For
how many years and how often has
Archie told the people OF Wheeling that
twenty five years ago there were but
few of the brethren in this city, and
that now there are more! now
often have we heard MN TAX
about the schools in West Virginia, and
claim that the Radicals founded them,
We sometimes wonder II he thinks by
dint OF iteration he can make the people
take any stock in such cheek. These
two ideas of the yerbosity they called
forth embody the speech the Hon. A.
w. c. made last night.
Then it was that he introduced Coll
N a. IN hA
the applause was loud and gave indica,
cations ofsome enthusiasm. The crowd
expected a treat. They looked for
dish of reason, wit and learning, and
therefore they cheered for the feast that
was to come. But in all candor we
must say that never has so great
reputation produced 40 little outcome
a. did the remarks of Golf. His speech
throughout was decided failure ana
fell upon the crowd as flat and as stale
rs a tale a thousand times told. 1t
called forth not the slightest enthusl.
asm and no iaintest ripple OF sPontane.
Gus applause. Three or four times dur
ing the funeral march OF little Nathans
yhostly and saddening talk, a few cheers
were heard and an unobservant specta.
tor might have supposed that the crowd
had originated them OF Its own free and
sweet will, but those who were posted
could see Revenue Agent Atkinson give
the signal as to where the applause was
u he thrown in.
General Golf must do better il he de.
sires to establish a reputation as high as
that of fourth rate orator, Tor scarcely
Al 70
than the one which assembled to hear
him last night.
He began by contrasting the two can
didates for President, and said that DE
Golver was as brave and gallant a sol.
dier as ever lived but forgot to tell his
audience that this brave worthy lett the
field in the thick OF the fight, III the
very crisis Of the war, TO take a set in
Congress and play lively hand in the
fraudulent game OF Credit Mobllier
He then went on to say that Hancock
was a brave soldier and an honest
man, and right upon the heels oil tins
statement, he told his followers that
General Hancock had, by the :orce OF
military power, turned at one clip nine
civilians ont OF office. This Golf knew
to I've an un,ruth, and those who stood
i'm front OF him saw that he bushed
when making the statement, and
seemed to be surprised that even his
Radical hoodos would permit such
warn to pass uncontradicted. We
must do his audience the justice to say
that they did look a little dazed.
Then, il was said that Garfield was
the greatest statesman OF the age. ms
was too much, and not even smile was
seen on the Radical faces, while the
Democrats grinned to hear such things
from man who expected to hold the
l.. 5. District Attorneyship in case
I,ra1;, Nohiliar shonld he President.