Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-01
Local
SKINNER AND PAUL.

SklNNEk AMI PAUL.
A FIELD DAY FOR THE OLD TIME DEMOC-
RACY-A POLISHED BUT SINGING
SPEECH FROM AN OLD LINE DEMOCRAT
CAPT. PAUL's RECORD ON BEING
'sREAD oUT''-THE NEGROES IN THE
GALLERY SAY THEY ARE GOING TO
SUPPORT GARFIELD.
&C., &C., sc.
Monday last was appointed by the DEM
ocratic Committee, for Col. James H.
Skinner to address the people of Augusta,
on the issues of the day. When the ap-
pointment was made the committee had
no knowledge of the:fact that the Readjus-.
ter Committee had previously secured the
Court House for an address by Senator
Paul. The speaking on that day therefore
had to be arranged as at Readjuster
meeting, giving Capt. Paul the advantage
of the close. The Readjusters were out
in all their strength both Of voters and
lungs, the latter being well filled to huZza
for Capt. Paul who Is by long odds the
most popular man in that patty in this
vicinity. The audience was large, but
though technically Readjuster assem-
blage more than one half were Democrats.
We may as we'll premise that quiet feel
ing OF apprehension prevailed among the
Democrats that their champion who has,
to our loss, been too seldom heard on the
rostrum in past years might not be able to
hold his own IN a popular speech with the
practiced and adroit stumper who was pit
ted against hip. How groundless this ap-
prehension was the wild and prolonged
cheering with which the crowd welcomed
| the mastery manner in which Col. Skin
ner made his points, soon showed. AT
some points it was some minutes before
the cheering subsidized sufficiently to per
NIT the speaker to proceed. Mr.. $. B. Allen
the Readjuster elector for this district,
presided, and after stating the terns-Col.
Skinner an hour, Capt. Paul an hour, Col.
S. half hour rejoinder and Capt. T.
half hour to close-he introduced the
speakers.
Col. James q. Skinner,
said it was long time since he had had
the privilege of facing. on political ques-
ton, such an audience as this. His posi-
ton as canvasser for this congressional
district had not been sought, but, having
been conferred upon him by the State
Committee of the Conservative party he
had felt it his duty to accept it, duty
which every man owed-to contribute what
no oou1d Tn tho oausn Of trllth
NOT A SEEKER FOR OFFICE.
He had nothing to ask from his hearers;
was no candid ate for any office within
their gift, but was here simply to consider
public questions and without the heat OF
party passion or personal interest. He
had rot pitted himself against the politica
athlete, who was to answer him, and in
deed up to this morning had not expected
any discussion atall, but merely to express
his views to those people of Augusta who
| desired to hear them. It had been long
I time since he had appeared as political
speaker while his opponent, he supposed,
had made at least fifty speeches to his one.
On former occasion, in Staunton. that
gentleman had showed willingness, like
Goliah of old to give his flesh to the birds
| of the air to devour, but he stood ready
though as small as little David, to take his
chances. [Applause.] He had not much
| flesh on his bones to be devoured but he
thought he had fully as much as the lea
der tGen. Mahone) of his opponent, OF
whom it was said during the war that il
was impossible that he could receive a flesh
wound-being too thin for bullet to
strike without breaking bone. The
| General, however, of late had developed
rapidly and if..noJ possessing more flesh, at
least had developed more cheek than any
man in Virginia-unless it be some of the
gentlemen who upheld him. Applause
THE SORT OF BOURBON HE IS.
All knew where he, (Col. ST. stood as a
Democrat. Before the war, he had car
| RED the banner of the Democracy in this
county even when it was forlorn hope.
To-day he stood the same upholder of the
National Democratic banner. We all re-
membered how the old Wings and Demo-
Gratis had fused in one party after the war.
Since then and until now he had been a
Conservative, and in has sense at least, a
Bourbon. The people of Virginia had
nothing to learn since the days and the
principles of Jefferson and Madison. The
principles of that day are the principles of
this. He, the speaker, was Bourbon in
tbis; that the white people of Virginia
the intelligence of the State ought to gov
ern it, [cheers] and any proposition to sub
vert this was wicked and mischievous,
[cheersI. This was said in no spirit of
hostility to the colored men. He had done
all in his power to elevate them and as an
evidence of this would state that in the
last five years he had contributed $500 out
of his own pocket to the support of a
school in Petersburg intended for the i'm
provement and elevation of the colored
man.
vIRGINIA's POSITION IN NATIONAL
POLITICS.
The speaker held that there we're no is
sues now which ought to divide the men
who had fought under the Conservative
banner. In 1868, Horatio Seymour, that
noblest of Democrats, had been nominated
by them and been defeated. In ~ chat party
cast aside all it's political prejudices and
nominated Horace Greedy who Lad shown
a disposition to heal the wounds of the
nation inflicted by the war, and recognize
the people of the South as citizens of the
Union. In 1876 they nominated Samuel
r Of I vrh
there is no wiser, no ADLER statesman in