The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-08-18
The Campaign Fully Opened.

CAMERON AND DANIEL AT HARRISONBURG
One OF the most knightly political en-
counters it has ever been our pleasure to
witness occurred at Harrisonburg on Mon
day last. 1t brought up the remembrance
of the conflcts.of other days which threw into
the arena of debate the brilliant intellec-
tions of Bots and Pendleton, and the ell
der and younger Baldwin, and Stuart and
Smith, from whose we'll stored minds, a
flood of information was poured out upon
the people and whose mental guage dis
dained the low arts of the demagogue and
the stage acting of the harlequin. The re-
fined courtesies of the gentleman threaded
through the entire discussion, appealing to
the finer sensibilties of humanity and en-
gaging the thoughts, Without arousing the
fiercer passions. IL was adisplay OF manly
rivalry upon theatre which had wit
messed. too frequently, lower order OF en-
counter, designed, in the absence OF mas
telly grasp of the questions under dispute,
to arouse the feelings. infiame the passions
and provoke to violent demonstrations, be-
cause of the want of mental training and
power to reach and hold the reason. The
effect, too, was most salutary. Instead OF
the wild huzza and deafening shout-the
| turbulent storm aud fury-the aggressive
gestures and confused intermingling of an
grv voices and leather lungs, there was
mellow atmosphere that moved among the
masses and held in decOrous respect and at
tentive interest the immense audience
which had assembled on the occasion. The
applause which greeted each speaker. as
general thing. was the natural and sponta-
neous outburst of responsive sentiment,
and not the harsh gratings of the ma
chine" as the master Of ceremonies would
give the wink and indicate by nod the place
where the applause was to come in. Sharp
encounters were tempered by innate refine
ment, and the penetrating thrust OF fact OF
personal record, robbed of its sting by the
knightly courtesy which betokened the alb
sence of malicious intent or rancOrOus en-
Wy. II was an engagement of gallant con-
testants for the high prize of the confidence
and support of an honest, straightforward
people, in which was demanded the presen-
tation of the cause of each that the grand
as ze to which they appealed might know
the facts and verdict render. And never
did dsputant maintain his side with more
earnest arlor or assail his antagonist with
better tempered courage. than did the Re-
| adjuster and Democratic candidates for
| Governor at Harrisonburg last Monday.
| 1t had been announced for several weeks
that Col. W. f. Cameron, nominated for
Governor by the Re adiuster Convention
| VIII icl met in r edmond on the I'd day of
June. would speak there on the 18th inst
and it was known for several days previous
to the meeting. that Maj John w. Daniel,
the Democratic nominee for Cove rnor by
! the Conservative Democratic Convention
which assembled in Richmond Oh the 4th
of August, would meet him on that occa-
sion. IA large number of the citizens of
Rockingham, and not few from adjacent
counties, gathered there to witness the en-
counter. An awning had been erected in
front of the United States Marshal's Office
in the Court House Square, and some seats
imprOvised for the accommodation of those
present. Around and about these the au-
dence had gathered At half-past II
o'clock DR.. j. w. Webb. Chairman of the
Re-adjuster Coz mittee. announced the
terms of discussion-Col. Cameron to lead
off in a speech of one hour and a quarter
Maj. Daniel to follow in the same length OF
time, |. Cameron to speak three quar-
similar allotment of time.
COL. CAMERON
opened the discussion in a graceful allusion
to the part the delegates from Rockingham
had taken in his nomination, and then
plunged into the bowels" of the issues,
that he assumed were to be determined in
November next. He discussed the McCul-
loch Bill, denounced its provisions, and
congratulated the people that they had es-
capped from what he charged was its mon
strous wrongs, through Re-adjuster inter
vention. He arraigned Maj. Daniel on his
record. as member of the Legislature on
this bill outlined and commended the Rid
dleberger Bill, an re-asserted that the hon.
est debt of the State was not more than
s20,000,0 900, the amount his party intended
to provide for paying, with three per cent.
interest. The facts and arguments of the
gentlemen representing.Col. Cameron's po-
sition in this canvass are fam iliar to the peo-
pie, and it is not our purpose to consume
space in giving them in detail. The point
of his remarks, boiled down, was that the
Riddleberger Bill was just proposition for
the settlement of the debt that it was all
that the State owed and was all the people
were able to pay; and hence he argued for
his own support as the representative OF
that measure. The other point-the two
that are really issues in this canvass
the repeal of the capitation tax restriction or
the maintenance of a free ballot. He sus-
tanned this demand by reference to the 18th
amendment to the Constitution and the act
of Congress passed imposing the conditions
upon which Virginia was admitted to repre-
sentation in Congress. He supported this
proposition by sound reasoning and unan-
swerable argument, and while discussing it
referred to the Democratic platform on the
subject and the verbal change it made in the
Cincinnati platform of ''honest" ballot for
''free" ballot. evidently an evasion of the
Intention of the 18th amendment and the
act of Congress referred to. These were
the more practical points of Col. Cameron's
argument, and they were very ably and
adroitly presented and sustained.
His closing speech was as fine presenta-
ton of well collated facts, logically arranged,
as we have heard for many day. Warming
with his theme and conscious of the effect and
force of his antagonist, who was to have the
close. on him, before an audience, his terse and
incisive statements were accompanied by as
splendid display of elocution as it has been our
fortune to listen to in any previous campaign.
Well posted as to facts, quick at repartee and
with free command of language he pressed
his points upon his hearers with telling effect,
and left a most favorable impression upon both
friend and foe.
MAI. DANIEL
Is very imposing and striking figure. His
classic face, and finely chiseled features his