Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-08-19
THE FIRST APPOINTED MEETING.
Daniel and Cameron.
The JOINT Discussion at Harrisonburg.

Reported for the staunton VINDIcAToR.l
HARRIsONBURG. MONDAY, Aug. Is.
The stars were just beginning to fade
out of the sky as rode across the Rock
ingham county line this morning, on my
way to hear the best joint discussion that
has been heard in this Valley for many a
year. AS the day broke could see per-
feet picture of thrifty, prosperous. happy
farming life. Well kept land, strong
heavy teams, fat cattle and hearty, healthy
men. One would think that political agi-
tation would hardly be profitable or pala-
table to such community and yet know
of no county where politics are more to
the peoples fancy than Rockingham; or
where more time is spent in talking or
listening about them. AS the sun rose I
found myself in road thronged with the
robust, honest faced owners and tillers of
the land on their way to the speaking.
Scattered through the procession, for it
had attained almost the denseness of q
procession before we got into Harrison
burg, were several wagons containing
Augusta county Readjusters who had
come from the lower end Of the county.
The anxiety to hear the discussion had
brought men who are not often out, and l
saw the Mayor of Bridgewater going in
with a friend in his buggy who had not
been to political meeting for five years.
1t is nearly ten months since was in
Rockingham and serious reverses have
overtaken the Malone cause there in the
interval Since was there his electoral
ticket was beaten 5y the Democratic cleo
toral ticket by 400 majority. Later, the
Malone men held county convention and
nominated candidates who we're to Dust
the ''Funder" clerks Of the courts, but
they failed in that too. Whatever these
reverses may or NAV not be worth, they
seem to have been invaluable to the De-
mocracy in one point Of view and that an
most important one-givlng confidence. [
could not help noticing the change in the
manner of the local Democratic leaders
to whom talked They talk as men who
have perfect confidence in themselves and
their cause-no hesitation. no doubts seem
to tramel them. I had two minutes talk
with 1t. Col. o. B. Roller on the street
corner to-day. He showed me list Of a
Democratic club which they, one or two
nights ago, had organized and elected him
President of. The list of members had run
from eighty up to double that number IN
a matter of two days, and yet no members
were taken who live outside of this dis
urict. The names are still being gathered
in without any trouble. / cite this to
show you how hne feeling exists here
among the Democracy and we all know
what powerful help to a cause a fine
spirit among Its supporters is.
THE AUDIENCE IN THE COURT YARD.
The audience which listened to the
two candidates for Governor, was not
confined to Rockingham. Among the
listeners, saw Judge Quarles of Angus
ia, Judge Henry G. Allen of Shenandoah,
Capt. James Bumgardner, Jr., Robert S.
Harnsberger, Courtney Roller, DIR. A: M.
Fauntleroy, Garrett G. Gooch, s. u. TIM
berlake, DR.. Carter Berkeley Col. VIM. l..
Bumgardner, Hon. John Amber Smith,
of Richmond, Capt. John McQuaide, and
other gentlemen from abroad. l suppose
the crowd that listened to the speeches,
which we're delivered in the open air must
have been, from first to last, two thousand
people and the order preserved was remark.
able for so large gathering Of people diff
fering in opinion.
THE SPEAKERS.
The candidates for the Governorship OF
Virginia will doubtless be familiar to the
people before the campaign closes, but are
not yet, this being the first JOINT appoint
ed meeting; and they. having met once be-
fore only, at Henry G. II. Col. VIM E.
Cameron, the opponent of the Democratic
nominee, is personally much less known tc
the people than Maj. Daniel. He is a gen
tleman of medium height, strongly but
not heavily built, aud looks like he could
stand the wear and tear OF a cam
paign. He has handsome oval face, iI
which blue eyes shine with mirth. His
hair is light, and he wears moustache an6
imperial. AS a stump orator he must be
a surprise to his other friends as he is tt
this writer, for until this campaign, hi
has been heard of only with pen in hand
He is without doubt first-class campaign
er, ingenious, quick as lightning, with {
most agreeable mode of delivery, and hal
his subject well at his fingers ends. Hi
manner is easy and graceful, and to SCI
him sitting on the rail of the platform
swinging his leg to and fro and putting
questions to his adversary and talking tx
the crowd in a conversational style. ont
would think he was born for that mos
difficult of positions, an orator OF thu
hustings. He was dressed in the invaria
BILE uniform of Virginia candidate To-
Governor black suit. He makes no at
tempt at flights of oratorical eloquenc'
and seems to have left floied rhetoric be
hind when he left the editorial chair.
John w. Daniel, the Democratic nomi
nee, is better known. Like Col. Cameron
he is of medium height, with one of thu
handsomest classical faces that l ever saw
1t is a hard matter to write of Daniel az
orator without going into extravaganza
Though an old reporter of public debates
and one whose pencil has followed Ever
ett,- Pryor, Yancy. Keitt, l don't re-
member that any..of them ever fascinated
by their oratory as this crippled man does
/ speak of the effect of what he says OF
the multitude. The face, figure. voice
gesture. pose, and the matter of biz
speech, all seem so perfectly to blend, thai
the speaker seems to you to possess the per
lection of oratory. He produces the mos
intense dramatic effects without parti
Gle of the theatrical in his manner. Th'