The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-10-27
speech Of Hon. a. M. Kelley.

speech Oh f1On "A. M hoi1ey-
On Monday night full house greeted the
Hon. A. NJ Kelley who had been announced
to deliver an address in Staunton on the pollti-
cal issues Of the campaign Almost every
seat in the Opera House was occupied. there
being many ladies among the number. The
Stonewall Band was present, and at the open
ing and close OF the address gave several of its
best pieces.
Mr.. Kelley WAS introduced in a handsome
little speech by Maj. Marshall Hanger. AS he
came forward to the footlights hearty applause
greeted him, and throughout his entire address
of nearly two hours, the utmost approval was
given his utterances.
Mr. Kelley is finished orator. His manner
is calm, his sentences closely connected, his
language choice, and many of his SMILES and
ideas were very beautiful. Few men possess
a richer and smoother flow of pure English
Clear cut and polished to its brightest sheen
was every utterance, and few could listen
without admiring the speakers unusual word
power. Whilst attractive, he is not effective.
Too partizan to be fair: too reckless of asser-
ton TO be correct, he arrogates to the party he
assumes TO speak for an entire monopoly OF the
virtues, and presents himself in the attitude
of Judge inlallible. Mr.. Kelley spoke to an
intelligent audience. Itcould hardly be posi-
BILE that majority of the voters who heard
him failed to discover that an unsafe guide
was attempting to lead them. Not one word
did he give voice to that told Of the stupen-
dous blunders and monstrous frauds of which
his party had been guilty The perfection OF
wisdom was the aggregation OF its acts. lis
record, as he presented it, stood out before all
the world as stainless and sinless as an infants
which at any time had been opposed to it, was
the embodiment of villiany, the sum of all
crime.
In his Introductory remarks, the speaker re-
fered to the late Col .Jno. B. Baldwin as the
great head OF Conservatism In Virginia. He
was sponsor at the baptism of the party, and
with its christening had been wiped out all
lines of previous political difference, and
Wings and Democrats had clasped hands in
unity and hailed the newborn infant as the
Moses of the era. But Mr.. Kelley said not one
word as to the name given when that baptism
was made. He neglected to tell his audience
that the offspring was christencd "True Re-
publican" that it was nourished by the Fede-
raj administration, and that when under that
name its first triumph was gained the electl ic
current was scarce swift enough to convey to
Gen'l Grant the good tidings of the success
of his policy
He grew eloquent in picturing the rrosperi-
tv of Virginia, in that period succeeding tie
war, when her southern sisters writhed in the
coils of carpet baggism, but dumb were his lips
as to the conditions upon which that prospect
ty was assured by the acts of Federal admin
istration and Republican Congress. Even as
he stood there, he preached the gospel OF re-
pudiation-a reputation more damning than
the violation of monied contracts, for it in
wolves the utter disregard of faith plighted
and honor pledged as sacredly as man could
pledge it.
His reference to the Readjuster party was
caustic throughout. He declared that the only
financial measures to which they could point
in their record. was the robbing of the State
of 1000 by an extra session, and the unsuc-
cessful attempt to pension the Richmond Wing
at $3,000per year as the public printer. Their
political record consisted of running a So call
ed Democratic ticket for the purpose of de-
feating Democracy. Their platform declared
for partzan judiciary, the abolition of the
capitation tax and the reputation of thirteen
millions of the debt. He discussed the Rid
d.eberger bill as he discussed all other meas
ures, from purely partizan standpoint and
never allusion was made to the reforms effect
ed in the basement offices and penitentiary
by the Readjuster party.
In speaking Of the Readjuster declaration
for free ballot and fair count, he referred to
the frauds practiced upon the Republicans in
the Petersburg district, but carefully concealed
the fact that those outrages were sanctioned
by the Conservative State Committee. He
declared that Malone was welding rod OF
iron over Virginia Republicans, forcing Fede-
raj office holders to support his ticket at the
peril Of losing their positions, and even con-
straining officials at Staunton to an advocacy
of his cause So far as this last alluson is
concerned, it was as unnaanly as 1t eoas antrattt-
tM.
Mr.. Kelley next devoted his attention to the
two tickets He referred to Blair as dead
and therefore deserving of no notice. All OF
his bitterness was reserved for Mr.. Lewis In
the "True Republican" caucus which nominal
ed Mr. Lewis for the Senate, Mr.. Kelley stated
that he voted and spoke against the nomina-
tion but was overpowered. He denounced
Mr.. Lewis for votes given in the Senate, and
disposed of Col. Cameron, whom he claimed
the credit of having invented, very summarily.
He next photographed the candidates on the
Democratic ticket. Of Mr.. Mckinney he
spoke in graceful and glowing terms, holding
him I'D as man whose character and intellect
would command the admiration of all lovers
of true worth, but o my countrymen! what
a fall was there when the speaker came to the
second place on the ticket. "lMr. Barbour" he
said, "ss gentleman Of family prominent IN
FUJtfttU DO1ttNo JOf occofJ Jo, o, w" oisJ oo'o'oo
time some of them held positions Of trust and re-
s1,osi5ity, the duties Of aosach they cretta6ly DIS
chaqyed.' That was all; and if there be such
thing as "damning with faint praise" Mr..
Barbour was relegated to the depths. With
enthusiasm Mr.. Kelley pictured Maj. Daniel.
It was mastery and beautiful piece of word
painting, and drew forth, as it deserved rounds
of applause.
The speaker closed with as fine an apostro
phe TO patriotism as could well be conceived
It was one OF the most brilliant flights Of ora
tory to which we have ever listened, holding
the audience spell bound by the magic witchery
OF its words
If Mr.. Kelley delivered bis address for the
purpose of making votes, his mission to Staun-
ton was failure. Men are not to. be driven
into party by malignant abuse, neither can
they be forced to believe in the absolute infalli-
bility of single man or set of men.
No EXHIBITION AT THE FAIR GROUNDS
THIS YEAR.-At meeting of the Directors of
the Acknowledgements Fair held on Monday
last, it was determined not to hold an exhibit
ton this year. The Yorktown centennial, the
l.o,r,l.+ o+l,or oc,,oa, have brounbt