Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-10-20

reported for the STANTON vINDICAToRl
HARRINONBURG, VA. /
October 18th, 1882
To the most superficial observer, the
/ anxiety of the Republican Coalition party
about the fate of tho Hon. John Paul, is
too marked to escape attention. To the
eye accustomed to scan contested political
fields, it has the symp' oms of panic
But few GAYS have elapsed siEce combi-
nation of Senator Malone, Attorney-Gen-
eral Blair. U. $. District Attorney Wise,
GGharn"tnrja' Secretary. Browning and
Paul himself appeared at New Hope in
Augusta; to-day, Governor Cameron,
US. Senator-elect Riddeberger and Attor-
ney General Blair appeared here; and in a
few days Senator Malone and the other
prominent gentlemen will appear at Con-
rad S Store i'll this county. In no other
| congressional district has this extraordna-
ry combination system been adopted by the
Republican Coalition. And worse sign,
yet, is that while this desperate effort is
| being made, Mr.. Paul himself, weighted
with the burden of his Republican record
in Congress, and detied and tainted by his
active opponent, O'Ferrall. is absenting
himself flom his district, though he knows
that record needs his personal presence for
| its defence. 1t has become political puzzle
| to the people Of tie Seventh District why
John Paul once the mighty hunter is now
| the hunted; and why the man who has
raised the roofs of so many court houses
with his scathing denunciations of ''coun-
ty court lawyers should now be fugi-
tive. leaving the task of meeting his COM
petitor, to that much-abused class CT attor-
neys.
CHANGE IN ROCKINGHAM.
Some explanation of the efforts of Mr.,
Paul's friends in his behalf may be found
| think, in the election figures OF the last
two years in this town in which I write
Their persistent tendency in one direction
is sufficient to excite alarm. In 1880, Har-
risonburg gave Paul for Congress twhils
he was advocating the election of Hancock
to the Presidential CHAIR 1872 majority
The following year. in this place. Came
got only ~ majority. In 1881, the Demo
Gratis carried the town by only 10 majority,
and in 1882, Democratic mayor was cleo
ted by 1877 majority. But something far
more important than figures impressed me
on this visit to Harrisonburg; it was the
spirit Of the Rockingham Democrats
Figures refer to the past but it is on the
resent spirit of the people that you a an
ly estimate the future. The great tidal
wave Of Ohio seems to have reached Rock
ingham simultaneously with the glorious
news from that State. For three years
past have attended political court-day
meetings here without having to listen to
ing in his neighborhood. They would talk
to you if you talked to them. but it was
the rarest thing if d Democrat, unsolicit-
ed, came to you to talk over how well things
were going. To-day it seemed as If every
man met wanted to tell me some good
news of how the Democrats in his neigh
! borhood felt. l tell you Ohio has indeed
kicked the lid off the coffin! Aud
you ask! [ cannot tell you! The whole
political armament is changed. The mar
lner has nothing to Steer by, and the sailor
who gives dogmatic opinion now, proves
by the giving of it that he is little better
| than a land lubber on his first voyage. The
star of Ohio has disappeared frnm the Re-
publican sky. I've stars of New York
! and PENNSYLVANIA have become too uncer-
tain to steer by. The Democratic star of
Indiana is Frightening. Only QUE thing
seems to be clear and that is that the sun
OF President Arthur must go down Ev-
erywhera there seems to ha quiet impress
| sion through the country that whatever
other causes may have contributed to the
| Ohio disaster, Arthur's administration
was the chief one and ''mnst go,'' and
there will be no Republican party until it
does go. AS to the result in Virginia all
prophecy in this anomalous state Of affairs
is the merest guessing. Since the Ohio
! election would hot be surprised to see
| Massey elected by $4,000 maj ,rity. and
| every Democratic congressional candidate
(excel IN the 4th district) elected by an
overwhelming majority
THE TWO MEETINGS.
This is not what you would Ill good
court day for Harris 'nburg, for On good
court day the county people come in by
| thousands, hut there was a fair attendance
| considering the farmers are seeding. Both
of the meetings. however. were we'll at
tended. The Court House was filled with
! Democrats, except the gallery. which was
noticeably vacant; and outside, where the
| Coalition held their meeting, the attrac-
tion of the Governor of the State, Sena-
tor Riddlebergar the Attorney General and
brass band, brought together an attend
ance fully two hundred larger than the
Democratic. There were not dozen col
! Ored men at either meeting.
With the Democrats.
Hon. John T. Harris opened fire in the
Democratic meeting by rafting little
speech Introducing Judge Allen, in which
he dweit with JUNCTION on the Ohio news,
and the fact that Arthur, while engaged in
breaking up the ''solld SOUTH had let the
handle slip and broken up the solid North.
His prophecy that in November, Ohio
would be followed by New York. Pennsyl-
! vania and Indiana was received with loud
| cheering. He advised those who were fol-
| lowing Nahone with an eye to Office to
turn their eyes somewhere else, for they
were looking into dark chasm now if they
| look to Arthur for future promotion.
Judge Allen followed Mr.. Harris is his
usual clear and forcible style, Heprompt-
ly disposed of the claims of the Malone
people that all their attempted legislation