The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-08-24

Rockingham Court Day.
During the political excitements in th
s tate. Harrisonburg is one of the centres
attraction Rarely is 1t that a court day passe
of without political disputation, and NOR
or less of earnest rivalry in lung power. a
well as in intellectual measurement. 30 mucl
in the habit are the people Of listening TO join
discussions, that when there is chance TO en-
gage representatives OF either party. arrange
ments are demanded to hear both sides OF tn
question at ISSUE This Is not at all times tn
best thing to do. Ii is impossible, In sucl
discussions, for a consecutive argument AMI
intelligent and satisfactory discussion Of i'm
portant issues TO be obtained. Tho disputa
lions generally turn upon personal records
wherein there is no instruction for th'
people-no ideas or essential facts lodged IL
the public mind to BIZ carried home and pom
dered over in the quiet of rural life. Merel,
| superficial chances at questions are INDUCED
while the major part Of the time u consumed
IN repArtee, chop logic and infismmasoFy ap
peal. What the people want are facts and
arguments, especially in such o canvass Al
this is, and promises 70 BE-, where radical
departure from old methods and old policies
is proposed, as to which the constituent body
thirst after knowledge and reasOns to justify
the new relations they are invited to assume,
An intelligent ballot ia the safeguard of our
lac s..A tat <>fo
guments and ideas is necessary TO this, and as
the Readjusters have nothing to fear from an
exhaustive discussion Of the record they have
made and the policy they propose 70 adopt.
we think 1t would be conducive TO good were
the people to insist upon the exponents Of
each party creed calmly and dispassionately
discussing tho principles involved, without
the intersection Of passion or that miserable
and offensive usage Of picking flaws In perso-
nal records.
II WAS expected on last Monday that Hon.
Fl. H. Riddleberger would makesach speech
rs We have indicated Hs had been invited
to address the people Of Rockingham On Mon
day last 10 lay before them the Gauss Of the
party with which he IL identified. and 70 elu-
cidate the policy present and future which
makes it different from amy other political
force that has ever asked the confidence Of
that people. He had opened his speech - Q
staiesmAu--App the subjects which he
proposed to discuss, ~ one who was master
| of his theme, with nothing 10 cOncesl-no
evasions or circamlocutions to inspire doubt.
but with q fearless purpose u state frankly
| oil the reasons upon which be predicated his
position and asked for the approval aud con-
idence Of the pt ople for the party be repre-
sented.
After he had proceeded for half an hour,
Information was communicated TO him that Q
joint discussion had been agreed upon by the
representatives Of each of the parties, and
that Col. OFerrall, the Democratic candidate
for Congress In this district, would divide
| time with him. After this we fslt very little
interest in the proceedings. for long sxpe-
rience has taught us that such contests do
justice neither " the speakers nor heArers-
that connected arguments could mot b. main-
tanned. and that nothing more than disioinied
references, passionate appeals and surface
statements would follow.
Our special correspondent furnished full
notes Of the debate, which supplemented by
those we had taken, would enable us TO pre-.
sent long acc CUNT Of the debate. but certain
ly very little 70 edity or instructDur readers
Hence we shalt conteut ourselves with q
mere reference to the discussion, reserving to
another time, when We may have the pleas
ure OF hearing each Of the gentlemen in a
connected argument, such rs would do justice
to them, to give the substance OF their re-
marks.
| There is but one point in Col O'Ferrsll's
speech that we deem Of sufficient interest 10
notice, and that Is his position on the tar
i'd. While not declaring for ires trade, his
criticism Of the protective policy leaves us in
the belief that free trade y his doctrine. Had
he, however, examined the figures he i'd
duced, be would have found that the very po-
sitiOn he assumed wa successfully contro-
verted in tho logical resalts. He quoted from
formulation Of tariff rates on woolen goods,
cottons. trsce-chains. SC. and deduced from the
tariff dues imposed upon The foreign manulac-
tare Of such articles, that they operated Q
hardship .upon the posrer sclssses and the
farming ilsterests. The ~ 10 that scarcely
any of shese articles ere inported The i'm
port duties charged upon them practically In
hibit their imp0FtaGiou, anA snahee our own
people to Eaann ncllse No. a greater ad-
vantage fhan they can b pus1hesed OF for
eign countrin. i'm shda way ~ iariff builds
up home rnazltaesuses. sives spleymsat 70
home lahnE. creates 5000 market for our
farm productions. and elFichs our country
by this inseschaaee d - resaiss OF homo
industries, In The toWn a Bridgewater,
eight milss from WHARF COL. O'Ferrall was
speaking. pair Of blankets can BE- pur-
chased from the manufacturers at Q cost not
to exceed the price for nearly similAr arti-
Gle in Manchester. England. This results
from the competition In our own country. en-
Outraged by the tariff laws. actually giving
| us such products cheaper than il We had no tar
If laws, at the same time It establlshes indus:
tries and stimulates American enterprise. In.
stead tof importing cotton goods and trace
chains, We export them. snd compete with
foreign manufacturers in their own markets. =.
Is this not better than draining our coun-
try of values 70 support foreign mAnuiactu-
iers and employ foreign lsborp
But upon this question Capt Rlddlsbereer
took high ground, quoting Democratic an
thorisy, such ~ voorhees,, Bayard, Randall,
and other Democratic headlights, and even
Gen. Hancock, TO c0nfute tho policyl In
volved in the assumptions Of Col O'Ferrali.
30 far as Capt. Riddlshsrger could enter
into An argument, he made mastery de-
fence Of the Readjusser party and IL record,
| the administration Of Presidans Arthur 20 fAr
IS il affects Virginia. and thsspiris and policy
that have been proclaimed toward the South In
the Presidents recommendation and actions.
Upon this point he was bold, broad and effsc-
tive, and the responses that came from the
people demonstrated. that he had struck the
popular chord. -
Capt. Riddleberger Is . very impressive
speaker and addresses himself 70 the reason
and judgment Of his hearers. His premise
that politics Is business in the beet sense of
the term-that the people's Interests were
involved In the operation Of principles and
policies and thOea which shFosa~ha Aha <vre.t