Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-10-17

THE GRAND DEMOCRATIC RALLY
AT FIT. DEFIANCE
Twelve Hundred Democratic Voters
Present and Three Hundred Ladies'.
ENTHUSIASTIC SPEECHES BY HON. II. G. ALLEN,
HON. J. RAN. TUCKER. AND OTHERS.
Glorious Day Tor the Democracy Of Old Augusta.
The Democrats of Middle River District
promised that they would have grand DEM
ocratic rally at TT. Defiance on last Thursday
and they had 1t. There was, in this instance
no holding Of the promise to the ear ana preaK-
ing 1t to the hope. For though the clouds nung
their drapery low, and the rains descended.
yet the fire of Democracy in the hearts OF the
people kept them warm, and they gathered, as
did the Highlanders to the patriotic sound OF
the pibroeh of Roderick Dhu, when lone blast
from his bugle-horn was worth a thousand
men, The men were there because they were
Democrats opposed to bossism; and the wo-.
men were there, because in their bosoms burns
the pure fire of patriotism, undenled by the
lust for Office, which has corrupted many men
who are now followers of "Boss'' Malone.
Would it were that our young. ambitious as
pirants for political honors. would consult the
patriotic women of old Virginia before they
allow themselves to be beguiled by the specious
offers of q corrupt party!
It was q glorious day for Democracy in old
Augusta, and one long to be remembered by
all present. AS train after train drew up un-
der the large flag that doated across the rail-
way and the passengers disembarked, they
were greeted with rounds of cheers by those
who were already present, and the entry Of the
one hundred mounted men from Port Republic
and Weyer's Cave was cheered again and
again.
The pavilion in which the ladies were shell
tered from the drizzling rain and the speakers
stand were decorated with evergreens and
flowers and flags. Over the two entrances to
the grounds were the inscriptions, in large
gold letters "Welcome ALL" ''This way, Free
men," Over the speakers stand. in gold let
ters was "Charles T. O'Ferrall for Congress-"
and under, in letters covered with arbor vitae.
most deity worked, was Democracy, Truth
and Honesty"
The music during the day was furnished by
the Stonewall Brigade Band. of Staunton, and
by the G. U. Band. of Timberville. Rocking
ham county. A detachment of the Staunton
Artillery was also present. under command of
Lieut.. ]. 7. Long. and made the welkin ring
with 100 rounds. and woke up the echoes
around old Fl Defiance,
At IL O'Clock the meeting was called to order
by John h. Crawford, Esq, who announced
the following officers: Capt. James Bumgard-
ner, Jr., President; Hon. John T. Harris, Alb
SALON. Koiner. DR.. ]. R. Stout, James g. Pat
Dr A
and the Democratic Editors present. Secreta-
ries.
Capt. Bumgardner introduced Hon. II. c.
Allen, Of Shenandoah, as a gentleman well
known to all present, and one who as the
standard-bearer of Democracy, had borne its
banner as proudly in defeat as others had in
victory.
JUDGE ALLEN,
after brief Introduction, asked why should
the people vote for the candidate of the Coali-
ton or Stalwart Republican party of Virginia
against Col. Charles T. O'FerraIl? What party
did he represent in Virginia They started
out as simon-pure Keadjuster party. Now
they have either readjusted the State debt OF
they have not. If they have not done it, it ID
= their own fault for they have had control Of
the State Government. If they have settled
1t, then it is out of politics.
claimed, was fraud upon the people, for the
present Governor had promised, in all of his
speeches last fall, that it should be submitted
to the ratification Of the people. and they had
not done 1t. Again, they said under no circum.
stances would they recognize war and recon.
struction interest; yet nothing Is said about
war and reconstruction interest in the Riddle.
berger Bill. Why? Because the Boss of Bos.
Malone said they must not do it, for fear the
Republican party would not stand by his party
II they even limited at any such reputation.
AS to the Commissioner Land Sale Bill, he
showed that 1t had been defeated by the very
party who proposed it, because the Senate ha
so amended the Bill as to place the election OF
these Officers in the hands of the people, and
yet they 60 about prating OF what great good
the passage of this Bill would have done the
people of the State. No. they merely wanted
the power Of making these appointments
placed in the hands of Cameron that he might
appoint henchmen of Malone to bind still
stronger the chains in which this accused
party have bound Virginia.
He showed up the nefarious designs of the
Reapportionment Bill, and the debt we owed
the Big Four for defeating it. It was intended
to take away the control of the government
from the whites of the State and turn it over
to the negroes. The white people of the State
are willing to give the negroes their just poll
zeal rights. but they are not willing to strip
themselves of their rights; II 80. they are not
worthy to be called white men, and should at
once turn over the State government to the
negroes.
As to the attempt made to turn out the Cir.
cult Court Judges of the State he said that
never before had such a measure been offered
In the Virginia legislatures measure intend
ed to debauch the judiciary for partisan pur-
poses. He would leave his own party If it ever
attempted to do such q thing II the attempt
to pass such q measure was not rebuked by the
people at the polls, then. indeed, we had taken
q long stride towards anarchy.
He said this party claimed that they had re-
duced taxes. They had done nothing of the
kind. Even. the Wing. before the bill was
passed. opposed any reduction. The reduction
from so to 40 cents was proposed by Conrad, OF
Winchester, in the House and was defeated,
and the bill went to the Senate with the tax at
80 cents on the 500. when Riddleberger, to pre-
vent being out-generaled by Conrad, moved
Conrad's own amendment. So they are enti-
tied to no credit for the reduction of the taxes
He drew a brief sketch OF the unseemly con-
duct Of such high officers Of government as the
First and Second Auditors damning each other
on the streets Of Richmond, and being brought
before a police justice for fighting. He also
cited the conduct of Cameron in the recent de-
velopment at the State penitentiary, In keep
ing secret the report Of the Investigating COM
mittee, and the fact that the legislator, impli-
Gated in that report, has since been indicted by
grand jury>for bribery.
He showed up Mahone's transactions with
the Norfolk and Western railroad. by which
the State got $500, 600 out of SO 100000, and Ma
hone got rich and the employees of the road
only got half Of the wages due them. And OF
this $780, 900, 100000 had been appropriated to
build q University. to be used exclusively for
negroes. and the balance was to be used for
general school purposes, both white and col
ored. In this connection, he called attention
to the fact that about one-third Of the school.
tax paid by the people Of Augusta was not
spent in the county. but went to educate the
negroes Of East Virginia, and yet this patty,
this liberal party had appropriated this $lO0. 900
Of school money for the exclusive benefit OF
the negroes.
He showed how the State had lost from $780,