The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-30
Tho Meeting Monday.
MIR. MASSEY ENTERTAINs TIE CROWD
A TAME AFFAIR.

There were more people in town on Mon
day, Court day, than we remember to have
seen for months. The streets were lilleo
all day long, and about the Court House
and square the crowd was thick. The
farmers are just now 'twixt two busy sea
sons, harvest and seeding, and the breath
ing spell was taken advantage OF Monday
to come to town, exchange greeting, buy
fertilizers and attend to business gener-
ally.
| Notwithstanding the large gathering
about the public square, q slim audi
ence collected in the court room when II
was announced that Mr.. Massey would de-
liver an address. Nor would there have
been even that many had not numbers
| been attracted thither to attend the
soldiers meeting. That meeting remained
in session but few moments, and before
those who had assembled to participate III
| It's proceedings were aware that it had or
ganized the motion to adjourn was car
ried. 1t may not have been intended for
that purpose, but it served as a bait to
toll the farmers in, and then faint cry
for Massey was put up by two OF three
gentlemen within the bar. 1t was very
timid, feeble, hesitating cry at first, and
! it's courageous originators looked as. if
the heroic part assigned them would prove
too weighty to perform, but they bravcly
held out for little while, and until COM
passion was somewhat aroused and out OF
very pity did relief come in asickly response
from Others Mr.. Massey did not require
much coaxing. He is by no means bash
full man. Even hundred of his old arch
enemies, the Funders, cannot intimidate
him. He marched boldly to the stand and
was introduced by Capt. Jas. Bumgarlner,
jr A slim audience faced him. and con-
sidering the fact that an unusually large
number of countymen were within q
stones throw, Mr.. Massey's greeting was
by no means tlattering or enthusiastic.
lie commenced his address 10y stating
that he had not intended to speak in Staun-
ton. He WAS OH his way to Monterey to
fill an engagement, and had been pressed
into service. He was not here as a candi-
date for Office, but as a citizen inter
ested in the welfare of his State, and
anxious to contribute whatsoever he could
to the emancipation Of that State from the
party that was ruling and running her.
| He thanked those who had voted for him
for their support last fall, and seemed
somewhat surprised that his name had not
been scratched much in Augusta. Re-
ferring to the State debt he declared that
| it had been settled, and that the issue now
was whether or not Virginia should be re-
deemed from the control of the degrading
| faction now dominant. In Olden times
when the contest was between Wings and
Democrats, each party could respect the
other, and whichever gained the ascend
ancy, the other had no serious fears. At
| the close of the war the members OF these
two old parties saw a common enemy adj
vancing upon them and laying aside their
differences united in a common struggle.
The contest of '69 could never be for
gotten Augusta fnrnisheda leader in the
| lamented Baldwin, who did as much us any
man in the State to avert the calamity
then impending, and the Conservative
party was victorious.
I The enemy appears now in disguise.
We can respect a man who makes an open
flight, but not him who undertakes to ac-
compllsh his ends by false pretenses.
There are but two parties in Virginia now
the Democratic and Republican. At a
recent meeting he had asked several Coal
itionists present to which of the great
national parties they claimed allegiance.
and like the accusers Of the unchaste wo-
man they had skunk away in silence. Ma
hone had claimed on the floor of the Senate
that he was better Democrat than Hill,
and he Massey had congratulated the
Senator upon the declaration. The speaker
also claimed to have been largely instru-
mental in pledging the July, 1880, electoral
ticket to Hancock and English, Mahone's
idea being to make it unpledged. Mr..
Massey then paid his respects to the
electors on that ticket, declaring that each
had been paid his price in an office. He
announced that not all the offices in the
State could purchase him, and when he
had found that the tendency of the Read
juster party was towards Republicanism,
he left it.
Inasmuch as the Wing claimed that its
party had redeemed every pledge and full
filled every promise, there was nothing for
it to do. The Lynchburg platform ac-
knoWledged that the debt was settled and
pledged the Democratic party not to dis
turb it. In speaking of the Lynchburg
platform Mr.. Massey dwelt at consider
able length upon the free school plank, de-
claring that it was intended to separate
the races, and that the whites would never
consent to any other arrangement. He
defended the record of the late COnserva-
tive party in it's relation to public schools,
saying that every important measure that
had benefited the system had emanated
from and been sustained by the party that
had inaugurated the schools in advance OF
the limit fixed for their commencement.
In concluding, the speaker urged organ
ization and work, and wound up with pre-
dieting that he would take his seat in the
next Congress as the representative at
large from the State.
The above, with the exception of the
anecdotes, which were old enough to speak
for themselves, is a fair synopsis OF MI.
Massey's speech of Monday, and we think
every one who heard it will say as much.
We want every voter in the State to
read it. Mr.. Massey is one of the most
brainy men now representing the so-called
democracy of Virginia, and if his pre-
sentation of their cause may be accepted
as fair specimen of Funder argument,
then are they weak indeed. Not one single
reason did he give for the position of his
party in this contest. Not one measure
did he propose, the adoption of which
would contribute to the growth and pro-
gress of his State. The speaker himself
seemed to be aware of the difficulty under
which he labored. At no time during the
rs minutes was there anything Of Massey
in the speech. 1t was wholly wanting in
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