The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-10-18
Field Day in Rockingham.

day for buckingham county. Iuc dill
nouncement that Gov. Cameron, on the
part of the Readjusters, and Judge Jos.
Christian and Gen. Fitz. Lee, for the
Bourbons, would address the people OF
that county, on Court day, drew large
attendance. The morning train from
Stanton was expected to bring these dis
tinguished gentlemen, but when 1t arrived
it was found that Gov. Cameron was not
on it, having received sprain OF an ankle
as he was stepping out OF carriage IN
Washington City. The Democratic speak
ers. however. were on hand, and at IL
O'Clock. headed by the Mill Greek band.
were marched through the streets from the
Revere House to the Court House, fol-
lowed by number OF citizens. A stand
had been erected at the eastern side OF the
Court House, by order of the Democratic
Committee, which indicated the purpose
to have a separate audience and separate
speaking, whether Cameron arrived or not.
Judge Harris introduced Judge Christian,
who spoke for an hour and half His re-
marks were principally addressed to what
he considered the purpose OF Gen. Ma
hone and the Readjuster leaders to seduce
Readiusters into the Republican parity
This was his principal theme. In pro-
crossing with it, he followed Attorney Gen.
Field, in dividing the Republican party
into two wings-Stalwart and liberal-the
former of whichshe held up as yindictive,
corrupt and all that could be offensive to
the South-with. which the Readjusters
were in political Civilization the latter as
mild, gentle anditolerable-the one repre-
scented by President Arthur and the other
by ex-Secretary Blaine. In arralgnlng
President Arthur as hostile to the South,
he read from manuscript a list OF APP
preparations for Southern improvements
embraced in the River and Harbor Bill,
running upj an aggregate for Virginia
streams of about $4,000, Ia mistake, we
think, and .$5OO0,00O for the Mississippi
River, referring to this latter Improvement
as one of the great highways OF commerce
and accommodating a,vast extent OF fer
tile and productive country. 1t was be-
cause of these appropriations for the benefit
of thesSouth that the President vetoed the
bill This, too. in face of the fact that
President Arthur sent a special message
to Congress recommending an appro-
priation of $6,000000 for the improve.
ment of the Mississippi, and in his veto
message. expressed regret that the law
did not allow him to separate this appro-
priation. and others in the South as well
as in the North and West, OF national
character. so as to approve them. He was
compelled by his oath of Office to refuse his
signature to the bill, for large amount OF
the sum appropriated was for improve
ments that could not possibly come within
the perview of the Constitution, because
of their exclusively local character. Judge
Christian did not attempt to analyze the
bill, and do justice to the. President by ex-
planning the nature of many Of the pro-
posed appropriations. He knew it amounted
to $4,000, 900, and that one-half of it was
clear stealing from the peoples treasury to
subserve the purpose of the trading poll
ticians, and that it was for this reason
the President refused to give it his sane
ton. And this was a specimen Of the
facts and the kind of argument an ex-
judge of the Supreme Court adduced to
instruct the people of the Valley Of Vir-
ginial 1t was but "a repetition of what
Judge Staples and ex-senator Johnston had
said on the same subject and evidenced
that neither of them had the political hon.
esty and fairness to state the truth and
deal with the question as just men, seek
ing to inculcate truthful information,
should have done.
Judge Christian dwelt at some length
on mixed schools and the appointment of
Richmond. 1t was the same old story
which has been rung into the ears OF the
people ever since the Board of Education
manifested the courage to deal with the
subject practically and justly just as Gov.
Walker, Gov. Kemper and Gov. Holiday
had done. The whole parade on the sub
ject by Judge Christian and all the other
Bourbon speakers and writer's is hypocrit-
ical, deceitful and mendacious.
Without following the ex-judge-who
seemed to be very sore because this was his
position-caused by Gen. Malone as he
alleges sit is safe to sum up his remarks as
barren of fruits. They fell very fiat upon
the audience, and did not gain vote to
the cause he represented or lose one to the
Readjusters. His extravagant assaults on
Gen. Malone, may be properly traceable
to the fact that he is no longer Judge OF
the Supreme Court, and his assertion that
the debt question is settled finally and for
ever, is only to deceive the people into the
belief of what court proceedings attest is
not so, as is evidenced by the article we
publish on our first page giving the number
of actions instituted and now on the court
dockets of Virginia, placed there by Bour-
bon attorneys and clients, for the express
purpose of unsettling it.
Gen. Fitz. Lee followed Judge Christian
and spoke about an hour and quarter. He
is a short, feshy man, weighing, we would
judge, about $50 lbs, with splendid
head and face and excellent voice. He
is more of the orator than Judge Chris
tian-is better speaker and better adapted
to the purposes of the hastings than is
his colleague. The Generals mission
seemed to be to stir up war memories-to
resurrect the past and infame passion and
prejudice by recital of what occurred
twenty years ago. His appeal was to the
soldier element of the audience, and es-
pecialJy his followers Of the LIST Virginia
Cavalry. Having disposed Of this theme,
he passed to review of reconstruction
times and sought to harrow up the feelings
and infame the hates of sections, by de-
picting the sufferings of Virginia and the
South during the immediate years after the
war. He then touched on the Commits
sioner Of Sales bill, which he evidently did
not understand, and closed with a beanti-
tiful fancy picture, which did his magma
ton and classical attainments credit.
Gen. Lee is apt in anecdote and illustra-
ton, ready with appropriate and.well-timed
quotations, and altogether is an attractive
and entertaining speaker. But all he said,
all the fervi appeals he made, passed off
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