The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-19
gilman could conceive the Idea Of buying

gilman could conceive the Idea OF buying
influence with these paltry Offices.
lie said that Captain Blair would say that
the election this year had nothing 10 DO
with the national election next year, but
he would say that 1t did; that the Legisla-
ture to be elected at the ensuing election
would reapportion the State for congress.
men, and II Mahone's conscience-pledged
candidates were elected the State would be
gerrymandered In the interest OF the Re
publican party; that United States sena-
tor was to be elected by portion oil the
Senate; that Malone stood ready to re-
move the circuit judges and consummate all
his other iniquitous legislation II he was
again placed in power.
He charged that the whites in Blair 3
party would be powerless to control their
three-fourths negro majority; that they
would OF course make fair promises now,
and when broken the excuse would be that
something had to be conceded TO the ne
gro.
II this was not so, why did your party
nominate a negro for the House OF Deie-
gates In the Nottoway district? Your an
swer is that the negro was largely In the
ascendahcy, and he had to be recognized.
Mr.. Ayers said that the negro had an
overwhelming majority In Blair's party,
and the same reason that induced tnein 70
nominate q negro from Nottoway w0tiu
induce them TO cOncede legislation obnoX-
ious to white men.
He said that the white people OF South
west Virginia could not afford to belong 10
a party composed OF three f0urths negroes
when they had m equal opportunity 10
stand with their fellow white men upon u
broad and liberal platform, The worst tnat
had been said against which was, =" me
Democrats have stolen our thunder" MI
Ayers said that Captain Blair would IN
qriire why we did not come TO thein; tlal
we had endorsed their course in the deo'
settlement: that he would answer that III
advance by saving that they had given us
no chance to come; that 80 soon as the
debt bills were passed they Jumped aboard
their craft and scudded off to the Republic
can party: that he had no objection to any
man being Republican il be was one from
principle; but let him come out like man
and avow his principles, and not seek TO
hoodwink and deceive the people upon n
false issue. Mr.. Ayers said there was but
one great issue in tins campaign, and that
was whether the Democratic party or the
Republican party should hereafter admins
ter the affairs Of Virginia, and cautioned
the people against being switched OIL on Il
side issue.
These are only a portion OF the strong
points OF Mr.. Ayers's speech, which he
closed with an exhortation to all white men
to shun the mOngrel party. and said that
Virginia expected every Democrat TO do
his duty from now until the election, when
he predicted glorious victory for our
party. Mr.. Ayers's speech was frequently
interrupted by deep and hearty applause.
although he told no anecdotes, but kept
dealing big, heavy, sledge-hammer blows
from beginning to end.
In his last speech Mr. Ayers said that
his predictions had come true; that Cap
tain Blair had evaded the question as to
whether he was Democra; or Republican
in manner unworthy OF speaker OF his
character and reputation; that il was very
easy for man to know whether he was a
Democrat or Republican, and he supposed
every true Democrat knew what he would
do next year.
He warned the people not to lose sight
of the true issue, and by their votes to say
whether they would be parties to the great
trade that had been attempted to be made
Of Virginia to the Republican AdmiDlstra-
ton. He would tell Mr.. Blair and his par
ty that the words "Funder." Fundcr,"
and Readiuster," Readiuster," had
lost much of their political significance,
and he would find out to his sorrow that it
required something more than prating
"Bourbon-Funder" through this canvass
to convince free people that their rights
had not been bartered away, and an at
tempt made to sell them as so many cattle.