The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-09-14
The STATE CANVASS.
A Great Day for the Democrats "'
scott County.

\ Creat Day for the Democrats "'
scott County.
, ,-,c,,, ,ps OF TIE TILT BETWEEN JUDGE
nur, ,vp sIIMP--Tl,E DEMOCRATIC CAUSE
wrrt. SUSTAINED.
,,o,respondcnce of the Richmond Dispatcn'i
EsTHLvILLE. VA,
September IL, 1883.
,.,a,o w. +. Rhea, OF Washington
county. and G.. Slemp. the Mahoneite no,n.-
y 90 for the Senate in the Second dis'rle''
had n Joint discussion here to-day. Inc
terms were arranged unfairly, Us usuai. ano
SIahoneites claiming an hour IN opening
and TWENTY-FIVE minutes in reioinder' ana
only conccding Judge Rhea an hour IN an-
swer and fifteen minutes to close.
MR.. sLEMP.
Mr.. Slemp commenced by pitching III
generally to the leaders OF the Delnoci".lo
Marty. asserting that they were all BOUT
hons and Funders, and claimed that MS
marty was the only one that had given re-
lief 10 the people. He defended all tne
attempted by his party; salu
that he voted against the amendment re-
ducinp taxation because he thought INC
revenue would not allow il; that the Deih-
ocrats were powerless to pass any DiIls,
and II was useless for them to offer amend
ments: that as soon as bis party could re-
drce the rate TO what the Democrats had
offered they did so. He then branched Oh
into the debt question, and went over the
usu,l barangIie, and soon half emptled
the COURTHOUSE. everybody now being tired
OF hearing a discussion on that SUBJECT
wOULDY'T SAY HOW.
Tie said he had been asked how he
,vould vote for United States senator, ana
how he would vote in 1884; that the time
was TOO long off for him to say; that the
were going to run candi-
late. the Democratic and Republican par
ties both had two wings, and eacn Wing
might nominate a candidate, and therefore
he would not say what he would do; that
the election for United States senator ana
not come up for about two years. ana he
did not know what changes would take
place. He closed with little more pubic
debt.
JUDGE RHEA's SPEECH.
As the gallant Rhea came forward his
presence attracted the atten-
tion of all, and his ringing voice soon NIL
ed the courthouse to its utmost capacity
with an earnest, enthusiastic audience,
who received the strong points made by
him with round after round Of applause,
which at times was deafening. IL would
be impossible to do justice to Judge Rheas
magnificent speech IN this letter. He TOOK
ND. measure by measure, all OF the obnoN-
ious legislation proposed by the Mahonc-
ties, and stripping off the fllmssy veil at,
tempted to be thrown around them. held
each up in all its enormity before an indig-
nant people.
ALWAYS A DEMOCRAT.
Judge Rhea said he had been Reid
iuster. and had stood with them until re-
adjustment was an accomplished fact, but
that he had always been Democrat, and
when Malone attempted to take him along
with all the other Reiidiusters into the Re-
publican party he had refused 10 CO. ana
stood for his own race and own people.
He took up the last platform OF the Read
iuster party, adopted at the convention
that put out the electoral ticket, and turned
TO Slemp and said, "Do you endorse the
platforms of your party!" Slemp SAT rs
dumb as an oyster. What - SAID khea
" do YOU repudiate your PLATFORM"
This brought the house down with a
storm of applause that shook the building
and brought Slemp to his feet with the de-
claration that lie endorsed all the Read
juster platforms.
THE DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM.
Rhea then read from the platform that
they had declared for Democracy and
Democratic principles, and had instructed
for Democrats. Now. said he, where did
YOU get any authority for being anything
but a Democrat? Where did you get au-
thority to make coalition with the Repub-
lean party and act with it on national
measures? He showed that ii was clear
betrayal OF q Democratic trust, which the
peOple were now refusing to endorse
that Slemp had said this election had no
thing to do with national affairs, and man
could vote as he pleased next year. Rhea
asked if the people were going TO be fooled
with such stuff? Why, said he, don't the
Senator participate in the election OF q
United States senator and in rcdistricting
the State for congressman And yet this
Democrat can't tell a Democratic audience
whether he will vote for n Democrat OF
Republican for United States senator
no COALITION RETRENCHNENT.
Rhea showed plainly that there was nc
reform or retrenchment in any Of then
measures Of legislation; that the commits
sioner-of-SaleS bill and all the other legisla-
ton was in pursuance OF n grand scheme
to increase the offices at the disposal OF the
Mahoneites 50 that they could buy up sup
port. He showed that the court bill had
first fixed the salary OF the judges at about
one hall more than what it now was, anC
when il was found that Bailey could moi
take the Office if the salary was increased
| the salary was reluctantly changed, making
no increase, to accommodate that illus
triOuS statesman.
| THE C0MMIssIoNER-0F-sAL BILL.
He said that the commissiOner-of-sal
bill would have borne very hardly upOr
litigants, and would have centralized all tn,
money derived from the sale OF dead men,
and other estates in the hands Of pOitica
tool, who could have used il to influence
the votes of all persons having money il
his hands by either forwarding or delayin.
the payment of money as the political pro
clivitieS Of the applicant required.
THE SCHOOL QUESTION.
Mr.. Rbea, in forcible language, depicte,
the moral degradation that would ensu
should the Mahoneites succeed in elevatin
the negro TO power. He showed that mix
ed schools, with their attendant evils
would be the logical sequence. Ii is I'M
possible in newspaper account to do jus
tice to the great speech OF our gallant south
west Nirginian. / give but few Of th
many points he made. 1t created the wild
est enthusiasm; old gray-hared me-
shouted and waived their hats, and crowd
ed up TO shake the hand OF the yalian
young Democrat, who so noby battled TO
Democracy.
Rhea Is the peer OF any OF our speakers
and should canvass the southwestern coun
ties. He should be put in place OF on
speakers that are missing appointments
BY all means he should be sent to Lee
Scott, and Wise for that purpose. X.
The Greenc-COunty Democrats