Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-07-22
THE POLITICAL DRIFT.
no wnoop. up aLAINs.
A Dismal Faiirrs AZ tarriscnbarr-smai
Crowd and LATHE Enthnsinsm-tssner
lepeciai teleeTp,n 10 The Dlepatch.I

tfoWd and b7t'e Bntnussntm-tScnern'
nishone's SPEECH.
Especial telegram 10 the Dlspatcb.l
HAEmsoSTuno, VA, Jely 2l.--The Re
publican mass-me citing to ratiiy the nomi-
naiion a. Blaine and Logan, which had
been advertised for the last two weeks by
posters, &c. was held here to-day, this
being court.day.
In .he early hours o. the morning there
could bo Observed on every road entering
the town men ON horseback and in vehicles
OF every description on their way 10 the
COURTHOUSE, rs It's The ,ime-honorcd cus-
tom oi the people in the country 10 turn
out on that day, whether they have busl-
ness or rot. There were fglly three
thousand pcople IN attendance. including
large hunters from the adjacent counties
Of Augusta. Frederick, and Shenandoah.
At 8 O'Clock the train from Staunion
arrived. loaded with passengers from dit
ferent stations. and on It's arrival at tho
dcp6t the meu formed in line. with band
OF music n thdr head, and unfurled a
Blaine and Logan banner.
no ENTHUSIASM.
From the dcT0i they marched into the
town. creating little or no enthusiasm as
they hurried through. On the green front
ing the courthouse was The speakers
stand, with 40 decorations, flags. or bant-
ing. The portraits Of the presidential can
dictates were missing. The speaking COM
mcncod n II o'clock and lasted until =.
VI. The meeting was presided over by ex-
Senator j. II. Webb. At no time during
the speaking were there more than 800 peo-
pie present. Bat on the streets aud around
the Pubic Squqrcscould he seen numbers
Of farmers, merchants. horse-buyers, cattle
4
cuSsing the markets and striking bargains,
while the agricultural men were busily
engrgcd In exhibiting their machinery.
PUBLIC CURIOSITY.
In The crowd or the meeting a numbero OF
Democrats were 10 be seen drawn thithcr
by curiosity to see General Malone. During
his speech a person in the audience was
heard 10 say, " Well. | declare! Ths.t man
nledgcd 10 the support OF Blaine and Lo-
can. The Republican nominees, who In q
discussion with Ben. Hill on the floor OF the
senate said he was better Democrat than
Hill Was
A RESTLESS CROWD.
General Malone was the first speaker,
and thanked TIE audience for the reception
given him. He spoke from notes, and H.
bored PAINFULLY, speaking so slowly taat
the audience soon became impatient, and
though he held them well in hand. frequent
ovcIsIoiiops Of rcstlessnesS came from the
crowd. He SAID that in this fight all State
lines were elaborated, and national qneS-
tionS alone we're presented. and every man
must determine his course OF action by
an enlightened Judgment. He charged
mon the BOurbOEs all thc evils |
which have come upon the Gov
ernmcnt since the war, charging that
under " Bourbon" maign influence Nir-
cinja had gone back from the first to the
fifteenth State in the Union. The Demo- |
Gratis had worked ten years to settle the
State debt, and then accepted what bis !
marty had done. He then went into re-
view OF State matters. including public
schools, insane asyluns. capitaton tax. and
the last Legislature, comparing Democratic
with Readju,iCr administration. lie also
went into an explanation OF the causes
leading 10 the Readjuster downfall last
year. altTibuting that downfall to what he
depOminated the precOncerted Danyllle
murder, by which the white people OF
the State were consolidated for the DEM
ocIats. He discussed the tariff, but was
not sufficiently lucid TO create any i'm
preston on the crowd.
He closed By pledging himself for
all the time to the Republicans, and by
eulogizing Blamo's Americanism and Lo.
grams great likeness to his chief.
Mr.. PARSONS SPEAKS.
Mr.. II. {. Parsons next spoke, combining
himself 10 the tariff and TO eulogizing Mr..
Blaine and irving 10 belittle Mr.. Cleveland.
He created no enthusiasm, and the crowd
became impatient to hear Wise's jokes.
Blair was next, and spoke OF his having
canvasscd this county and the Valley in
1879 and 1850 rs u Democrat. But times
change. saId BE-, and men CHANGED with
them. In his efior' TO give reasons for bis
change he told many more anecdotes than
facts. stating thar his conversion Was due !
TO the Danyille riot and his reading on the |
tariff question. lie declared that there |
were no Straichlouts or StraightinS. but |
that they were now all unauthorized Re- |
publicauS. the handles having ali been
knocked O0'
John :. Wise began with his usual inyec.
tive against Democracy and the murder Of
coloIcd people in Danville. and then re-
viewed his contest with Mr.. Massey. the
PauLO'FCrrall contest. and the action OF
the Legislature last fall in unseatng Ma
hOneites aud seating Democrats. He went
into the tariff, and made 10y long odds the
most effective remarks on this subject.
Resolutions were read by Blair endorsing
Arthur's administration, the April State
Republican Convention, the National Con-
vention. platform and candidates, and also
the course OF General Malone.
Il. J. Walker, district eIecior, and Jacob
Yost, Of the Valley Pirgiaian, made their
speeches.
After the needing had closed prominent
Democrats expressed themselves pleased
with the absence Of enthusiasm and are
confident that Rockingham will be carried
for Cleveland and Hendricks by hand
some majority.