The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-04-24
Rockingham Democrats and the
Tariff 3

Rockingham Democrats anu Inc
Tariff.
unterriied Democracy the s Grand
Old Partyn--of Rockingham1net in Mass
Convention in the Court House Of Har-
risonburg last Monday. to appoint dele.
gates to the Democratic State Convention
which meets in Richmond on, the 14th Of
May. DR.. Herring presided andsJ. P. Ker
acted as secretary. Shortly after organiza-
tions J. D. Pennybacker, Esq, threw 9
bomb shell among the assembled wisdom
in the shapeaof substantially free trade
resolution. It was unexpected by the ma
jority of those present, but no sooner was
it read than number Of the rising young
stat esinen Of that county tackled it, and
although in minority, by dint of adroit
management killed the dangerous thing
deAder than Hector. MI. Pennybackel
supported his proposition BY several short
and well put speeches. and WAS assisted by
| Senator Keezel, Dr.. Moffett and Capt.
Grhttan, in very manly and well defined
arguments. The resolution was opposed by
Col. o. B. Roller Winfield Liggett and
JnS. T. Harris. .Jr..-the latter offering rs
a 81 destitute the resolutionlof the Lynch
bufg Convention of 1888, which means
anything or nothing, rs a person may wish
to tonstrue It, He wanted to know whether
the Democracy Of Rockingham did not
stand on the Lynchburg platform, which
tbo,kr bo1 ao,iayn1 ~ xrrpot yiptnrN last fall
Mr.. Keezell, Dr.lMotfett and Mr.. Penny
hacker, declared they did. under their i'll
depreciation Of it-centending that The
resolution of Mr.. Pennybacker merely de
fined what the meaning of the tariff plank
in that platform was. Mr.. dZeezelI desired
to have Il. distinct and direct declaration
and not to be committed to a resolution
that was accepted hy Randall, in Penmsyl
vania, and Payne in Ohio, as favoring a
high protective tariff and construed i'll
Virginia as meaning something else. The
fact was, he said, that in the last contest
the tariff question was not discussed, and
it could notabe said that the people rhId
voted with reference,to it, in the election
of delegates to the Legislature. Dr.. Moi
felt ical ed iitoentiOl TO, the fact that the
Deniocra of the county stood upon the
National platform of 1876 aud 1850. which
ANNOUNCED foE q tariff for .reyenue oDly,77 Fl
and that was the only sentiment of Demo
cratic express ion they had to govern
them. lie WAS now. lis IN 1876, for Til
den and Relornn,' And Wanted his party
| to t9tke high and definite position.
I'll was very manifest, fro the re-
sponses given, that 'Tilder" aid a tariff
for revenue only met with the approval
of tliree-fourths of the audience 1t was
equal ~ evident that .tlae Randall fneif-for
really it was u clear case of Randall or
Tide n--did not intend to be frightened
from their position and relinquish the
ight or shirk the issue that had been
forced upon them. So after two hours
debate, participated in by theK speakers
named, proposition was made by DR..
Moffe EFT To withdraw both resolutions, and
adopt Il modification of Harris PROPOSE
tion to reiterate the Lynchburg platform
on the subject. This was done, by ex-
planning the llynchburg tariff resolution to
mean a reduction Of tariff rates, reform
in the methods of collecting revenues. and
economy in the administration of govern
ment, The modification, however, did
not modify. It really did not interpret in
the WAY the ''reformers" insisted upon,
nordi ditthrow any fresh light ON the much
muddlcd position of the Democracy on
the tariff question. The, practical sub
stantial result was that a-handful of pro-
tective Democrats, and Randallites, won
a decisive victory over three times their
number of practical free traders and Til
denites, whose aggressive attitude in the
outset was suddenly changed to the most
'abjeet subm ission to what was declared by
one of the $. peakers to- be Republican doc
trine. DR.. foffett said that the tariff is-
sue would be up in the Presidential con-
test and wouli have to be fought out, but
in this prelimi, nary struggle he surrendered
when he had victory in his hand. Senator
Keezell wanted it understood that the
Ohio. and Pennsyl vania Interpretation of
that of the Virginia Democracy, yet al
lowed the sentim ent of it to be substan-
TALLY reiterated. ssT.r Harris struck the
keynote, however, when he informed
Moffett. as the latter gentleman was pro-
claiming the beauties of revenue only
doctrine as declared in 1876 and 1880, and
wishing to know why the Rockingham
DeniScr acy could not yet stand on it, that
they had been beaten, and hence, the natu-
raj conclusion, that something else had to
be done. 1T, " like Flanagan, of Texas,
in the Chicago Convention of 1880, who
wanted ito know what the delegates were
t lere fob if not for office. would accept
a y tariff view, if it would lead to Demo
cratic success.
It was a nice little fight, as it was, be
tween the contemling factions, but both
got scared at the sharp differences which
were manifested, and beat retreat from
the conflict SO sudde n and precipitate, as to
leave a reasonable doubt whether there is
any principle of any kind animating the
Democratic party, except that of greed for
spoils and the way to seize them.
81 The meeting was well attended by both
parties the Democrats the more numer-
oqs--the final action was accepted by the
factions, and delegates appointed to the
State Convention, whose names we did not
learn,
Deeds, &c. 4 W. -
Transfers of Real Estate and other writ
ings admitted to record in the Clerks Of
flee of the UrlStinpS Court since the March