The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-07-31

NlOHldy ltto1 WHO uly Nouiioy NoeiAo7u Wy
and, as usual, there was large crowd in
the city. 1t is the season when the more
pressing work of the farm has been finished
and the business neglected during the har-
vest time comes up for disposal. AS a
consequence. a goodly number of farmers
visit the town to meet each other, arrange
their various affairs, talk of crops and
prospects, and listen to public speaking.
1t has been a long time since July Court
has not been awaited of By one or the other
political party for haranguing the soYer-
eigns. Last Monday was no exception to
the rule. The Democrats had announced
it as the occasion fixed upon for their rati-
fcation, ard when the Court House bell
was rung at II o'clock, the room was soon
filled.
The meetinglwas called to order by Capt.
Jas. Bumgardner, county chairman, and
Hon. w. ID. Hill, of Ohio, was the first
speaker introduced. He is no stranger to
this section. having canvassed in various
counties of the Valley in 1882, and created
favorable impression. He talks well,
and is straightforward in his utterances
and plain. Knowing that there would be
no one to reply to him, Mr.. Hill was not
particular in his statements of facts, and
more than once, by both omission and
commission. endeavored to leave M err
roneous impression on the minds Of
his hearers. After brief Introductory.
he undertook to criticise the Repub-
lican platform and the party's action
on the tariff, declaring that it had made
no effort to reduce the high tariff. In
| 1882 it's own tariff commission reported
that Il reduction of % per cent. should be
made. and the bill it presented had only
provided for a reduction of about per
cent. And yet when the Democratic party
wanted to complete the reduction by
Topping off another 20 per cent. the Re-
publicans voted solidly against it. AS to
the Republican profession of sympathy for
labor. he had only to point to the Presi
dent IS veto of the Chinese bill The pres
ent House had passed u bill to prohibit the
importation of convict labor, and it had
never gotten further than the House. III
regard to the public lands the Republicans
had granted immense tracts to railroads,
&C., and the Democratic party had declared
100, DOC. 900 acres Of those lands forfeited,
but the Senate never acted upon this
measure AS to the Educational Bill. the
Senate had sent that down to the House
| within three OF four days of adjournment.
and when the appropriation hill was press
ing so that it could not be reached.
The speaker referred to Blaine's letter
of acceptance and bis review of the Ma
ton s wondrous progress during the last
two decades, and claimed that Blaine was
undertaking to deceive the public in cred
iting this extraordinary progress to wise
Republican laws. 1t was but the natural
outgrowth, according to Mr.. Hill, of the
increase of population. &c. 1t was good
prices, and not any tinanciering of Sher-
man. that brought about specie payment.
| 1t was Democratic act which prevented
| the demonstration of silver, and that was
a potent factor in bringing about re-
sumption.
| Free-trade, he claimed, was IA misnomel
when applied to the Democratic position
on the tariff. No party was in favor OF
the abolition Of custom duties. He read
the Democratic tariff plank and declared
1 that the kernel of 1.-THE revenue fol
Ispublic purposes exclusively was an ex-
cerpt from decision of theSupreme Court
He claimed that the Republican tariff OPP
Grated unjustly on the poorer classes,
because it imposed only 10 per cent. on
diamonds and SO per cent. on sugar, SO per
cent. on blankets, &c. The 47th Congress
reduced the duty ON wool without reducing
it on the manufactured product, ant
thereby doubly affected the grower. He
further asserted that book which cost
40 cents was sold for 81. 90 in consequence
1 of the tariff, and that from the samt
cause so cents extra was added to the price
of common wool hat. The duty on sail
was another oppression, inasmuch as sal
was the free gift of God to all the people
He denounced the internal revenue, and
said that the Southern States pay but little
j of the tax, whist the officers who collec'
that little are paid as much as those whit
collect when the amounts are large.
If you want to protect labor, he said
pay good wages, and adjust your revenue
laws so as to prevent overproduction, and
equalize supply and demand Every foul
years the cry had been that if the Demo
Gratis succeed in electing their candidate
depression to business would follow. Ii
1872, Grant was elected and the panic O
'73 followed in 1877, after Tilden had beef
elected and defrauded Of his seat, the rail
road strike came: in 1880, Hancock was
defeated and Garfield elected, and now you
find all markets depressed and failures O
such concerns as Grant & Ward.
| The speaker demanded that change b.
made, SO that there would be no more stal
route cases, and no more big fees t.
lawyers. Whenever a Republican rasca
gets into trouble he always calls upon
Democratic lawyer to help him out. HI
denounced the Republican party for viola
ton of the Constitution in separatin.
West Virginia from the mother State, de
claring that it was a political rape, an
and wound up by pitching into Mahon
and Cameron.
In passing, Mr.. Hill alluded to tn
triumph of the Democratic party in Obi
in 1882 and 1888, but we noticed that
was particularly careful not to make an
predictions as to 1884.
| MI. Hill was fairly applauded durin
parts of his speech. At it's conclusion
! | Col. Skinner, the chairman of the meet
1 ing, proposed that the crowd should go OF
Of doors and let Mr.. Tucker speak frol
!, the front of the Court House. This sug
: gestion was adopted, and as a result nc
more than half as many could hear as
, the Court House.
e MIR. TUCKER
spoke from table. He commenced
saving that between Cleveland and Blair
the voter must choose. Blaine, on the OF
= hand, had been declared by members {
: his own party not fit for the presidenc
Cleveland from boyhood to manhood ha
had upon his character neither spot NJ
.L To oolrDoulodna6 tbat RJoi,