The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-10-29
Judge Foraker in staunton.

olitical issues of the day. 1t had been
ablicly announced that he would speak
Staunton and other places in Virginia.
nd upon this publication almost every
ourbon paper in the State commenced a
SYSTEMATIC Islander of the distinguished
Gentleman. 1t was proclaimed in sensa-
ional headlines that he was the apostle of
he bloody shirt, the traducer of Virginia
nen, the slanderer of Virginia women, the
efamer of Virginia traditions and the
hose who gave currency to these false
hoods, did not believe them, for they knew |
better. The object was to arouse section |
Il hate, revive the pIejudices of the war
md give deeper red to the crimson gar
ment. which existed only in their imagi- |
nations or was tile creation of their own
insidious designs. Judge Foraker, in
opening, referred to the occasion OF his
presence. 1t was not to discuss the local
issues which engaged the attention of Viz
ginlans, nor the personal character and
claims of any individual TO public conf
dence. Ohio was not directly interested
in who should hold the offices in Virginia,
how we should settle our debt, or any 9TH
er purely local question. But in broader
sense, Ohio and every State in the Union
was concerned in the resultof the contest
now being waged in this State, and many
other States. It had a relation to great
national interests, and in the degree that
these were implicated, was he and all 9TH
ers, who wished to see the country pros
porous and happy, interested. Upon the
threshold of his appearance in Virginia,
there had been placed in his hands paper
published IN Richmond, which brought
against him a serious indictment. 1t was
charged that he had traduced Virginia,
slandered her men, laughed at her wo-
men, and contemptuously spit and tram
pied upon her sacred SOIL To only one of
these counts would he plead guilty. In
passing through the State on this occasion
and at former time, he had spit upon the
soil because it was inconyenient for him
not to do SO. As to all the others he pro-
nounced them false. In discussing great
question, deeply important to all sections
Of the Union, he had said about it in Ohio
what he would say IN Virginia. He
claimed the right to do SO as an American
citizen, and knew that the brave men who
followed Lee and jackson would stand by
him in the maintenance of this right. He
had commended and contended now for the
rights only which the constitution guar
antees to every citizen-the recognition of
the laws and the immunities they provide
for, whether in Cincinnati.or Columbus
or i'll Virginia or any other State-that
every citizen entitled by the laws to vote,
should have the privilege of voting as he
pleased and have his vote counted as cast.
whether in the North or South. He
wanted to see wrong doing condemned and
rebukea everywhere in this broad land ded-
icated to freedom-the fountain source of
government kept free from corruption, that
our institutions might. grow in strength
and power, the people become prosperous
and happy, with peace and friendship pre-
vailing everywhere, binding the sections
together in indissoluble .tonds, and 1.-THE
country march forward to fulfill its grand
destiny.
He went back to the early settlement of
America and the two civilizations as typ
flied in Plymouth Rock and Jamestown
Slavery was the result of the latter, and
out of that grew the doctrine of secession
and Free Trade. Slavery and secession
went down at Appomattox, and free trade
was the only thing left of the old order of
things. The tariff was ably and exhaus-
lively discussed, argument marshalled af-
ter argument and Illustration after Illus
tration TO demonstrate the wisdom of pro-
lection and the fallacy and ruin of free
trade. His presentations on this question
were masterful and overwhelming many
of his hearers after the conclusion Of his
speech remarking that it was one of the
most satisfactory explanations of the
tariff question they had ever heard. He
discussed thepublic school question-their
influence and effect-the relation of the
Republican party to the subject of educa-
ton, and closed with one of the grandest
perorations to which we have ever lis
tened. Stirred by the ideas that pressed
npon him, he grew thrillingly eloquent,
and in majestic sentences impressed his
audience with the soemnity as well as the
Importance of all the great and vital cues
tions he had discussed. He reminded us
in the manner and grasp and perspicuity
of his speech of the wonderful effort of
w. l.. Yancey in 1861, when he addressed
the people of Staunton There was moth
ing strained or pretentious. An easy flow
of language...a candid. frank, manly de-
meanor, perfect mastery of the questions
dilated on, method in arrangement, logical
in deduction, and powerful in presenta-
ton, it was speech that will long be re-
membered, and yield its fruit on the day
of election.
One remarkable feature about the au.
dience was that scarcely a man left who
could find room to remain where he could
hear. The Court House was packed on
the lower and upper floors. and hundreds
remained about the windows and in the
vestibule to catch at least some portions
of his remarks. The most respectful
hearing was accorded and the deepest in
terest manifested in every sentence ut
tered. Some prominent and intelligent
Democrats were present, and after the
close of the NEE ting, two of them re-
marked to us that there was not a word
spoken by Judge Foraker that any fair
man could object to. One of them said
that it was dangerous speech, in that it
would win Democratic votes, and that if
it were delivered throughout the State it
would Ievolutionize the politics of Vir-
ginia.
The best joke of the season is the yarn
the Democrats are circulating of the dis
cussion between Gen1 Golf and Judge
Harris at Clifton Forge last Friday. Golf,
as is well known, is one of the ablest men
in the South, and neither Judge Harris
roranv democrat in Virginia is his superb