Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1885-08-26
SPEAKING ON MONDAY.
Alexandria, FEW REMARKS BY
CAPT. JAS. BUMGARDNER, JR,

ALEXANDRIA, FEW REMARKS BY
CAPT. JAS. BUMaARDNER, JR,
Before the adjournment of the court
last Monday, Mr.. R. B. Berkeley, Of Farm
vile, one of the Republican cauvassers,
commenced making a speech to an au-
dience on the outside of the court house.
When the court adjourned, the Demo
Gratis assembled in the courthouse to hear
Judge Chas. E. Stuart, of Alexandria,
Speaker of the House of Delegates, and
one of the Democratic State canvassers
Capt Jas. Bumgardner, Jr., chairman OF
the Democratic county committee, took
the stand to introduce the speaker Of the
occasion. He said that we were now in
augurating the final contest. 1t was not a
contest of new issues, and must be fought
on the old line, as we had the same enemy
of good State government to contend
against. We have heretofore gained a
great victory and we must hold the ground
we have heretofore won, and it should be
done with hard, earnest, solid work.
Every Democrat should roll up his sleeves
and put in his best ticks. After this intro
ductory, he introduced the speaker, Judge
Chas. E. Stuart, of Alexandria.
REMARKS OF JUDGE STUART.
He commenced by saying that as he
came into the courthouse he saw gentle
man delivering speech from the court
or moC a
Jealous Democratic canvasser, and IS
months ago was Democratic candidate
for the office of Secretary of the Common
wealth, and that he thought he was MAX
ing Democratic speech till he saw the
character of the audience he was address,
ing. That was all he had to say of Mr.. R.
B. Berkeley.
He read some of the remarks made by
Judge Jere s. Black, before the Supreme
court when the fraud was about being
enacted which took the Presidency from
Tilden to give it to Hayes, in which that
distinguished man predicted that retribu-
ton, that travelled with leaden heel but
struck with an iron hand, would be sure
to overtake the party that would be guilty
of the preparation of such an outrageous
fraud. In the light of subsequent events,
these remarks of Judge Black read like
prophecy. When he saw the Executive
chair filled by an honest and pure man
Cleveland-and the great fraud OF 1876
rebuked by the election of Hendricks as
Vice President, he felt that the prophecy
had been fulfilled, and that it was true
that the party of fraud had been overtaken
by retribution that travels with a leaden
heel, but strikes with an iron hand. Some
thought Cleveland was rather slow in
turning the rascals OUT" but, though
slow, he is sure, and his policy to ''turn
the rascals OUT and to put honest men in
their places will be carried out in good
time. He spoke of the conduct of Malone
in denouncing the people of his own State
as murderers. He then contrasted the acts
of the Readjuster Legislature of 1872
with the Democratic legislature of 1883
in which he showed that the charges the
Republican canvassers prefer against the
Democratic Legislature are false, and that
even if they were true, they sink into in
significance when compared with the iniqui-
tous acts of the Legislature of 1872 and
the more outrageous acts they would have
passed if they had not been prevented by
Massey and the ''big FOUR" and which
they will pass if they succeed in getting a
majority of the next Legislature.
Rockbridge county had elected two
Democratic elegates-Dunlop and Leech
by majority of over fifty, and they
were turned out and Jas. A Frazier and John
B. Lady were put in their places, that Ma
hone might have supple tool in the per-
son of Jas. A. Frazier, to do his partisan
work.
That party claims to be for economy, and
yet, one of their first acts in the Legisla-
ture was to allow wealthy corporation to
pay off a debt of half million Of dollars
in Riddleberger bonds, thus losing to the
treasury of the State the large sum of
$780, 900. This was put through as a
party measure. They introduced bill to
turn out every Notary Public in the State,
and to have their places filled by Gov.
| Cameron. They attempted to pass the
Commissioner-of-Sa bill, which would
deny to persons the right to choose who
should sell their own property, but Tequir-
ed it to be sold by commissioner appoint
ed by Malone judge, who would exact
his commission. The widow and the Or
phan might want to get friend to sell
their property who would not charge any
commission, but this law would have pre-
vented, and put the commission into the
pocket of the Malone commissioner. They
proposed to re-district the State SO that the
large mojority of white people would not
be represented in Congress, but that the
minority with the negroes would be repre-
sented in undue proportion. These are
some of the things they would have done
if they had not been prevented by the pa
triotic action of the ''big four" and these
and other things equally, il not more, out
rageous they would do if they should sue
coed in getting into power again. They
| displaced Rev. W. H. Ruffner learned,
competent, and experienced State Superin-
tendent Of the Public Schools, who had
never made his office partisan or political,
and put into that office, Mr.. R. R. Farr, Of
Fairfax, who has made the office partisan;
who cannot spell correctly even the
simplest words; and whose two chief de-
sires are to get as many offices as possible,
and as much money as possible connected
with the offices. He selects books that
should not be used-books that are highly
objectionable-for the reason that he
makes money by it. He said that he had
met S. Brown Allen in discussion in East
ern Virginia, and that he had then said to
him what he would now say of him. He
then spoke of Aliens stumping the State
in behalf of his Boss when he was being
paid by the State for the Office he occupied,
and in connection with Aliens appoint