Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-09-11

crate soldiers. for they were passing away
rapidly, and not many years will pass %
| fore there will be none OF us left to look
each other in the face or clasp each other 8
hands Even, to-day, [ am speaking 70
| gathering full of young men who never
saw war and whose lives will be spent
in country that will never hear bugie
blown nor carbine fired in war. To them
an old Confederate soldier will in few
years be curiosity. It is but few days
ago since the Association of Old Deten"
| ders. who defended Baltimore in 1872 was
disbanded, because only six were left and
| they were too infrm to appear in their
public parade, and this will soon be the
| fate of all the old Confederates. liz our
| few remaining years it is cur duty to
stand by each other for the sake OF OLD
companionship. for the men who stood bv
each other on the field of battle should
stan6 by each other IN times of peace. zap
plause.)
THE WAR GONE INTO THE PAST.
But am not here to talk to you of war.
I am one of those who have turned their
faces to the dawn and who believe in the
destiny of the great American Republic,
(applause). l went to New York recently
on the staff of Gen. Hancock. (cheers). l
went to attend the funeral of great Am
erican soldier. and to show my faith in
this great American Union. There L met
Gordon and Ransom and Tucker, lap
plause), all engaged in the same good
work, in acknowledging that War had
ceased to rear it's horrid front in our land,
that Peace had come, and that it was the
duty of all to make the American Repub-
lie great and enduring. And yet, while l
was engaged in this great National duty,
I read IN the New York Tribune that L
was heading new revolution in Virginia,
and that I had been nominated for the
Governorship of Virginia chiefly as one
knowing something about the handling of
troops. l am engaged in no such work.
1 was nominated by the Democrats of
this Commonwealth to carry their banner
in Peace from the sea to the mountains,
and | am here to-day as their standard
plause). We have had our fill of war, and
| congratulate the younger men who
are listening to me to-day, on the fact
that they will never serve in a war be-
tween the people of this Republic. Never
in the history of this country has the
feeling of Unionism been so cemented as
1t has been since the peaceful Inaugural
ton of Democratic President at the Ma
tional Capital. Never have the States
felt so deeply that they were Of, as well as
in, this Union, (applause.) The South once
more is anxious to DO her share to max e
the American Union great.
MAHoNE7s BossIsM.
But come to you to-day not to talk Of
war or of national affairs, but Of affairs in
Virginia-the issues between the Demo-
Gratis and the New Republicans Of the
State. The two parties contending for
supremacy in this State hold to different
plans as to government. The Republic ans
believe and practice Capitalization, mass
ing power in the hands OF the
few for the purpose Of govern-
ment; the Democrats believe and p1ac-
tice the theory that the people control
the government and not the govern ment
the people, In our State matters it is the
old 1ssue-whether you, people, shall be
the political slaves Of one man, or whether
you will rise in your might and trample
down every attempt to enslaye you. You
~ a. hat Of 10 Dcoplo
who have crushed Bossism under Conkling
in New York, under Cameron in Pennsyl-
vania, and who crushed it in 1888 in Vlr-
ginia when Malone went down. Virginia
has shown in the past few years to her
sister States of the Union that she could
produce the most offensive type of Bossism
ia William Malone. But she has also
shown her power to crush out that type
and the system Of which he Was the head.
One of the most gratifying incidents of
my visit to New York was, that many
Republicans-not mugwumps either
came to me and said, 1--WE are not Demo
Gratis and we would not vote for one, but
if we were in Virginia we would not vote
for Wise, but be with you in stamping out
the pernicious system of Bossism." This
type of Bossism came upon Virginia in
the period of her settlement Of the State
debt.
THE STATE DEBT.
When the State debt question came upon
her. many Of her people were in doubt.
Many man remembered that when he
bod roturpo5 homo from "a hatfla fialG
he had found no home there, all had been
swept away. They believed when this ques-
ton came up, that Virginia was not what
she once was and had lost her power to
do much that she would have done. And
on that view the Democratic party became
divided party. One division OF it made
two gallant fights and went down in de-
feat. That ended it, and the Democratic
party Of Virginia ever true to the prlnci-
pies of Democracy yielded to the people.
The debt matter having been taken in
hand by the people and their voice ex-
pressed, the Democratic party at Lynch
burg embodied that expression Of will in
their platform, and after being restored TO
power, again by legislative resolution relt-
Grated it. The convention which nOml-
, mated me. also reiterated it. Under the
recommendation of Gov. Cameron the
Democratic party sought to strengthen
the Riddleberger settlement. [ am no
lawyer, having been nothing but soldier
and since that q farmer (Cheers.) l am
afraid there are a good many farmers
present.
| A voice.-''And 10 lawyers"
| Gen. Lee continuing.-Afser the war
ended, and could not draw corn from the