The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-17

ANSWER THEM.
Saturday was a big day for the Demo-
Gratis of Staunton. at nine O'Clock in the
morning the Stonewall Brigade Band and
a large crowd of men and boys proceeded
! to the Valley Depot to meet Gen. Fltz-
| hugh Lee, Democratic candidate for Gov
ernor, and Maj. John w. Daniel. Both
came and were escorted up town by the
music and the crowd. Their mission was
to deliver political speeches to the Demo-
Gratis of Staunton and Augusta, and at IL
O'Clock they entered the Court House
amidst the loud huzzas of their party
friends. A large audience was there to
welcome them, the room, which holds be-
ta cen 600 and 700, being crammed. In the
gallery were many ladies and boys.
BY request Hon. Alex. Fl. II. Stuart, in
fitting terms, introduced
FITZ LEE.
The Democratic candidate for Governor
| is not handsome man. His face is heavy
and red. Contrasted with Daniel, who is
strikingly handsome and intellectual
| looking, Gen. Lee does not show off to adj
vantage. He is better speaker than we
| had expected to hear. His voice is pleas
ant and gestures few and appropriate. His
delivery is rapid and distinct, but sa-
yors too much of the hurried recitation
business. There is also.too much OF the
Golden Pacifc'' "cloud capped noun
TAIN ocean washed plane" and all that
kind of stuff, which perpetually reminds
the listener of its studied preparation and
careful memorizing. The finished orator
gets off these curls with an ease that
seems natural. An apprentice destroys
! the effect Of the plain, straightforward
part by attempting to dress it in Teady-
made clothes. padding out the figure to fit
the garment, and ending by making a
scare-crow of the combination. If Gen.
Lee would drop those spontaneous bursts
Of eloquence'i and contine himself to a
style more suited to his latest masquerade
us plain practical farmer, he would find
that his speeches, whilst not perhaps yield
| Ing so nrany bouquets, z would strike the
average voter with far more force. Only
once did be read from his manuscript, but
that WAS at the most inopportune season.
When 1T came to the peroration he donned
h1s glasses and read with much delibera-
tion 4 very pretty piece of composition.
tie effect of which was seriously marred
by the manner Of its delivery,
WHAT lie SAID.
In opening, the speaker thanked the au-
dience for the warmth of welcome ex-
tended. and alluded to former visit to
the county during the war. His mission
ow was a mission Of peace. To his hand
lad been committed the banner of De-
mo, racy, and he proposed to carry it from
Accomac to the Tennessee line. He re-
called the fact that in the nominating con-
ven. ion Augusta had cast 81 votes for him,
and returned his hearty thanks for the
confidence expressed in that vote. Where
ever he had been the most cheering signs
Of Democratic victory greeted him. When
the campaign opened at Accomac, he
spoke to $500 people, whilst by actual
CONT, Blair, at the same time and place,
addressed only 81 colored and about SO
whites. Accomac, he declared would give
him 800 majority. and lie wanted to know
What Augusta would do.
A voice. Follow Accomac.'
In Rockbridge the very air was filed
with victory. His travel through that
county had been a triumphant march of
cavalry, old men and young joining in the
procession. What means this demonstra-
ton? It means that the people are
awaking to the evils of bossism as repre-
sented by Malone. The issue of the peO-
pie against the Government had been
fought and decided in the election of Cleve-
land, and dictator for each state
would no longer be appointed to
dispense favor and patronage. The
speaker stated that he had recently
accepted an invitation to New York, be-
cause he wanted no bitterness to exist be-
tween the sections, but that a broad recon-
citation should prevail, and whilst there
preaching peace, his enemies were declar-
ing that he had been selected as the leader
of new war. Who is it that breaches of |
q new rebellion ? John Sherman and men
of that ilk, the bosom friends of Jno. S.
Wise and Malone. Those same men are |
always willing to recognize loyalty in the
South, provided those who profess it vote |
the Republican ticket. LongstreetJ Mosby, |
Key, and others were hailed as patriots as |
soon as they came into the Republican |
fold. The speaker then alluded to the re-
cent speech of Foraker, and bitterly de-
nounced the Republican candidate in Ohio. |
Referring to the State debt Gen1 Lee |
declared that it was no longer a question |
at issue. 1t had been fought in the Fund |
ing DILL, for which more Republican than
Democratic votes were cast, and in the |
McCulloch bill. In both instances the /
voice of the majority pronounced in favor
of readjustment, and the Riddleberger bill |
was passed. That measure had been ac |
guessed in by the Democratic party in |
1888, and subsequently in the Legislature |
the promise to abide by it was reiterated. |
The issue now is of State sovereignty, |
which means that the powers of the gen.
eral government shall not be exercised in |
regulation of State affairs that federal |
judges shall not put their hands into the |
pockets of the people and take therefrom
their substance. If elected he promised
that the internal matters of the State
should not be the subject of judicial quib-
BILE by usurping Federal judges. When
the constitution was adopted, if any man
had declared that under it the Federal
power could be employed to regulate State
affairs, it would have been repudiated
then and there.
While speaking at Clifton Forge the
other day, he had been told that Brown
Allen had stated that should Lee reelected
the schools would close. AS far back as
1877, he (Lee) had written letter in favor
of the system, and he reiterated now
what he said them That as the
schools flourish, so would the State
prosper ; as they languished so would the
State decline. Every law passed for the
maintenance and support of the system
originated with the Democratic party, and
their present prosperity was due to the