Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-10-30
HURRAH FOR FLICK /!



{" The high joint now is over,
And Wilson was quite tame
You may bet your tin that Flick slipped in
And he got there just the same"
The joint discussion between lit
tie " Billy Wilson and Gener'l Flick
on last Friday came of, and will be
remembered by those who heard it
for some time to come. We think
Wilson will remember it anyhow
long after others have forgotten it.
He won'trememberit very pleasantly
either. We certainly felt more kindly
toward Wilson on Friday last than
we ever did before, simply because
we pitIed him. We would have
been compelled to pity any man
under the circumstances, for a more
complete drubbing, yea regular hide
skinning than the one he got here
Friday we never witnessed and if its
equal is to be seen anywhere around
here soon may we be be there to see.
1t was like taking the skin off a
mans back then pouring on the flesh
turpentilre and taking brush and
rubbing it in. And Wilson WINGED
under it, nay shrivelled under it and
shook and shivered with his over
coat on under it. Our Democratic
friends may seek to repair their
broken faith and blasted hopes in
the powers of their weak candidate
and may vote for him but one thing
they will never let little " Billy be
pitted against General Flick, in joint
discussion here again.
The day was fine, the crowd i'm
meuse. The speaking occurred in
the open air from the door of the
sherilf's office in the Court House
yard. Under arrangement Wilson
spoke an hour, Flick an hour and
a-half and Wilson replied in q half
hour. Hon. John w. Mason acted
as chairman of the meeting. When
Wilson was introduced he was re-
ceived in dead silence, not a voice
was raised in applause. And for one
achOle hour he spoke, labOred, hari aag-
ned that cro'od, of sag 700 or 800 men
and aoomen aoithout a 'oord or mani.
festdtion of applause from them !
Not a voice was raised to approve a
word lie said and not laugh re.
warded his efforts at wit. He dis
cussed the land question, the tariff
question, getting off on long for-
bearing people the same old worn
out and misguided ideas and argu-
ments on this question that he has
afflicted the people Of this county
with in half dozen speeches
heretofore. 1t was in almost the
same words too. We all knew what
was coming. We had heard it be-
fore. The illustrations were the
same. In short any one who heard
any of the speeches made by Wilson
two years ago around in the school
houses Of this county, know what
he said Friday about the tariff. He
told us it was tax that we paid on
what we eat and what We slept on
and that which we were clothed, our
readers all know the rest, they have
heard it before. He then took up
the surplus in the Treasury. He
made wonderful tumble here. He
brought down the surplus from $780,
100000, his statement in 1880 to
100000, and even had the i'm
pudence and audacity to deny that
he had said in 1880 that the surplus
was S4O0,0OO,0O0; and it can be
proven by hundred mems oatlls in
this county that he did say so. He
labored on trying to show that Cleye-
lands administration had done
something good for the people until
his hour was up. During the whole
speech his every look, his every ac-
ton was beg for some manifesto
ton of enthusiasm and approval.
But he had none, not sign nor a
word, and he sat down in dead ST
lence.
The moment General Flick was
on his feet the crowd cheered him
to the echo. He could hardly get
started at all for the applause. Then
the skinning began and to say that
the crowd enjoyed it would be put
ting 1t lightly. AS the General took
up one by one the fallacies that had
been advanced by Wilson and rid.
died them, the crowd went wild and
during that hour and half speech
cheer after cheer went up from the
crowd in response to the many hits
squarely between the eyes of Wilson
that Flick gave him. And he had
to sit there and take it, with a pale
face and shrivelled body shrouded
in and 1ifaraiIx, h;I II, n s<roo+ t;r,