Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-09-14
DEMOCRATIC ORATORS At A
CIRCUS.
Especial to The American. ]

tO.daN in behalf Of the Democratic
ticket. A novel feature of the Oc-
casion was the fact that the meet.
ing was held in Shelby's circus
tent, which was rendered by the
management just before the show
began. A partially successful at
tempt was made by the Republicans
10 boycott the show IN consequence.
Senator Riddleberger and r. j.
walker made speeches crticizing
the management for mingling poll
tics with the exhibition.
The above, as it explains for
itself, was a special dispatch from
here to the Baltimore american.
1t is but one of the several which
have hitherto passed unnoticed by
"Senator" Riddleberger,a all supplied
to the american by its reporter
here, a we'll known associate pro-
prietOr and editor of a Democratic
newspaper.
Like a previous story connecting
Senator Riddleberger with a circus
escapade, this one is an unquall-
fed falsehoOd.
Senator Riddleberger sent about
Is young folks from his home to
town to attend the sOcalled 80
Shows in One" His own business
was first with some attorneys at
the court house, it being court as
we'll as circus day. When the
"Street Pageant passed along,
men stood by the drivers, annOunc-
Ing free entrance into the canvass
to hear political speaking. For
the first time Senator Riddleberger
knew that speaking was on the
boards, as it was his first visit to
the court house after his arrival
home.
An immense thrOng OF people
was in town. The day was not to
be given up to a circus with an
annex of two Democratic Congress
men, and when a committee re-
quested Senator r. to speak at the
court house, he agreed to 90 so.
in the mean time Mr.. r. j.
Walker opened on the street in
front of the Geary House, and
again on the Commons near the
circus. We were not present at
either of his meetings, but all who
heard him say he made vigorous
and valiant assault upon the circus
management and the Democracy
which can attract crowds only by
the assistance of an elephant and
mold them by surrounding them
with circus canvass
At the conclusion of the Demo.
cratic circus meeting Senator Rid.
dleberger proceeded to address the
people at the court house. He
su ggested no boycott. He adj
vised no one TO 60 to, or stay away
from, the circus. He criticised only
the reply given by the proprietor
to the Republicans who waited on
him, and devoted most of his time
to ridiculng the fraudulent Democ.
racy for forming a combination
with a circus, menagerie, aquarium
and museum, with its three hun
bred feet of bill be cards, and street
parade that exhibited small ele-
D hant, one drOmedary and one
camel-an aquarium which consist
ed of a wagon supposed to contain
a whale, but which, when the side
boards we're taken down, presented
to view a family of Turks. If these,
and other such references, cOnstltu-
ted a boycott, then the sender of
the Americans dispatch was truth
ful; otherwise he lied.
At no time was Senator Riddle
berger nearer the "Commons" than
the court house, W hlch is on main
street, near the center of Wood
stock.
BE all his as it may, the people
at the court house until
the speaking was concluded, and
then the circus band, brought from
tue Commons, struck up, and the
invited them to follow
the band to a free exhibition, which
kind invitation very few accepted,
and in the night Mr.. Shelby folded
his tents and quietly quit us, a
wiser, but by no means happier
man.
1t Is proper to state that Mr.. S.,
by his own statement, was deceived |
aud threatened into his forenoon
action by some of our prominent |
whom he named.
we hone this will fall under the |
eve OF the Baltimore american.
WAcuINCT0N ETTEp