Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-08-02
THEY DEBATE.
c0LORRD DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS
NRBT 10 DISCUSS
fhs Issues Of the Day, But fhsy Get Of the Track
SOnswhn-A Two Hundred People Lis
len 10 Politics Dishsd up IN hs Latest
and Most Approved Styla

and Most Approved Syla
The division in the the colored voting
population is becoming more noticeable
every day and the Democratic aide has
now quite . respectable sized club. For
some time past there has been talk of .
debate on the issues of the day between
Democratic and Republican champions.
Last evening this debate came of in Elm
Grove Town Hall, and about two hundred
people, mostly white, were there to hear it.
Ifothers had known how much they missed
by not going they surely would have been
there. There were about dozen colored
people in the audience, several OF whom
were women, and the latter became
so excited during the debate that they
yelled right out in meetin'. Quite Q num-
ber OF those present were from the city.
The audience for the most part. however,
was not made MP of people who cared
much to listen to the issues of the day dis
cussed, as was proposed. They went
there more for the fun, and
judging from the manner in which they
laughed, they got what they wanted.
Messrs. J. A. Hunt and DR.. Whitson
unheld the Democratic side, and Messrs.
Alex. Turner and Lswis Buckhannon the
Republican. Mr.. Hunt is barber in the
Arlington shop, and is an intelligent man.
He is heavy set, with smooth face, quiet
in manner and possessed Of good voice
and delivery. He presented logical argu-
ments as to why he had become Demo-
crst after having voted the Repub ican
ticket fGe twenty -four years.
His opponent, Mr.. Turner, everyone is
acquainted with. Alex. was very forcible
in his remarks, although his arguments
were not 30 good as Hunts. Alex. took
slavery as his theme and stuck to it. His
great gestures and majestic air
caught the audience and they roared with
delight. Alex. certainly shows great
deal of natural ability as stamp orator.
DR.. Whitson is very quiet in his talk but
naturally he had the best of the argument
all the way through, because he under
stands the tariff and the effect the proposed
Democratic reductions will have upon the
country, and then he had the right side of
the argument Mr.. Buckhannon-every-
one knows Buck-surprised his hearers by
his efforts, and while his talk was some
what disjointed, he said what he did in
correct and easy manner. Buck is q Re-
publican, and he almost parslyzed his
Republican friends by pulling out red
bandana and mopping off his brow. His
effort was received with cheers and hearty
laughter.
Summing the debate up from all the
points presented, the Democrats undoubt-
edly had the best of it as far as fair square
logical argument is concerned, but the
crowd seemed to enjoy the speeches Of the
Republican orators because they had mole
comedy and wit connected with them.
The order was remarkably good, taking
everything into consideration, and only one
man had to be elected from the house.
THE MEETING.
Lewis Jordan, Esq, called the meeting to
order and stated that the discussion would
be on the iseues of the day as were to be
observed in the campaign now opened, and
he hoped that everything would be con-
Quoted in an amicable manner, without
pickering or dissention. He announced
that the debate would be opened
by Mr.. Hunt on the Democratic side, to
be followed by Mr.. Turner on the Repub-
lican side. Rev. DIR. Whitson, Democrat,
was to be followed by Mr.. Buchanan,
Republican.
Judges were then selected as follows:
For Messrs. Hunt and Whitsou, Messrs.
Noah Zane and Andrew Patterson; for
Messrs. Turner and Buchanan, Me@rs.
Frank Foreman and John McCurdy. AZ
ter some discussion Mr.. Noise was selected
referee, after which Chairman Jordan in
troduced the first speaker, Mr.. Hunt. The
speaker said:
Ladies and Gentlemsn-There are rep
resentatives of the two great old parties
before You tonight. We propose to dis
cuss the issues of the present campaign as
far as our abilities allow Us. Ny friend
has chosen me as one Of his colleagues. /
will 20 as near to the issue before rs as pos
sible. That is-the reason why we colored
people who arc Democrats are Democratic.
think that ia the issue to be discussed TO-
night. will give you the reason why !
am Democrat and why ct least half Of
the colored race should be with me. The
Democratic party is not party based on
the issues of the past, hut it is the party OF
progress and the party Of the people, and
it is looking to the future and to the bene-
ft of future generations. The Democratic
party Is the party of live issues and the
party which is working in the interests Of
the poor man and
AGAINST MoNoPOLIEa,
and we expect to zee the day when
the workingman and capitalist will
be on an equal footing. The
Republican party is the party offalse prom
iJes to the colored race. They have never
fulfilled half, nor one-fourth, OF the prom
ises they have made to rs, and We should
take up with the Democratic party,
which has given as much without hav-
ing made any promises. Or course you
may say we have been in slavery, but
those days are all over and I think they
should all be forgotten. ] take mp this
point because it is the only one that my
opponent will attempt to fight me on.
Our Republican friends say they fought for
us three years, but beg TO say that there
were as many Democrats % Republicans in
the army. If the Democrats had all drop
ned out of the ranks before the close Of the
war where would this country hsye been
to-dsys Would We not now be under the
lash of elavery? Let the colored race do a.
white men do and show them that we have
sense and intellect. Let the Republican
party keep its hold over Us and We can
never show that We appreciate our freedom.
We had in this country civil rights bill,
| which gave us equal rights with any one,
but the party that ID howiing
about being our friends take our
rights away from us. / am speaking
directly in reference to the colored race.
For twenty odd years we have been trying
70 pay the debt the Repuhliean party ny
We owe il. II It has not been paid / think
we should repudiste it and look out for
/ onrooIvoo Wa haye aa nAuY Of Our rxce