Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-10-29
BE Leaves the Great II Am" Without
a Foot Of Ground to Stand On
Golf Does Not Attempt to
Answer Him.
4 PACKED MOB OF HOODLUhS
Try to Howl HIM Down, and They Are
Allotted by Goff Himsslf but the Plucky
Democrat Forces Them to Hear
Plain Democratic
Truths.

The'gcea! joint "deoate."
1t was one Of the grandest farces on
record and an eternal disgrace, to the Re-
publicans, with Gen. G off at thu head, who
are managing their campaign in West Vir-
ginis.
Fully four thousand of the people who
attended the meeting went there expecting
10 hear a tariff discussion. fairly, honor
ably and Gecently conducted. And to
give the people such debate was the aim
and intention of the Democrats who had
charge of the Democratic part of the
affair. But it is now beyond dispute that
Goffs lieutensnts, aud Goff himself, did
not intend that fair joint debate should
be the outcome OF the affair if they could
prevent it. They clearly feared the effect
upon the Republican yots Of fair and
square discussion Of the tariff between Mr..
W. L. Wilson and Gen. Goff. Fifteen
hundred or two thousand of Gof's
claquers, many of whom were
unnaturalizsd foreigners, were marshalled
early and marched to the Aihsmbra Rink
which is situate in that hot-bed Of Repub
licanism the Eighth ward, and these
rushed in as soon as the doors were orea-
ed and secured all the seats about the stage.
They were conspicuous by the pictures OF
Goff stuck in their hst-bands. Through
out Mr.. Wilson'S remarks they kept up
an intermittent groaning and yelling and
hooting, in chorus, whenever Gof, to his
shame be it accorded, would mark the time
to drown Mr.. Wilson'S voice, which he
would do by a shrug of his ssoulders, q
wink, Q aderisive smits, or nod. Frequently
Mr.. wilson was compelled to stop, his
voice being entirely drowned by
the yelling and Ihooting OF
GoFF's HooDLUMs.
And not once did Gof open his lips to
iutarpose to secure for Mr.. Wilson fail
hearing, and by this flsgrant breach oi
common courtesy and decency, he lost
himself many q vote. Not only did he
not interfere, but, as we have stated, hs
led the claquers on.
THE "DEBATE"
began nearly on time. There were,
we estimate, about 5000 persons In
the bnildipg, fully half of whom were
bowling and yelling like maniaes. A
few ladies were present.
The rules of the debate previously
agreed upon were that Golf should open
in q speech of one hour aud half; Wilson
to follow in speech of the same length
Goff to rejoin in twsnty minutes; Wilson
to reply in the sams length Of time; Gof
to again rejoin in ten minutes and Wilson
70 close in ten minutes.
These rules were not carried out, owing
to the unprecedented and disgracefal cir
cumstances we have alluded to.
On the stage were the following gentle
men: spauldipg Wallace, Thoms'
swesny, T. s. Riley, A. j. Clarke, J. D
Ewing, John A. Campbell, of Hancock
G. w. Atkinson, A. G. Hadlich, j. a
Hobbs, O. W, Brockunier, John o. Psndle
ton, Walter Rinehsrt. John Boring, O. W
seabrigdt, NJ. Reilly, G. G. Hannah, Rob
ert Browse of Plsassnts, Henry Seamon
W. J. W. Cowden, B. W. Price of Marshall
VIM. shafer, J. NJ. McCulloch, W. d
Wilson, August Rolf and other prominent
gentlemen of both parties.
The entrance of Wilson and Gof wa
greeted with
Bo1sTERoUs DEMONSTRATION.
They took seats side by side at the front o
the stage. Neither was in the best physi
cal condition, Gof suffering from hoarse