Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1888-08-22

ateu a man VINO would stand up to be shot
at for his principles. The Republican party
avored protection. Vote, not as Republic
cans or Democrats, but as American citi-
zens. He favored the Blair Bill, and
thought every child should be educated
His time was now up, and
HON. W. c. P. BREoKINRIDGE-
was introduced and greeted with cheers.
Any one who has ever heard this eloquent
speaker knows how perfectly turtle it
would be to attempt to report his remarks
by any other than skillful stenographer.
Whilst the ear is pleased and the mind en-
tranced the hand and pencil are still. We
shall not attempt even a sketch, for we
could not take notes of his eloquent SEN
fences and able arguments, and keen, but
good-humored, sarcasms and witty replies,
and his lucid exposures of the false premi-
ses of the arguments of his opponent which
consisted of erroneous statements of fact
He rejoiced that he and his friend could
meet in this beautiful Valley to discuss
national issues. That was the result of the
efforts of the Democratic party, through
twenty years of defeat and three of success.
He would take issue with his friend-the
Republican party did not welcome the
States back into the Union. 1t dissolved
their legislatures by military order. The
Democrats had furnished non-sectional
administration. Cleveland had given an
issue that could be discussed in all parts of
the Union-the same speech could be made
at Bunker Hill as at the little church of
Shiloh. The question was, what should
sixty millions of people decide to do. 1t
was evident that Allen had not read the
Mills Bill. He would give specimen of
his ignorance-he would not mention all,
for it was not necessary to eat whole leg
of mutton to determine that it was spoiled.
Where he speaks of the Mills Bill as pre-
viding for 25 barrels of whiskey, it is not
20 barrels of whiskey, but % bushels of
grain-quite difference, yet that is about
as near correct as his party generally IS
when discussing that Bill. Allen argues
that because the country has prospered,
that it was due to the tariff. The country
prospered when slavery existed, and the
same arguments were then used to prove
that the prosperity was due to slavery, that
is now used to prove that it is due to the
tariff. Then the sweat of the laborer was
exacted for the benefit of another, just as
by the policy of the Republican party now
the sweat of the laborer is exacted for the
benefit of capitalists. 1t is not right that
the government should have policy that
taxes the labor of one man for the benefit
of another. There should be justice and
equality, ard that is the policy of the
Democratic party. He compares Virginia
with Michigan. Why, Michigan was not
overrun and desolated by the warbler
fields were not trampled into bloody mire-
her barns and houses had not been burned
as was the case in this Valley. She is but
eleven years old-she did not get upon her
feet till about the time Hayes stole the
Presidency. And Michigan, with all her
advantages is plastered over with mortgages
to the amount of many millions. These
mortgages show the character of the disease
as plainly as pimples on the nose show that
the man drinks too much. The policy of
the Republican party has made millionaires
in one section and paupers in another We
owe it to the policy of the Republican
party that We are now paying annually
twelve millions more of interest on the
public debt than we should pay-a million
more than the whole assessed value of
Rockingham county. We have now a
surplus of $1,000, 900 year, and the re-
suit is that the people are debauched and
they are clamoring for charity, trying to
get at the treasury. The policy should be
to have labor satisfied. Then the country
will be peaceful, happy, and prosperous.
When it was proposed to admit hides
free, the same arguments were nsed against
it that are now used against admitting wool
free; but it was done, and the result has
been that our leather makers have prosper
ed as they never did before, and they sup
ply this country with the leather it needs,
and export it to the amount of ten millions
of dollars value. When silk was admitted
free it was found, that it added vastly to
the prosperity of silk manufactures. AS
these were the results in these cases, the
authors Of the Mills Bill were assured that
such would be the case with wooden manu-
features If the wool should be admitted FREQ
of duty. We use 100000, 900 pounds Of
wool, aud raise but 265. 600, 600 pounds.
The laborer should have his materials
free. He showed the faliacy of the claim
of home market. The Republican party
had taken off u millions of income tax, and
taxes off stamps, &C. It relieved the CAPT
talists of taxes, but left it on the poor. He
maintained the old Virginia doctrine OF
equal iights. His time being up, he yield
ed to
MR.. ALLEN
who occupied his half hour in reply, but it
was evident that the pigeon had been
wounded too badly to essay another fight.
He admitted some of his mistakes, and then
made some more that were 10 like manner
exposed by Mr.. Breckenridge in his reply.
Soon after
MIR. BRECKENRIDGE
commenced his concluding speech, rain be
gan to fall, when it was announced that the
speaking would be concluded in the Court
house. AS soon as the room was filed, he
resumed, and occupied his half hour in a
speech that was marked with ais character
istic ability and eloquence. When be con-
cluded, it was the hour for the arrival of the
train for Stanton, so that we and others
from this city hurried to the depot. As we
left, Hon. G. r. O'Ferrall arose to speak,
and as we passed up the street we heard the
audience cheering, and regretted that we
could not stay to hear him.
Mr.. Blaine says: "Capital can always
protect ITSELF" He never, in all his life,
spoke better demonstrated truth. That
being SO, why have the owners of the pro-