The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-04-19

SION rolls.
The discussion of the tariff bill was
this morning. Mr.. Mills, the
author of the bill leading off in the discus.
sion. This is the commencement of the
fight. When and where it will end no one
is able to say Certainly the discussion
will extend over weeks if not months.
The Kids and Mossbacks.
COURT DAY-ENTERTAIN-
ING POLITICAL CIRCUs-A DRAWN BAT
TIE.
Going to Harrisonburg Monday % was
the question put to tie reporter for the
VIRGINIAN, a few days ago, by q bright
young politician from Rockingham.
whats going on 2"
20. there will be lively time there be-
tween the Mossbacks and Kids-the
0 Ferrall and Harris factions. An at.
tempt will be made to GUST Strayer from
With the promise of Democratic love-
feast, the reporter concluded that he
would project his pass into the face of
the conductor on Monday and be present
at the circus.
The day was bright and beautiful, but
there were not so many people in town as
might have been expected under clear
sky and balmy atmosphere. But there
were enough present to make it interest
ing, and to demonstrate that there is still
still left little lighting blood among the
of the heart of the Old Tenth
Legion.
Mingling with the crowd it was soon evil
dent that there had been no general notice
given of the conflict between the Dem
ocratic factions. One of the Kids, to
whom the Reporter addressed himself,
seemed surprised that anything unusual
was in anticipation. Looking around on
the court green, and glanclng at the faces
of the men there. congregated, he re-
marked: 1t looks like O'Ferran had been
at work. l see his leaders here and there
may be something in the information i'm
parted to the Reporter. The Kids
seemed to be in the dark, as to the pur-
poses and the movements of the Moss
backs.
At II o. clock, Judge Grattan having ad-
journed his court. the Court House bell
that the Mass Convention,
called to select delegates to represent the
county in the State convention at Nor
folk, was about to assemble. From $50 to
200 persons gathered in the room, and
shortly afterwards Mr.. H. v. Strayer,
Chairman Of the County Committee, took
the chair and in neat little speech, 10
which he congratulated shis party that
there were no dissensions among them
such as existed in the Republican party.
that the meeting was ready for
business.
A gentleman in the crowd nominated
Mr.. Strayer for permanent chairman of
the Mass Convention. Another gentle
man in stantly responded by nominating
DR.. E. A. Herring for the same position.
This was the first sign of war The vote
between the factions seemed to be equally
divided. A call for hands to be.rased and
counted, resulted in IS for Strayer .and 26
for Herring. Mr.. Strayer was on the
stand when the vote was announced, and
as he passed down from that position he
remarked that there was not as much har-
mony as he had thought.
DR.. Herring is farmer about SIS years
Of age, pleasant address, intelligent, but
not possessed of the qualifications neces-
sary to keep in order and control the
aroused passions of contending factions.
This was soon apparent. Mr.. Liggett
moved that h eDemoc rats present from
each magisterial district be authorized to
retire and report to the Convention the
names of delegates from eacha district to
the State Convention. Mr.. Yates goffered
as substitute. that the Convention pro
coed to elect County Chairman. This
took the Kids by surprise. Mr.. Ernest
Strayer, seeing that muss was brewing,
and claiming to belong to neither of the
factions, moved as another substitute, that
the Convention adjourn sine die, and that
any Democrat from the county who might
be present in Norfolk at the time of the
Convention be empowered to act as a del
egate. He spoke to his motion for fifteen
minutes, rapping,, both factions over the
knuckles pretty severely, and announcing
that the motions. which had. been smade
were for. SELF and not the interests of
the party. The chairman did not put
either of the motions, probably because of
the wrangling aud confusion which pre-
vailed. Judge Harris sat quietly in his
seat-O'Ferrall was in the background,
and Moffett was fitting to and fro,
in this ear and that, giving
the cue, no doubt, of the program. Pres
emily the tall form of ex-senator Keezle
quickly moved to the. front of the bar, and
drawing off his..overcoat and
laying it down On the table, demanded the
attention of the speaker. He proceeded
with elaborate gesticulations and cross.
cut-saw intonations to empty his lungs, in
behalf of the motion of Mr.. Yates. He
criticised the call for the Convention as
inasmuch as the county com.
mittee had not been called together, and
stormed and ranted in behalf. of the dear
people who bad been SO cOntemptuOusly
ignored by the Chairman. 1t was case
Of the mountain in labor bringing forth a
mouse, AS there was nothing in his re-
marks except sounding fury and the untu.
tored arts Of the .demag0gue. II. "
Strayer, the county chairman, responded,
explaining the conditions under which the
call was made, having consulted both
Keezle and Moffett. and arguing that there
was no just cause of complaint. such as
had been urged 10y the tall eX- chairman
and ex-senator. Things were getting
warm and decidedly interesting, when Mr..
Jno. D. Pennybacker addressed the chair,
calling attention to the fact that all the
motions and speeches and bad blood that
had been manifested were out of order,
under the call for the Convention. That
was to appoint delegates to Norfolk and
nothing else, and until that business was
transacted nothing else was in order. AT.
ter that then the meeting could take its
Gil of squabbling. Judge Harris sustained
this view, and it was finally determined
L e I.