The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-09-27
GEN. JONES SPEECH
At Beaverdam, Tuesday Evening
A Large and Enthusiastic As
semblaGe.

By special invitation of th,
Beaverdam democracy, ou
townsman, Gen. Johnstone Jones
| addressed that body on Tuesday
evening last. The crowd in at
tendance was unusually large
and the enthusiasm manifested
by the assembly on the occasion
was very gratifying indeed. Gen
Jones spoke about an hour and 8
quarter, making one of those
strong, forcibIe and lucid adj
dresses, which is peculiarly char.
aeteristic of him. His compari.
sons and anecdotes delighted the
people, and he was frequently
interrupted by the hearty and un-
restrained applause which testi-
fed to the endorsement by his
hearers of what he said. At the
conclusion of his address, the
General was presented with a
handsome bouquet of choice
flowers, the gift of which he
gracefully responded to We re-
gret that we are only able to give
a synopsis of his able speech, but
time and space forbid. With an
apology to the General and Our
readers, we shall publish the fol-
lowing brief sketch of few OF
the many forcible arguments he
advanced:
The subject of the speech was in
the main a comment on the remark
attributed to Colonel o. H. Dock
cry, that the ''people of North Caro-
lima are the poorest people upon the
face of the earth" The speaker dis
cussed at length these principles:
Are the people of North Carolina
poor in this worlds goods? and il
so, what is it impoverishes the
country? North Carolina is an ag-
ricultural State. and the farmers are
suffering; times are hard; money is
scarce; the prices of staple farm
products are low. He showed the
that platform ofthe republican party
of North Carolina speaks of 1.-The
present paralyzed industrial condi.
tion of the country" 1t is said that
the assessed valuation of the State
this year is seven million dollars
less than it was last year. Buncombe
being the only county showing an
increase of values; which honorable
distinction was due to the superior
thrift and energy of the county, and
it splendid financial management
by Eugene Rankin, Dr. Reagan and
their able county commissioners.
He drew comparison between
North Carolina, an unprotected
Nagricps lEel, and , hE1ssaefI Iusetts, d
protected manufacturing State. By
the census of 1880, the per capita
wealth of the former was about S120,
of the latter 1892. Massachusetts
spent $14 per capita on school chill
dren; North Carolina about $3.50.
North Carolina had $258,O0 worth
of school property; Massachusetts,
$21 100000. The one State was
overhowing with wealth; the other
was struggling with poverty. North
Carolina pays as much, he said, for
education as Massachusetts, in pro-
portion to wealth. The speaker said
North Carolina, though poor was rich
in patriotism, integrity, in honor,
in virtue; there are no nobler people,
and that their poverty was not a
thing to be ashamed of; but was
due, like that of other Southern and
agricultural States, to the operation
of unjust and burdensome tariff
laws imposed on US by the republi-
can party and the robberies perpe-
trated upon the people by trusts
and combinations that owe their
life and being SO largely TO the
tariff laws.
He discussed the iniquities and
inequalities of the tariff, and the
enormities of the trusts, fully. The
remedy for this state of things was
to be found in the democratic party
under the leadership of Cleveland
Ben Harrison is a bitter, malig-
nant hater of the South
he belonged to faction up North
who looked upon the Southern
people as traitors; who would
write over the grave Of any Confed.
crate soldier. the word "traitor," and
who would brand the beloved lead.
ers and heroes of the South, with that
stigma; not even excepting the great
and noble r. E. Lee, whom Harrison
would call traitor No Southern mar
with blood Of Anglo,Saxon in hi
veins ought to 60 with the Republi.
can party this year, and he could mo-
see how any Southern white man with
proper self-respect and pride of rac'
could assimiIate in politics with I
! political party that hate Us, and open
| " scorn and despise US. The North
ern Democratic party extended US th'
right hand of fellowship, and th'
South under CleYeland's administra-
ton had her proper place in th'
4 Union. The Third Party moVemen
the speaker characterized as untime-
| ly, unwise, and depl0rable; and urge(
all prohibition democrats to keep ou
of it that there was no possibility o
its success this year, and it nigh
call of votes enough TO defeat tn
democrats, in which event, the whisky
power would become enthroned il
the State, as DockerY and his crev
were generally anti>prohibitionists
He showed how prohibition hat
grown and spread under democrats
legislation, until half the State wa
under local option, and in some fort,
counties in Western North Carolini
there are only seven places wher
liquor is legally sold. The move.
ment tended to mix religion and pol
tics in : way detrimental . both ]
dragged the Christian ministry dow
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