Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1888-05-31

trade are bologna sausage and fdal, rings!
The audience was frequently conN.-"d by
his witty observations and apt Anecdotes.
The programme of the afternoon So ting
was completed by the speech of l.f Ford,
but Senator Kenna was loudly cai' j for
and compelled to come to the fIya, He
complained that he was the VIC 81 Of
pious fraud in being billed for an o'ening
speech and fore make an extra one at
that time. His remarks were brief, con-
tanning weighty suggestions which could
not be elaborated for lack of time. He
closed by expressing his determination that,
as he had been called upon, no guilty man
should escape. He therefore called on Hon.
J. NJ. Allen, of Mississippi, to say some
thing. M. Allen responded by relating in
his humorous and effective style reminis-
cences of his war experience in this part of
the country, whittier he had marched as
fifteen-vear-o bare-footed, weevil-
soldier-b boy. The audience was highly en-
tertained and roared with laughter at his
inimitable stories of his own share in "the
late unpleasantness. After the speaking
was over for the afternoon, Hon. VIM. l..
Wilson rose and, holding a magnificent
basket of flowers, with voice choked with
emotion, and the significant remark that he
served under Genl Hampton, he said these
had been handed to him by the daughter of
an old soldier to be presented to Gen'l
Hampton from the ladies of CharlestOwn
As the General stepped forward and receiv-
ed the gift with few graceful words Of ac-
acknowledgement, tears could be seen in the
eyes of more than one veteran Of the late
war; and with prolonged cheers the after
noon meeting adjourned.
Hon. J. NJ. Allen was the first to speak
at the evening meeting lie said he would
give the audience his regular tariff speech
if they desired it, but it would take three
hours and a-half to deliver it, Mr.. Allen
argued against the protective tariff from the
condition of the small farmer in his section,
whose sole money-producing crop is cotton.
The cotton, amounting to but small guam
uty i'm many cases, must be sold in an I'M
protected market in competition with the
products, of other parts of the world, while
for every hundred dollars of the proceeds
spent I'm purchasing the necessaries of life,
ior.y-seycn dollars must be paid in tariff
taxes or to the protected manufacturers.
lie ridicuIed the promise that the money
thus wrested from the farmer and laboring
man would come back to them, and said
that while some of his hearers were old men,
the rest would probably grow old, waiting
the fulGlmeut of the promise. Mr. Allen
enlycned, enforced and illustrated his ar
gumeuts 10y frequent drafts on his seeming.
ly inexbaustibe fund of anecdote. His
negro stories were especially wcll-told and
kept the audience in an uprOar.
Senator Keuna followed, having been in
troduced in exceedingly complimentary
term, by Mr. Gibson. lie said that gov
eminent was the most difficult problem that
the human mind had ever grapPled with
and that it was the only undertaking in
which mankind had never been completely
successful He held up Grover Cleveland
assthe,great exponent Of the true principles
of honest popular government. He had
been elected sheriff, and had made Sgood one;
hc had been elected mayor, and had made
a good one; he had been elected Governor,
and had made good one; he had been
elected President, and had made good
one. The Republican party was the crea-
ture of expediency, never had a principle,
and has throughout remained the slave Of
policy: the aim of all its actions being its
own perpetuation and ascendancy. Coming
TO the tariff questison, Senator Kenna read
at some length from Senators Sherman and
Mouill-cnthusiasti defenders of the pres
emit tariff system aud the latter the father
of ito show to what extent these gentle
men have changed their views on this sub
iect, and that formerly the advocates of
tariff limited to the necessities of the gov
eminent were not liable to the charge Of
"lree-trade principles" from the Repubi-
can party. He proceeded in clear. forciblO
language, every word carrying conviction,
to expose the injustice and oppression of the
protective tariff and to advocate its reduc-
ton as measure fayorabc to the prosper
ity of the whole country At the close of
Mr. Kenna's speech, Mr.. Wilson was loud
ly called for. He declined to make a speech;
he expected to have other opportunities but
feared if the gentlemen he had brought
with him were allowed to get away they
would not return, and suggested that they
be again called upon. The yociferous calls
for Mr.. Ford showed to what extent his
great speech of the afternoon had been APP
preciated. lie responded in his vigorous
and iorcible style. The assembly then de-
manded some more from Mr. Russell
That gentleman smilingly said he believed
if the speakers had strength to continue,
the audience would remain until the rosy
fingers OF Aurora painted the dawn and
verify we believe they would, for he con-
tinued to pour forth a tide of eloQuence that
increased to Overlooking the already a
boundinr enthusiasm of the assembly.