Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1888-10-19
THE JOINT DEsATEAT MARTlNsBURG.

The joint discussion at Martinsburg
last Saturday between Hon. VIM. l..
Wilson. Democratic candidate for
Congress from this district, and Gen.
Nathan Golf, Republican candidate
for Governor, was one of the most in
teresting political affairs of recent
wears. 1t was held in the rink, and
there was an audience OF not less than
a couple of thousand persons. Jeffer
son county was largely represented,
and there were a number of visitors
from Maryland present
Mr.. Wilson started the discussion,
making speech of an hour and a-half.
In response 10 the cheers and thun-
ders of applause that greeted him, the
speaker said that he did not intend to
address himself TO the heelsa and thrOats
of his hearers, but to their intellects
and their reasoning faculties. After
a brief sketch of the honesty and ben
efits TO the people that had character
lied the Democratic administration,
and an eloquent tribute to the stand
ard bearers of the party, Mr. Wilson
came to the question that he said
overshadowed all other questions
the tariff, the merciless tariff as he
called it. He considered it in its gen
eral aspects, and he particularized
some of its most glaring evils. He
went into the store, got hold OF piece
of wooden goods, showed how the buy
err paid the tariff tax on it, and how
much he paid for the goods and how
much he paid for the benefit of the
manufacturer. He proved that the
laborer got none of the benef ; while
the manufacturer got all. He showed
how the laborer was obliged to buy in
a dear market. while he had TO sell his
labor in the very lowest. He didn't
want the tax taken off of whiskey and
tobacco-he wanted it taken off of
clothing and food and the tools the
nottingham uses-the very necessa-
ries of life Mr. Wilson devoted CON
siderable portion OF his talk to free
wool arguing that it was not against
the farmer by any means. He also
asked General Golf several questions
as to the tariff and other matters.
General Golf then arose to make his
reply of an hour and a-half He was
greeted with thunders of applause
He raised his hands in a gesture that
was evidently intended to be quite i'm
presSive. but which was a ridiculous
bit of vanity. Then in a pompous
voice and with short sentences, al
ways with proper gaps for the APP
plause that he awaited and which
never failed him. he began his speech.
First he appealed to the party preju-
dices of his Republican admirers, eulo-
giving the grand old party, and claim
ing for it all the glories of the past,
present and future. He spoke so feel
ingly of regard for Democrats and his
desire to have only the true and the
good and the noble prevail-he seemed
TO be so anxious that all should be so
fair and frank-that the Democrats
were very suspicious as to his truth
! fulness and fairness. And subsequent
events proved that their suspicious
were well-founded. After comment
ing effectively on the first part of Mr.
Wilson's speech, General Golf squared
himself for the tariff That's about
all he did do. He didn't attempt TO
answer Mr.. Wilson'S direct questions
as TO the practical workings of the
high tariff. But he dealt in glittering
generalities that called forth the loud
est applause of his partisans, though
there was nothing substantial in them
at all. He claimed everything good
for high tariff, but he didn't go into
particulars He claimed that the
home market was all sufficient, and
that there was no country under heav-
EN- where our surplus products could
be sold He likewise left some ques
tons for Mr. Wilson to answer, which
that gentleman was not slow 10 do
not nearly SO slow as Gen. Golf was
Mr.. Wilson had a further talk of
half an hour, followed by Gen. Golf
for the same length of time, and then
ten minutes for each to close in. These
last speeches were mainly devoted to
answering statements and general
cross-fring. The little General seemed
to lose his temper toward the last,
and grew even more reckless i'll his
statements than he had been at first.
Both speakers were very hOarse.
General Golf, with grandiloquent
sentences, proclaimed that the Repub-
lican party was the father of the free
school system Mr. Wilson replied
that free schools were flourishing in
Berkeley and jefferson counties long
before the Republican party was
born, and would be here long after it
was dead and buried.
Referring to the low tariff times of
1916 to 1860, General COTS statements
were very, very far from the truth.
The neat manner in which Mr.. Viii
son exposed him can be seen by read
ing the remarks of each In these
parallel columns:
GENERAL GOFF. WM. L. WILSON.
What did you get for Well, thought he
wheat and corn from YaSgoing to make that
1916 TO 1860 that, Mr.. argument SO stepped
Wilson said was such into the clerk Office
prosperous times in and got some admins
this country? tratlOn accounts. |
1t was a good price If have one here OF Col
he got S7I% cents for Jacob Myers estate,
wheat and YOU bought and brother GctZeu-
il and he sold il on danner, what do you
tick recause the man think he got for his
did not have 81 cents wheat at sale made
to pay for it, APP November II, 1850?
pause.l Now my farm thirty seven and Il
~ inland MnnI I'D Won MAlI cenlS huSMel2