Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-09-18
Major TyIer's Speech.
Correspondence Alexandria Gazette

LEEsBURe, Sept. 10.-Major J. Hoge
Tyler spoke in Leesburg. yesterday even
ing, ia the new Opera House. He was
greeted heartily, and being introduced by
State Senator Heaton, spoke for nearly two
hours to attentive aHd intelligent listenera.
He appeared before them as practical
man and farmer unused to making
speeches. He was much gratified at the
reception of the ticket by the people. Ali
he had come in contact with, had enthusi-
astically endorsed it. 1t seemed to meet
with universal favor and was eminently
satisfactory to the masses. He interiected
an anecdote about aspiring to be at the
head of the ticket. Having been married
for twenty years, he had been for that
length of time Lieutenant Governor, and
he now thought it would not be out of Or
der to strike higher. He was elaborate 10
his praise OF Capt. Mckinney and betrayed
not the slightest envy. He reviewed the
government aud spoke of the wisdom of
our forefathers in adjusting government
for the people, and now these mighty meu
of old foretold and endeavored to provide
for these contingencies and calamities
which have bsfallen US under republican
administration. The principles of Jefferson
and of democracy controlled the govern
ment for Y years. 1t was then not in the
in the hands of few; 1t was a government
by the people and for the people and the
people prospered. 1t was then for 25 years
out of power and afterward came out
stronger than ever in 1884 for Cleveland
and yet stronger in 1888, getting nearly
hundred thousand more of the popular vote
aud more than million and quarter of
free born voters. Other parties have arisen
to rival it in the estimation of the people,
but they have wavered and waned, and we
yet cling to the party of the people by the
people and for the people. The history of
democracy is nothing less than the history
of our country. 1t was time of prosperity
and developement which has not been
equalled since. The farmers were thrifty
and satisfied, mechanic and laborer had
plenty of work. There were no murmur-
ings, no discomfort, no strikes, no COM
munism, no anarchists, no competition of
voters, no sectional strifes. The democratic
administration recovered Q coo, 900 acres of
land which was intended as heritage for
the people. To deprive them of this was
to take away what justly and rightfully be-
longed to the people, The first grand abt
of the republican party was to appropriate
1S5 million of acres of this land and put it
under the power and control of five wealthy
railroad corporations.
Thus the government gave away eight
States as large as Virginia, in fact more
territory than was comprised in its original
thirteen colonies. This immense body of
territory would give 500, 900 families home
steads. They kept up this reckless extrav-
agance until a democratic Congress said
stop, and since that time not an acre has
been given away. For y years during de-
mocratic rule the average rate of taxation
per capita for one year was $1.65. During
% years reign of republicanism it was never
less than $500 and two or three years it
ran up as high as $43 per capita. Demo-
Gratis ran the government ~ years and for
IL years of the time there was no debt at
all, and afterwards the expenses never ex-
ceeded SOC, 100000 or $2.20 per capita. Re-
publicanism in six years made the average
per capita $S5;they say the war did it. The
democrats provided for two wars during
their ascendancy and only spent So per
capita. Republicanism now costs $420, ,000,-
600 annually and more taxes are wrung
than from any people in the world. They
borrowed 10, 600 million dollars to prosecute
the war. They only spent 5000 million
and what went with the balance? He ex-
planned how they appropriated the western
land, how they put it in the hands of the
railroad agents to build railroad from the
Mississippi to the Pacific. How the greedy,
grasping railroad officials borrowed money
from the government to build the road, and
how they also buildozed the government out
of the land. The railroad soon came into
the hands of a receiver and was sold and
bought by these same railroad conspirators,
and the government lost $64, 600, 900. Some
of these lands were fenced IN and cattle by
millions were pastured outside of the. wire
fences, because no one would have the land
thus cut off from the water. When the
drought came then they let in their cattle
on the bottoms, fattened them and put them
in market. and reduced the price of beef
from 81 to 81 cents per pound gross. Wit.
ness also the increase of from 40 to 65 per