Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-11-01
LOCAL.
AGR|A1 DAY
FOR THE ENTHUSIASTIC AUGUSTA
COUNTY DEMOCRATS.


A MALONE FUNK ON A JOINT DEBATE
JOHN 7. HARRIS IS DARED TO COME IN
THE COURTHOUSE AND DIsCUss-LONG
JOHN AT ONCE WALKS IN, BUT CAN'T
GET THE JOINT DISCUSSION OUT OF
THEM-GREAT ENTHUSIASM OF THE
DEMOCRATS.
&C., &C., &C.
''This day has been worth two hundred
votes to the Democrats of Augusta!''
That was the utterance of veteran
Democrat, Monday evening, as he stood in
the court yard listening to the wild cheer
ing OF the Democrats after Hon. John T.
Harris had boldly walked into the Ma
hone meeting in the court-house-where he
had been dared to come and discuss-and
the Malone managers had flickered and re-
fused to agree to terms.
1t was abig court-day, and the Mahoneite
crawfshing had set the Democrats astride
of the highest RAIL- Oh the tallest fence,
where they crowed till the sun went down.
THE MALONE MEETING.
The speakers for the Malone meeting,
which took place in the Courthouse. they
having secured that building, were MI.
Robert B. Berkeley of Farmyille, and Capt.
WarrenS. Lurty Of Harrisonburg the candi-
date for Attorney General. At noon Mr..
Berkeley, who had arrived Saturday night,
was promptly on the stand, but Capt.
| lIrtV who m Tho Cd +rai, ii
not arrive for some minutes later. Deputy
Revenue Collector S. Brown Allen was on
deck as the promoter and manager of the
meeting. The audience being thin at the
opening, he, in his capacity as promoter,
opened with a speech to talk up an audi
ence. His capacity as a manager was
shown later on When he adroitly saved his
| candidate from the disaster of joint dis
cussi0n with that tough campaigner '.Long
john Harris.
MI. Allen said he was just from Rock
bridge where he had been speaking. He
had heard before he went there that the
''bottom had dropped out" in Rockbridge,
but he found it just the other way. The
people were full of enthusiasm and if James
A. Frazier (llicker) were to now try to
speak at the precincts Mr.. Allen had visi-
ted, the people would mob him. He thought
that for one Republican who had left, in
Rockbridge, two Democrats would take
his place. Are there any Democrats here?
A voice.-Yes, plenty Of em.
Another voice.-More Democrats than
there are Republicans.
MI. Allen-Well; [ want to say word
about Phil. Mckinney. He is a gentleman,
a good man-too good for the company he
keeps.
A voice-He's too good for the company
you keep. TApplause.]
Another voice-You better try and get
him in your crowd [Applause.]
MI. Allen then introduced MI Berkeley
Who, he said, had been invited to the Groner
conference in Richmond, and would tell
them something about it.
THEY PASS HIM BY.
MI. Berkeley, On beginning his speech,
said he would make personal explanation.
He had telegraphed Phil. Mckinney his
congratulations on his nomination. The
next morning, in Farmville, he was sur
prised that Democrat who had been pass
ing him by since he became Republican,
met him and presenting his hand congra-
tulated him on having Joined the Demo-
cratic party!' This had astonished him.
Mckinney was his personal friend. He
comes to my office in Farmville as often as
he goes to any in the town. Though others
have passed me by, Mckinney has not.
Some in Staunton who once thought it
honorable to associate with me have passed
me by. Mckinney has a bigger soul than
that. Applause and cries of 'Hurrah for
McKinney!1 telegraphed him my con-
gratulations as personal friend and not as
a Democrat.
Nh. Berkeley protested against personal
feeling in politics, and against abuse by po-
litical speakers. He was amazed, he said,
when he came to look at it now, that he had
ever wasted his time in abuse of political
opponents. Later on in this report the
reader will be as much astonished as MI.
Berkeley seemed to be, at this change.
uE ATTENDED THE KICKER CONFERENCE
NOT AS A KICKER BUT AS AN ''INFLU-
ENTAIL REPUBLICAN"
MI. Berkeley then proceeded to make
good MI. Aliens promise for him, and told
what he knew about the Kicker Conference
at Richmond. He said he received an in
yitation from Gen. Groner to attend con-
ference at Richmond. There was not a
word in this invitation about kickers, not
a word about disaffected people. 1t was
an invitation simply to influential Repub-
lie ans' to aconference. He, the speaker,
thought its purpose was to commune to-
gether and, if you choose, to kick a little,
SO YOU didn't kick out of the party. He
was astonished When he got there to find
men ready to kick out of the party. He
told them promptly that he was not one OF
that sort.
| Here there was an interruption by cries
of ''This way, Democrats ;" the Demo-
cratic meeting being about to open on the
Courthouse porch. Allen tried to stem the
tiGe of leaving Democrats by crying ''Three
cheers for Billy Mahone.n The cheers were
given, but the Democrats left, all the same.
MI. Berkeley continued his speech and
said those were the facts about his presence
at the conference of kickers at Richmond,
but not paper had had the manhood to say
he made this statement to the conference.
If they had, the people of Virginia would
have known the truth. He had been mis-
represented and misconstrued. When, he
SAID, go over to the Democrats, will go