The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-02
Pow HATAN CLUB.
REGULAR WEEKLY MEETING OF THE
ORGANIZATION.
LENGTHY ADDRESS By COLONEL
RICHARD T. BETRNE
u utine Business Transacted.

The club elected thifiv-thrce new mem
bcrs Considerable time was consume'
IN taking fhe ballots
a resolution was adopted allowing the
ianitor to take ont Acense ut his owl
expense 10 sell cigars and tobacco il
the club-rooms The salary of the ianitOI
is small. and this privilege was grant''
him SO that be could increase his income
The Chair announced that during The
coming week Captain Phil Mckinney
Hon. Charles T O'Farreli Prof j. ii
Harris and Dr. j. J.. Buchanan would ap
pear before the club and deliver adj
/ dresses.
il was announced that hereafter all ap
I plications for membership must be signeC
/ in the handwriting OF the applicant, and
+ the endorser must write with his OWL
hand his name on the application.
COLONEL BEIRNE's ADDRESS.
Messrs. ". r. Meredith and j. r
Tucker. Jr.. who had been appointed q
committee 10 escort Mr. Richard +
Beirne 10 the hall of the club. did so, and
Mr.. Meredith. spokesman for the com
mitiee. introduced him in terse and ap
propriate terms.
Colonel Beirne mounted the platform
and said
W. Preudc"f and GenHemen Of The Poc'
hdtan Clu5
thank you for the honor you have
extended 20 me ia inviting me 20 address
YOU on the political is@es of the hour
an honor which ! gratefully received
and 10 which ! now gladly respond
\ few months ago our hopes were high
and victory seemed certain. but in a sin
gle day our hopes were dashed 90 the
ground and defeat was our lot Our dis
appointment was bitter for the time, but
We have calmly accepted the result and
are taking fresh courage for renewed
efforts I'm behalf Of the great Democratic
party Facts prove that our defeat
was not a popular rebuke of our
policy ON the contrary, our popular
majority was nearly 100000, and that
majority would have been effective but
for the Intervention of that antiquated
c0ntriyancc, the electoral college Nsiem
which ought 10 have been abolished long
ago and laid away in the lumherToOm OF
wOrn-Out devices BY the help OF that
undemOcratic institution there was given
10 evil influence an extraordinary
power for combination and cOncentra-
ton 1t was not popular distrust, but
union of corruption trcacherv, and
sectional animo-ity that defeated that
enlightened statesman and devoted
patriot. Grover Cleveland He rep
resented the time-h0n0red opinions
and traditions of the Democratic
party. For this we should admire him.
but we should admire him not less for
the undaunted courage he displayed in
disregarding the whispered warnings of
expedient time-seryers and i'm recOg-
nizing the worth of the ablcst sons of
the South without sectional difference OF
distinction Had he hardened to these
cautious advisers he might have carried
several states in the Northwest
and been President for p second
term But he would have for
fetcd the high opinion in which every
patriotic and appreciative SOuthcrner
win ever hold him lie might have been
President again but for bis adherence
of secii0nali-m. and for this he deserves
our perpetual respect and admiration
He will remain for the rest Of his life
hOnOred and esteemed bv all true Demo
Gratis As Jefferson at Monticello Madi-
son at Montpelier. and rilden al Grey
stone so will Cleveland be recOrniZ cd
i'm his honorable retirement by the De
mocracy of The whole country as the
trusted sage and ablest counsel Orof his
party
But we must not dwell upon the posi-.
bilities of the past We must press on TO
the support of other men and other mea-
sures The differences of the past shall
not De differences among us now In the
coming State campaign we must be
united in striving for one great end
honest, intelligent local government
Whatever mans opinions on Federal
questions may have been. whether for
protection on for tariff reform. for pro-
hibition or for license, for gold stand
ard of The currency or for the un-
limited coinage ok silver, If be
be d Democrat, no difference
on one of these subjects shall divide him
from his brethren These ISSUES do not
confront US now The Democrat who
differs with his brother Democrat i'm one
thing cannot afford to give aid and com
fort. directly or indirectly TO the enemy.
with whom he agrees in one thing, hut
differs in all others Federal issues ia a
State canvass are nOn-essential Who
would be so short sighted rs 20 subOrdi-
nate 10 nOn-essential the essential
issues OF great campaign Dem
ocrats must agree for the time
TO lay aside all other issues
and stand solidly, unanimously in
defense of that great vital principle.
the rule of the honest thrift and common
sense of Virginia. We must preserve
our local selt-gOyeTnment intclligently
and honestly conducted We must pre-
serve il in accordance with our constitu
tional rights We must defend 10
against the Vaccinations of lbs time.
serving enemies STATE and Federal t.
guarding il sacredly against the lawless
hands of internal foes and against The
unlawful schemes of arrogant political
invaders Virginia must be ruled hy
the people of Virginia Her honest. pa.
triotic people must guard her elections
Her right of local self government shall
not be wrested from her by the pioa OF
the Shermans. the For~kcrs, the Chand.
lers and other impacable Souih-hater-
in remote States The remaining rights
OF the States shall not be purloined
from them by the cunning devices of
sectional partisans Republican schemers
must not succeed under the false pre-
tence of preserving the purity of the
ballot and securing a free suffrage, only
i'm throwing q protective arm around a
class of fraudulent yOters-minOrs, dis
fepeaters-Wsiose individual
ity is indistinct and whose identity is
obscured by such a veil of darkness as
can only be successfully penetrated by
the most yigilant and persistent inyesti-
CATION.
The Democratic party goes before the
people of Virginia this year with re-
newed courage and with greater strength
than ever before Turning away from
Federal issues. which have no logical T
place in this contest, ii wages its battles
over those State questions which alone
demand immediate consideration 1t
will be thoroughly equipped for the
II can point with powerful
and convincing force 60 the chequefed
career of its opponents during their
brief but eventful tenure of power. and