Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1890-09-03
WILSON RENOMINATED.
An Ovation to the Able West
Virginia Tariff Reformer.
Els Speech oFACCEPrANCE
The Political Issues Of the Day Present
ed in an Eloquent and Striking nan
mer--A Thorough Canvass to be Aoae
--Generdt Catchings Speaks.

AE1cEk, ". A, mug. - ~
cratic congressional convention for the sec
ond district which met here to-day re-nom-
mated Hon. VIM. L. Wilson for the nth
term, and gave him rousing welcome when
ne appeared, accompanied by Gen. L. Q.
Catchings, one of his colleagues from Mis-
sissippi, to accept the nomination.
To-day's convention was not numerically
as large as that of 50, but in enthusiasm 1t for
exceed it. and in harmony, well, there is no
comparison on this point, for not a ripple
to-day disturbed the placidiiy of the gather
ing of the solid, determined, genuine West
Virginia Democrats who gathered in the
courthouse. They had met with only one
obiect-to indorse the courageous, the hon
orable and statesman-like career of Mr..
Wilson, by giving him an unanimous re-
nomination for fifth term, an honor which
no West Virginia Congressman has ever be-
fore received.
At IL o'clock, when the room was com
fortably filled Chairman c. w. Daley, of
the congressional executive committee, rap
ped the convention to order, and On behalf
of the committee named Mr.. W. L. Key, OF
Randolph county, temporary president and
the editors present were made Secretaries,
and afterwards declared permanent Off
GERS.
The platform, which was read by c. W.
DALEY, chairman of the committee on reso-
buttons, was adopted with rousing cheer.
1t read as follows;
1.-The Democrats at the second congress
sional district Of West Virginia in conven-
ton assembled reafirm their devotion to the
principles of the party, indorso the platform
of the late Democratic State convention and
the platform adopted by the last Democratic
national convention, and further declare:
First We indorse with just pride the
very able and faithful course of our Jealous
representative. the Hon. w. L. Wilson,
touching the great public questions that
have been brought before Congress for &C
ton, and especially commend him to the
people of this district for his brilliant record
in behalf of the farmer and laboring man
against class legislation.
Secondly, We favor tariff for revenue,
and demand that the revenue collected shall
be no greater than necessary for an econom-
zeal administration of the government: that
the burden of taxation upon the necessaries
Of life shall be reduced, and especially that
some relief be given to the farmers of the
country, who from being the most prosper
Gus class of our people have under twenty
five years of war tariff taxes become the
most burdened and suffering class, and we
especiallv denounce what is commonly call
ed the Mckinley bill passed by the Repub-
lican House of Representatives and pending
in the Senate, which, while it increases the
burden of the farmer and Others, does not
furnish a market for an additional bushel
of wheat or barrel of pork, and we demand
such legislation as will enlarge rather than
restrict the market for farm products. We
denounce especially that feature Of the Nc
Kinley bill which seeks to reduce revenues
by making the tariff prohibitory, thereby
enabling manufacturers to demand exorbi-
tant prices for their products and to build
up mouopoleS, to form trusts and combines
to the financial injury and suffering of the
great mass of our people, especially to the
labor and agriculture of the country, and we
demand that the reduction of the revenue
shall be by a proper and fair reduction Of
the tariff taxes, and not by their increase to
prohibitory point, and that such reduction
be made in spirit Of fairness, labor and
manufacturing, in accordance with the prin-
ciples Of the platform adopted by the last
Democratic national convention.
Third. That we denounce the iniqui
tous Force bill as an infamous outrage
on our popular rights and as revolutionary
in character and tyrsnnical in effect. 1t
will destroy the peoples control of their
government and blot out from our history
the genius of the principles of home rule.
1t will make of the ballot box a partisan
sham to disguise the tyranny Of the Repub
licau party. 1t will lead to the centraliza-
ton Of the government and the establish
ment ofthe unhallowed rule of an oligarchy,
and we earnestly call upon the honest rep
resentatiyes of the people, irrespective Of
party, and every citizen who desires peace
and confidence between all sections, to crush
out the unbridled ambition of the authors of
the force bill strike down the iniquitous
measure, and leave in the hands Of the peo-
pie the right, privilege and power to select
and elect their representatives.
Fourth. That We denounce Speaker Reed
and his abettors for their arbitrary and fla
grant subversiou Of the rights of the minor
ity and the peryersiou of the rules of delib.
alton into the mere dictation Of an auto
cratic usurper.'
After the applause which greeted the
reading of the platform had subsidized the
following congressional executive committee
was named: J. Hop Wood, Of Barbour
county; c. r. Hollis, Berkeley; B. J. Bak-
er, Grant T. N. Gilkeson, Hampshire; J.
l. Cunningham, Hardy; W \. Lemen,
Jefferson; L. p Carr, Marion; c. W Dali
ley, Mineral; T. B. Reay, Monongalia
Cbs~l.s T,oi- NTorgan. Tbos povrrnon