The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-07-30

F., us ts4.4e - iii-tss~e 80 - 5Nt~'''e
! vention representing the seyeral 5'isfriets
IL the State. AID i was expected q large
attendance would he present. 3nt there
we're moi rs many present rs agas e.
peeted. This may be accounted for be>
+ cssse OF the very heavy hay crop that Is
now being gathered, and p.oTing for fall
seeding. The court house, however, was
comfortably filed probably Ivy 400 per-
sons. including spectators. The poilti-
clans OF the cid parties we're evidently
restless, more particularly the Demo
Gratis, AS they are not get assured thaf
| the Alliance will cooperate with them
in the fail election. They viii not do 50
/ unless the Democrats promise to favor
and support every thing the Alliance
| wants. That was distinctly shown to
be the relation of the Alliance to both
, of the old parties by the speeches on the
occasion Mann Page, presided at the
meeting, and addresses were made oy
Mr.. Beaumont, Mr. Venable, Mr.. Pear
son Mr.. feathers and Mr. Brad. Beyer-
", and probably others. We heard
about ten minutes of Mr. Beverly's re-
| marks. and that was about as much as
any conservative citizen could We'll wish
to hear of such revolutionary suggestions
as fell from his lips.
Mr. Beverly was earnest in his advo-
cacy of the sub>ireasury project OF the
! Alliance, and the issuing OF bills OF credit
or paper money, based upon farm pro-
ducts and values. In ventilating his
| views he declared that the trainers OF
| the constitution favored fiat money, and
| that the Constitution of the United
/ States sustains it, for the words coin
| money" in that instrument applied as
| well to paper money az to metal money,
{, and that it was an insult to the great
men of the past to say that this was not
| the meaning and intent Of the Constltu-
! ton. And he said the United States
/ Supreme Court had confirmed this
/ view in its decision OF the greenback
/ question during the war, forgetting
to tell his audience that that decision
had been since reversed by the same
! court. 1t was with such stuff as this that
| Mr.. Beverly RECALLED his audience, and to
/ our surprise there were occasional dem
| onstratious of applause as he progressed.
| With great deliberation. after declaring
| that legislating for the farmers in this
respect would be legislating for G0,000,-
000 people, as the farmers were the
source and stay of all other classes, he
proceeded to make a prediction. lie
said he was not a prophet nor the son OF
q prophet, but a young man speaking
to many grey~headed men before him,
and he wished his prediction to be i'm
pressed upon the minds OF his audience.
It was, that this was the last peaceabie
movement that would be made to re-
move the depression and oppression that
| press down the farming class. Ii the
relief sought was not granted as Il re
suit of this movement. then more dras
tric measures must follow. and revo-
luton. red-handed revolution, similar to
the reign of terror when France was
drunk with blood. would be the cuimi-
nation. We do not pretend TO quote Mr..
Beyerly's exact language, but this was
the substance OF it. 4 prominent and
influential farmer democrat who has
been frequently lonored with high trusts
by the people OF Augusta, was startled
at the language OF the speaker, and said
to us: We'll, if that lie the doctrine that
is to be preached, the quicker we know
it the better" Another remarked that
it was preaching anarchy, pure and sim
! pie, and another said that the people
wonld have no patience with any such
incendiary suggestions.
Bfr. Beverly evidently has not studied
| his subject Or acquainted himself with
the temper of the people of the Valley.
| Such a proposition will be universally
| denounced The farmers OF the Valley
| do not believe in revolution or blood
| letting to secure legislation. They res
/ pect the constituted authorities, are
loyal to the government, State and Ma
tional, and will as feroely repudiate Mr..
Beverly and his Mar-like programme as
they would Herr Most and August
! Spies 1t may amuse Mr.. Beverly, while
viewing his vast expanse of land, in the
limestone district of Fauquier, and his
cattle upon thousand hills, to conjure
up sensational picture to impress the
farmers with imaginary wrongs, but it
will find no response from the conserva-
tive people of Virginia, whether farmers
/ or not.
Judging from the expressions we heard
! from prominent farmers after the meet
! ing adjourned, we do not think the
cause of the Alliance was advanced by
| the proceedings on Monday. The VIC
| lent and revolutionary notions advanced
by the speakers as to finances, and in
| deed, the major part of the programme
of the organization, will never be APP
proved by the practical common>sense
| people of Virginia, and the Valley es-
pecially. Demagogues may rant and
fume about the oppression Of the far
mers and may seek to arouse prejudice
and feeling by appealing to them as
class, but it will not succeed. There
is too much robust conservatism, too
much respect for law and the character
of the institutions of the country, for
them to be moved by such blood-curd-
ling apostrophes and startling predic-
tions as Mr.. Beverly saw proper to in
dulge last Monday
This thing of trying to segregate the
farmer asa class from all other citizens
to assume that the farmer is the sub
stratum and stay of the government, and
that laws must be enacted especially for
the interest of the farmer, regardless of
| other equally essential clements of the
community, may do for the demagogue
seeking to ride into office upon some tur-
bulent, excited wave, but it will not do
for the conservative people who consti-
| tute the farming class of Virginia.
One of the most CONSPICUOUS figures in
Lexington on the 21st, was Color> Bearer
R. s. Mccartney, who lives at Union.
Monroe county, W. Va Color-Bearer
| Mccartney had on the Confederate uni>