Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1892-09-21
STEVENSON SPEAKS AT
ASHEVILLE. N. c.


Gen. Adlai E. Stevenson, Democratic
candidate for Vice President opened
the campaign in North Carolina by
speech last Thursday, the 18th, at
Ashevillc. We copy some portions of
his speech as reported for the Bait. Sun,
regrettinG we have not the space for
the whole report.
General Stevenson was introduced by
Mr.. G.. Il. Raves as 4 distinguished
grandson of North Carolina, and when
he arose to speak there was loud APP
plause, continuing several minutes. He
began by paying a tribute to North
Carolina, saying her history and tradi-
tions were as dear to him as to any 9TH
er person present.
The vice presidential candidate con-
tinued: 1T would be impossible to
overstate the Importance of the pend
ing political contest, especially to the
people of the Southern States With
them it is not merely IL question as to
who shall be elected President of the
United States, or What shall be his
policy and that of his party upon CUES
tions of taxation and of economy in
public expenditure. The question is
of deeper import and more reach
ing i'll its consequences. Shall they
have peace and protection to life and
TO property and the prosperity which
results from stable governmant-gov-
eminent of the States by their own
people-or shall the evils with which
they are menaced by republican sue
cess be but a repetition of those of the
reconstruction period? The present
contest is between the republican and
the democratic parties. One or the 9TH
er of these great organizations will be
successful and will control the policy
of the government for the next four
years Which shall it be?
IMPROVEMENT OR MISRULE.
$50 you the practical question is, will
you have your State governments re-
main in the hands of your own people
or will you have return of carpet ba {;
domination and misrule? Have you so
soon forgotten the sad lessons of the
past? | address myself to men whose
former affiliations have been with the
democratic party, but who incline now
to cast their political fortunes with the
third party-a party absolutely with
out hope of success in the pending con-
test. Either Mr.. Harrison or Mr.. Cleve-
| land will be the next President, and it
is equally certain that either the demo
cratic or Metropolitan party will con-
| troll the next Congress. Of necessity,
then, your choice must be one or the
other of the candidates and of the par
| ties have mentioned. Your support
now of the third party candidate or the
third party is simply the declaration
upon your part that in this great strug-
gle, involving self-government, it may
! be the protection of property and of
the hearthstone, you are content to
| remain idle spectators. Let the issue
| be plainly presented If you desire the
enactment of the force bill with its train
of evils, cast your vote for the republi-
can candidate, or by standing with the
third party remain an idle spectator of
the great struggle. If, upon the con-
trary, you prefer the peace and happi-
ness that comes with good government,
your place is in the ranks of the demo
cratic party. 1t may be well to recall
some of the evils from which the South
ern people escaped by the overthrow
of carpet-bag domination. Fully to re-
count the injustice, the wrongs, the
outrages suffered by the people of some
of the Southern States during the era
of carpet-bag misrule would fill a vol
ume.
He then gave the horrible condition
of affairs during the period of recon
struction in Alabama, North Carolina,
South Carolina, Missouri, and 9th err
| Southern States when those were I'M
| der Republican rule, and then consid-
cred the Federal elections bill, known
as the Force Bill.
FEDERAL ELECTION OFFICERS.
s'The purpose of the force bill is by
| intimidation to control the election of
Representatives in Congress. This is
| to be accomplished by substituting fed
eral officers for the election officers
provided by State law. In other words,
the officers you have selected are to be
displaced and their places taken by the
agents of the party in power. You
need not be told that such legislation
argues Enthusiastically lack of conf
dence in the people. This bill passed
the House of Representative of the
Fifty-frst Congress, every Republican
but three voting for it and every Demo-
GRAFT voting against it. With the aid of
| a few Republican Senators the Demo-
Gratis were enabled for the time to com
pass its defeat in the Senate A Re
publican Senator who aided it's defeat
declared at the time it was the most
infamous piece of legislation that ever
| crossed the threshold of the Senate
But for the fact that these three or
four Senators co-operated with the
Democrats this bill would have passed
the Senate, received executive APPROX
al and would now be upon your statute
| books.
SUPERVISORS FOR LIFE.
"As | have said. the Force bill takes