Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-08
HAND IN HAND
FOR THE ELECTION OF GROVER
CLEVELAND ARE ALL THE
STA UNION DEMOCRATS.

| The StauntOn Democrats are about the
most practical men of that political per-
suasion that we know Of. Before the Chi
cago nominations they had their divisions
and sharp scussiOns on the availability of
their favorite candidates, and at the prima-
ries worked as hard as if they had belonged
to opposite political parties. But the mo-
ment the nomination was made, promi-
nent men on each side, including Jas. 1T.
Skinner, Edward Echols, Carter Berkeley,
W. A. Burke, Jno. N. Opie and Robt. w.
Burke issued a public call for ratification
meeting to be held on the court green last
Tuesday night. The workers on each side
dropped all past recollections and went to
work for the ratification meeting just as
they had worked for their primaries. About
500 Democrats assembled there and the
time before the speaking begun was spent
perature, in summer clothing, and wonder
ing if the City Council would ever do it's
duty to the tax payers and provide public
hall for public meetings.
The meeting was called to order by Capt
Jno. N. Opie, Chairman Of the County
Committee, in stirring little address, in
which it became clear that the threatened
Force Bill had made deep impression on
the Democratic mind. He said the Demo-
Gratis had settled all their family difficulties
at the Chicago convention and now all were
determined that Grover Cleveland Zap
plause) should he the next President Of the
United States. An honest man, just
man, he had when President held out his
hand to every section of his country. His
competitor, MI. Harrison, has told you
what to expect if he is elected; he promises
you the Force Bill. This was his threat,
to draw line of division tn .ough a COM
mon country whose interests were inter-
woven by both patriotism and trade.
Hon. J. Lindsay Gordon, eX-State Sena-
tor from AlbemaIle, was the next speaker.
He is speaker Of great beauty of diction
and puts the same grace and stately elo-
quence into a stump speech that most men
reserve for a special oratorical occasion.
He quoted with great effect a sentence from
Henry W. Grady's Boston address, and
then went on to the vital issues of the cam
paign. 1t was not at the South, he said, a
question OF simply whether We would have
high OF low tariff, OF whether we would
have free silver, but a question of free
government, a question Of Individual lib
erty. The threat Of the Force Bill was a
threat against the Individual freedom of
every voter in the Southern States.
Mr.. Geo. M. Harrison followed in brief
and stirring address, in which he gave a
brief but striking analysis of the working
of the Force Bill, bill which undertook
to set aside the certificate of a sovereign
State, and bill whose whole intent and
purpose was the death warrant of liberty.
He said we complain of the heavy taxation
of the tariff bill, but we should remember
in addition that that bill gave rise to the
Force Bill for to perpetuate that taxation
through the continuance in power OF the
Republican party, was one of the reasons
| for the existence of the Force Bill. MI.
Harrison concluded with an eloquent tri-
butte to the stability of the Democratic
party. It had stood at the sepulchres OF
many parties because its principles could
never die.
| State Senator Edward Echols followed
MI. Harrison. He alluded humorously to
the family divisions the Democracy had had
In order to settle the matter for himself
he had visited Chicago III person and wit
messed that great convention. When he
saw the great chiefs from every section OF
the country assembled in that great wig
wan, enthusiastic for Cleveland, he knew
that name was in the peoples hearts and
that was the man the people wanted. He
had thought that probably man from the
West would have been best, but the Dem
ocrats Of the country had decided that a
man from all over the country was best
and he was with them In that decision. He
believed Grover Cleveland would prove re-
sistless by reason OF his honest purpose t6
give this country an honest government
resistless by reason of his deep root in the
popular heart, and resistless by his grand
leadership (applause). MI. Echols closed
with q denunciation of the Force Bill, q