The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-08-17


his grave classical face and general
dignified bearing proclaimed him at
once as belonging to that honored class
1.-THE old Virginia gentleman"-which
unfortunately is fast becoming extinct.
With that conservatism and considera-
tion which has ever been the charac
teristic Of his class, when asked for his
opinion as to the political situation he
replied: 'If 1t were not for the Alliance
it would be an easy matter for to predict
with almost absolute certainty that Vir-
GINA would cast her electoral vote for
Mr.. Cleveland in Novem Der. That the
Alliance will be factor in the present
campaign, believe, is admitted by all
in any way familiar with tho situation,
but it were easier to measure the tide or
weigh the sun than to predict with cer-
tainty what result it will work out be-
tween the old parties.
ut is an unknown quantity, that will
defy all attempts to reduce it to lust
equation until the election solves tn O
problem. l have some hope that the
force bill will react not only on the
Farmers Alliance, but to the good Re-
publicans of the State, to the dangers
that threaten tho country from this
measure, and cause Thorn to vote against
tho party that is championing it, In the
vicinity OF Luray little danger is to be
apprehended from the Alliance, but in
tho eastern part OF the State it is very
strong, and if it casts its vote as a unit
| for the Peoples Party candidate it may
in l, md Inn no -,
Republican party. l am, indeed, sorry
to observe the part that General Field
is playing He has been true man and
| lifelong Democrat, and that he should
at this late day join fortunes with the
avowed advocate of the greenbackers
and other pernicious isms, is source of
pain and regret to his friends.
However, from the days of Them
istocles to the time of STAFFORD, and
since that time among all nations it Is
no infrequent thing for able men, lead
by vaulting ambition, to walk blind
folded to political execution. This
campaign will prove the political grave
OF Gen. Fields-a grave without res
erection. The Peoples party, 1 see
from the papers, is claiming that it will
carry fifteen States.
Even conceding that this will be
true 1t will avail them nothing. The
most that they could expect in this
contingency would be to throw the
election OF President into the lower
House, where Cleveland would be sure
to be elected. The danger, however,
lies in the fact that the Peoples party
may SO hold the balance Of power as to
break the Solid South and insure Re-
publican victory. 1t is against this
danger that we sould guard" This
| ryan ~ m
Luray, Va.
At Hotel Roaonke yesterday was
gentleman, who in discussing the pres
emit situation OF the Farmers Alliance,
said: This movement reminds me OF
an Oriental story 1 once read. Upon
the shore OF an enchanted sea lay q
magic city which the tutelary divinity
Of the country had erected as reward
to the devotion of his worshipers. The
temples were of pearl and above them,
| towering among the clouds, were
domes and steeples of gold rejecting
In the sunlight. whose radiance never
| departed. The streets were Of onyx
and upon their borders grew tho palm,
furnishing sustenance for life without
| labor Great parks overhung with the
richest foliage, where the song of the
nightingale never died, filled the city,
| and beneath the heavenly shade of
these sacred trees played fountains Of
| nectar, tbs gentle flow Of which filled
the land with never-ceasing strain OF
music as low and gentle as the dying
zephyrs of twilight, yet as sweet as the
music of the spheres.
| 1.-The atmosphere was balm, bearing
upon its wings the scents of Nard and
Cassia. For ages these favored ones
lived life Of paradsial bliss. but in an
evil hour the demon of ambition as
sumed the shape of huge vampire, which
lowered over the city, shaking from it's
condor wings Of wage the pestilential
mist that slowly descended and impreg-
| mated the minds of the inhabitants.
Straightway love Of power sprang up,
every one grew anxious for position, and
soon the divine spot was one scene Of
contention. The divinity OF the place
determined upon its destruction and
| gathering the forces generated by con-
tention into dark cloud over the tran
| gull sea he charged it with the winds OF
destruction which, directed against the
| city, leveled it with the ground and
the raging pillows of the sea washed
over 1t, effacing it forever from the face
of the earth.
$50 long as the Alliance was undis.
turbed by political ambition it grew,
| did good work and was an institution in
which every one sympathized. 1t was
making for itself land II not so beau
tiful, ct least more useful than the ia.
bled city. but in an evil hour came
Macune, Post and other such political
vampires sowing the seeds Of ambition
and discomfort among their ranks. The
forces OF dissension are already gener
ated and it is only matter Of time
when the storm will burst and wipe ont
forever its existence. The Peoples
party may succeed for few years in