The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-05-11
MIR. CLEVELAND'S CLAIMS
on THE DEMOCRACY or TIRGINIA.
Ringing Speech Of Mr.. G. v. Meredith at Bel
yIdere Hall-The Cleveland Club.
Hill Arguments Answered.


Meredith. candidate for delegate 10 the
Democratic Convention at Chicago would al
dress the Democracy of Clay ward on the
leading issues before the people at Belvldere
Hall last night drew together good audi
ence, which would have been much larger
had the weather been more pTopitlous.
| About $50 o'clock the meeting was called 10
order by Mr.. William Ryan. who in few
brief words introduced Mr.. Meredith as
gentleman who needed no Introduction. be-
cause he was known TO everybody IN Rich
mond Us man of brains, ability and integ-
rty and whose sterling Democracy could not
! be questioned.
OBJECTS or THE CLEVELAND CLUB.
Mr. Meredith was received with applause.
and began his speech BY stating that TINS
meeting had been called under the auspices
OF no special organization. but at his special
request because he had been requested by the
! Cleveland Club TO 90 as delegate 20
| Chicago, and lie preferred that his position
should be understood from his own mouth
rather than from any other source. II had
been stated. said he that the Cleveland Clup
was pledged to Cleveland and hidebound to
| one man. That club has, time and again, an
| nouuced and published that although CleNe-
land was its first choice. 1t was op-
| posed 10 the delegates TO Chicago being IN
structed. Though it had frequently stated
| this. yet the contrary had constantly
been asserted with the object %
creating the impression that the candidates
selected by the club were 10 be for Cleveland
above the party when these candidates were
all explicitly instructed by the club to vote
against all instructions. The report 10 the
contrary was only one of the many tricks 10
which the Hillites had resorted IN the last
month
HILLS MiDwlNTER CONVENTION.
The speaker then considered the midwinter
| convention. which had elected delegates from
| New York favorable % Hill Such a cOnyen-
ton. be said. was a most unusual sight IL
was called on twenty days notice, which on
Its face appeared o. be notice enough. but il
was not generally known that the county ana
precinct meetings had been held only one
week after the call for the convention hau
| been issued and the party machinery
had been organized and delegations Sc
lected before the Democracy OF the
/ State had been given any chance 10
| organize Even with all this. however, TINS
| midwlnter convention did not dare 10 III
struct for Hill. Croker, the lammany Dcss
| WAS too smart for that. Resolutions were
adopted only desiring that hisname be placed
before the convention. and Mr.. Hill reaso ned
| that if this were done the importance OF New
| York 10 the success OF the Democracy would
induce other States TO do likewise.
SIR. HILL MISTAKEN.
Under these circumstances the Cleveland
/ Club was organized. for II was fact that as
there was an organization against him, one
| for him was needed. And subsequent events
| showed that Mr.. Hill bad calculated without
his host The first state 10 speak after the
/ midwinter convention was little Rhode
Island. She had always been Republican
/ state and vet she refused 20 be intmdated
by SIR Till and declared her preference tor
/ Cleveland When she did 20 the Hill men az
once said "Why pay attention 20 a little Re-
/ publican State ike that; - But suppose u
/ had gone tho other way. would It's action
have beenreceiyed with such disdain: No,
/ we would have heard Here comes the second
voice for HILL and great fuss
would have been made over u. Next
came little voice from far out
/ West among the silver mines, Nebraska,
also refused 20 be intimldated, but although
her Democracy had long fought Radical
/ Ism in vain they still refused 70
be intmidated by Hillism or the cry
! that Cleveland was opposed 10 free
silver and flung 10 the breeze the banner
! bearing the name Of Grover Cleveland. Then
/ came Minnesota, great agricultural state.
who though she had also long in
vain struggled against Radicalism. and
was also told that the nomination Of Glove
/ land meant defeat, yet the voice Of her
/ Democracy was emphatic. We are Tor
| Cleveland Then from the East. West and
centr e of the North it was shown that even If
the New York delegation was solid for Hill,
such tactics were not recognized elsewhere,
and Clevelands name hoated out % the
/ breeze at all points.
Next cane Pennsylvania She had a fav-
/ orte son who had redeemed the State from
Republican rule. and who. had Cleveland
! been out Of the way she might well have
pressed. But she set aside her favOrte son
and declared for Grover Cleveland. Then
came Massachusetts, with her Democratic
/ Governor twice elected, and whom she also.
refusing to be ntimidated by Hill. set
aside TOR Cleveland. Then comes other
States, Indiana. Wisconsin. Michigan
and Illinois. all of whom refused
to bow the knee 10 Hill and declared for
Cleveland, Indiana doing 50 although the
friends of Gray her faYOrite son, contested
the ground inch 10y inch. And yet Hill comes
10 Virginia and says to Nirginians: You
dare not nominate any ono but me-"
WHAT THESE THINGS TEACH
All these things teach that the cry that the
country is tired of Cleveland Is false All the
States since New York have declared for HIM,
and only to-day Connecticut. Democratic
state. has expressed her preference for him.
Tell me. then. said he, If the Cleveland
Club is doing anything dangerous.
1t Is only doing what all the
States of the Union outside of New York
which have spoken so far have done We
are told that any one who has first choice
will split the party. Is this the way % en-
courage our young men TO mental activity
telling them that II they exercise their intelli-
gence they will split the party Thirteen or
fourteen States outside of New York have all
acted for Cleveland and why should Virginia
shrink from having preference
CIEyELAND's SILVER POLICY.
The speaker then touched on Mr.. Cleve-
lands silver policy. lie said that prejudice
had been sought TO DO excited against Mr.
Cleveland. because he was opposed 10 paying
wOrkIngmen their wages IN sixty-fve-cent
dollars and because he believed that the free
coinage of such dollars would be ruinOus
to the business of the country. And
when Mr.. Cleveland first uttered his
sentiment in opposition 10 free coin
age 1t unpopular. there was
"a silver craze throughout the country. let.
although he knew his name was being men
toned for President. and that be would lose
popularity by II. he did not hesitate 10 ex-
press his honest convictions. and we are now
told that II would not do TO nominate HIM be-
cause he dared 10 be honest But the
people themselves are honest l. is the
leaders who are too often derelict and fail
to do their duty and how many men are ad-
vocating free silver today BY the action of
u Democratic Congress the silver question
had been laid aside and is not mentioned. and
Nl.r. tn. el..t.