The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-15
PopuLnsrs AT THE OPERA HOUSE.

Captain Cooke and Judge Kerr Address
Good Sized Audience.
The Third party, silver dollar Popu-
list combination bored with big auger
in Roanoke last night. They held a
mass meeting of nearly three hours in
length at the old Opera House at which
speeches were made by the Populist
candidate for governor, Capt. e. Ran
dolph Cooke, and Judge William Kerr,
of Colorado. Jack Garst, the candid te
for the legislature, was master of cere-
monies and introduced the speakers.
On the sage were seated two or three
members OF the drum corps that had
previously mustered through the streets
and gathered up pretty fair audience,
composed Of about one half of Demo
Gratis drawn there by curiosity, Ma ior
Wilson and Captain Tompkins, of
Salem; j, w. Camper, Col. j. W. Hart
we'll and w. A. Thomas
Captain Cooke, after few prelimin-
airy remarks, read eech Of Secretary
Carlisle some years ago in advocacy Of
silver, and contrasted this with the
change OF his views at the present time.
He said silver, until few months
since, had sold at premium OF 1O3 and
gold at premium of $50. Now Congress
would still further extend its power by
making it the only money. Hon. Basil
Gordon, in an address to the Democrats
of the Peoples party year ago, said the
supremacy of the Republican party
meant contracted currency, and he.
the speaker, would ask what does Dem
ocratic supremacy mean If silver is de
monetiZed.
Are the Democrats going to follow
the President and the gold party, which
he is leading, to destruction? He
eulogized Thomas Jefferson, the great
American, who abolished promogeni-
ture that we might not have a moneyed
aristocracy, and who aimed to found a
government in which there were no ex-
tremely rich men and none absolutely
poor.
The great Thomas Jefferson, he said :,
never tried to fool the people; but q
great change had come over the country,
a change that even threatened our lib
critics, because we have not followed
his teachings. He said we were now
slaves to the corporate money power,
who; while the people paid the taxes,
would let the banks furnish the currency
and reap the profits.
We are mighty nation, he CONT nued,
with great capacity for " oak and moth
ing to hinder our prosperity but scar
city Of money. The speaker said there
was another question before the people
and that was fraud. On this subject,
however, his remarks were very general
He urged his hearers TO practice the
golden rule in their dealings with their
fellow men and raise the old State to a
higher plane.
Judge Kerr followed the candidate
from mberland in witty and pleasant
speech OF an hour and q half that was
not new to those in the audience who
heard the judges previous effort in this
city. The burden of his song was free
silver, as in his former address,. He told
the same pathetic story of dead tramp
being buried in rs cent coffin and
again made the assertion that farming
land in Virginia had deprecated in
value so per cent. in the past twenty
years and then spent half hour in o
very pretty and eloquent talk that
didn't have any connection with the
gubernatorial campaign.
He again quoted from Goldsmith the
time honored lines:
"Ill fares the land to fastening ills prey
Where wealth accumuates and men decay
etc, etc."
And in very dramatic manner again
recited the story of his first fat fee as a
lawyer. Then for the second time he
reminded the people that the first real
estate transaction on record was paid
for in silver. He said all the news.
papers we're backed up by the national
banks.
Judge Kerr was doubtless much
worked up over report of his speech in
Lynchburg paper in which he had
been accused of talking anarchistic or
socialistic matter to his audience In