The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-10-24
WATTS At SHERIDAN HALL.
An Able Speech at the Third
Ward Central Club Meeting,
The Causes of the Hard T..aes Reviewed.
The RepublicansAre,R esponsibls For
Them II Anv Party Ts-nIr. watts In
Favor Of BimetallIsm.Hon. A. p.
Staples speaks-Meefings on Thurs.
day aud Friday Nights.

The Central Democratic Club held an
misunderstanding last night at Sheri.
dams hallin the Third ward, which WAS
presided over by President s. e. Jones'.
After a considerable amount of routine.
business had been disposed of j. Allen
Watts, the Democratic candidate for
the Senate, on being called for, re-.
sponded in one OF the ablest and oIearast
speeches of the campaign.
MIR. Watts said that he had been over
most OF the district, and found the
situation would warrant an encouraging
report. Craig county would give a
handsome Democratic majority, Roa-
noke county would give its usual vote
and Montgomery, the county feared 40
much, was all right. and he firmly
believed would elect Capt. John Stump.
ter to the legislature.
Ihere were two things, the speaker
said, that were uppermost in the minds
OF the people, the hard times and the
question OF coinage, and he then pro.
ceeded, In very able manner, to show
that the Democratic party had nothing
to do with tho hard times or the hard
times with the Democratic party.
Ihl5 panic was widespread and had
no relation to the legislation Of Vir-
ginfa, and II any party was responsible
IL was tho Republican party, which had
had control Of the Government for the
last thirty years. These periods OF
hard times which had come periodically
Tor the last 600 years, were the outcome
OF number Of causes. The primary
cause was over speculation and over.
production, another cause was the
Sherman bill, another the fact that
m uyon In l1
preaching hard times and would show
up every failure and bank suspension
In the country in it's worst light and
under glarring headlines, another cause
was that the money in circulation was
doing an abnormal amount of business.
the credit system being virtually sus-
pended, and still another reason WAS
there was more money hold in reserve
in the banks than usual.
The free silver idea, Mr.. Watts stated,
was not Populist doctrine. Ever
since the characterization of silver in
1873 the Democrats had been advooat-
Ing the remonetization of that metal.
The speaker was in favor of silver and
bimetalism, but he wanted it so that
one dollar would equal another dollar.
MIR. Watts exposition of the financial
problem was very clear and easy to
understand.
AT the conclusion OF this speech, Hon.
A. Z. Staples was called to the platform.
He made brief but able address in
which he showed to the people the dan
ger Of the State from this new party.
de asked for the records Of the Populiss
candidates and reviewed those OF the
men that the Democratic party had put
to the front. He called attention to the
amount Of important work to be done
by the next legislature which among
other things will elect forty-one judges.
The club adjourned to meet Thurs.
day night in the Fourth ward and again
Friday night in Sheridan's Hall in the
Third ward. The chairman appointed
Thos. w. Miller. a. Blair Antrim and
Eston Randolph to speak Thursday
night, and A. L. Payne, w. e. Younge
and wv. Crumpecker to make addresses
Friday night. Mr.. Watts will be-
present or both occasions, and will
speak.