The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-10-03

Great Speech, Which Was a Sound
Business Argument.
Roanoke heard her first gun of the
Democratic campaign last night. in fact
there were two guns and big ones ct
that, who addfesssa she audience that
filled every Available inch df the Old
Opera House. Mai. Peter al. 0tsy was
the hrst speaker of the evening. He was
introduced by R. Randolph Hicks, chair
man Of the city Democratic committee.
He was received with great applause
and spoke for an hour and held the
strict attention OF his audience every
moment Of the time.
Maj. Otey lays no claim to being an
orator, but his speech Was sound in doc e.
trine. 1t was business argument by
business man, and showed that The
Democratic candidate to represent the
Sixth district in Congress was we'll up
on the needs of the day. With scathinR
words he rebuked Disqualification, Read
justerism and all other isms that had
formed coalitions with Republicanism,
in order to hold true Democratic prin-
cipieS In Suo1eCtlon.
He said the Democratic party was q
friend OF the South and the Republican
party was it's enemy, and, by statistics,
showed that, while the Democrats had
striven to advance our country, the Re-
| publicans had done all they could to
retard 1t and make the few rich men OF
tho North richer at the expense of the
| many poor men, to whom the monopolies
and monopolists meant lower wages, If
not actual starvation. Major Otey dwelt
at some length ON tho tariff question.
and showed that high tariff did not hurt
| the rich, but had worked great hard
shipfon the poor.
| He said he was, and is, for the free
coinage OF silver. He was, and ia, in
favor OF removing the ten per cent. tax
on State banks.
Maj. Otey's speech abounded in sta
tistics and incidents and was wound up
by telling his listeners If they wanted to
vote for RepublicaneRnd ruin to cast
Iheir votes for Rusker, but If thew
wanted peace and plenty to vote for
otey, Maj. otey tooS his scat amidst
great applause. whils the hand was
rls p !. :. Dixie"
throats. and Virginiets brigh typarticular
star was then introd iced by Chairman
Hicks. The audience, as one man,
| chaered the great ORD tor and If j John W.
Daniel ever had cause to know how
Virginians loved and honored him, he
did during his speech last night Mr..
Daniels argument and eloquence
carried his audience by storm His
speech on this. as we'll as on all former
occasions, was gem of the most bril-
liant hue, il indeed it did not excel any
speech ever made by him. He scored
the force bill, the Sherman silver bill,
the Mckinley tariff BILL all OF which
had been annulled by the Democrats.
He said that "hard times" and "wbat
has Congress- done?" were the subjects
of the day, and claimed that the former
was due to Republican misrule. The
Democrats found ruined house.; thew
had to tear that down, and were now
building new and substantial structure
in its place; the frame Ia up and as soon
as the smell of the paint is gone and the
walls papered, we would see q structure
reared by honest government, and it
would be thing of beauty and low
forever. LIE asked the people to wait
only another year, and they would see
that Democratic Congress had made
this cry of hard times thing of tho
past.
Major Daniel showed that Harrison's
adm inistration had exposed the monu
mental blunder of the men who voted
for it. He claimed that the deluge of
Republican paralysis was past and that
factory and furnace fires that had been
extinguished by McKinley's terrible
tariff were now being lighted.
In speaking OF the Populists and
P-ohibitionists, which are neither fish.
flesh nor fowl, Major Daniel said he
viewed them with amusement and not
with alarm. He said those who stood
by Democracy would be proud of IL
and their children would rise up to
call them blessed, but If they Hopped
now they would regret it the longest
day they lived.
just here sone one in tho audience
addressed remark to Major Daniel, but
the latter failed to understand what the
man said, and while he Us asking him
to repeat his remark, a. Sdred voices
yelled Put him out" but Major Daniel
said, mo. let him stay in; II we had
more men like that our speeches would
make more Democratic voters, for all
Republicans squeal when struck by
Democratic arrows"
Continuing his speech Major Daniel
paid glowing tribute to Cleveland and
his administration. He also commit
mented Vice. President Stevenson. He
spoke for some moments on the preat
good the Democratic party had consum.
mated by Reduction of the tariff and
the assessment Of an income tax, and
the difficulty they encountered in axinQ
tariff that was alike acceptable to the
manufacturing interests of the North.
the gold, silver and wheat of the West.
tho oattle and br0nchoo ~ rrov,. ~.