Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1894-07-11
Letter from Senator John W. Daniel.
WASHINGTON, d. c., July 8, 1894.
JAPT. PAGE MCCARTHY,


WASHINGTON, d. c., July3 3, 1894.
CAPT. PAGE McCARTY.
Alexandria, Va.
My Dear SIR Like yourself l have
witnessed with pride and joy the ad-
mirable conduct of the whole people of
Virginia aud the South under the tor
ture of the trying conditions by which
they have been surrounded. While
the world is in a ferment of excitement,
and unprincipled agitators are advocat-
ing extreme measures, and wild
schemes, the Southern people bear
themselves with patient dignity and
fortitude. The day that Coxey's army
made its demonstration at the capitol
Hon. Tom Reed stood side by side on the
portico of the capitol with an ex-Con-
federate colonel who is also member
of the House, surveying the scene. An
immense concourse of people were look
ing on, and the police were guarding
the approaches of the building from the
inroad of the surging masses, while
Coxey and Browne were making efforts
to get on the capitol steps to make their
manifestoes. What do you think of
that p said Reed to the Southern brig
adler. ut is the proudest day of my
life,' said the latter. II do not see a
single Southern man, white or black,
in that army-they call from the hot
beds of protection, and the Coxeyites
have marched here from the Mckinley
district in Ohio" Reed had nothing
more to say. But what an object les
son it is-this scene of turmoil and con-
fusion in the sections where there is
money in abundance, and this sturdy
self-res pecting, lawabiding conduct on
the South. The Southern people are
to day impressing the world with their
character. Labor strikes stretch across
the continent from San Francisco to
the East Great cities are in state of
siege Mail communications are inter
rupted. Mines are scenes of riot. Bands
are marching on the capital from vari-
Gus directions with vague notions and
sky scraping schemes. Anarchy sounds
it's rattle in New York and Chicago.
Socialism lifts its horrid head in the
German Reichstag and the English
Parliament, and assassins strike their
fell blows in Italy and France. But
the South stands like stonewall for
peace, order and law.
Our press can be great factor for
good, and is a great factor for good in
these times. 1t should not initiate, and
in not many instances dees 1t initiate,
the sensational character of some of
the metropolitan organs.
What we need is calmness, forbear-
ance and a sense of justice on all hands.
One thing is certain, the good sense
of the American people will not tolerate
IRENE men, extreme measures and ex-
IRENE speech. A complication of diff
ficulties environs US. The elimination
of thirty years of Republican rule has
heaped it's evils upon us. Paternalism
the doctrine that the government
must support the people-has brought
forth it's fruit. Democracy-the doc
trine that every man must favor fair
and square chance, and all now unite
in supporting the government and
maintaining order and LAWS just be-
ginning its great work. 1t cannot say
"Presto change" and like a magician
work instant change. Peaceful revolu-
tions must be gradual-like the slow
approach of an army in a siege. We
cannot carry things before us by storm.
without producing general storm and
consequent destruction. When the
tariff bill passes matters will pick up.
The Treasury will be filled with the
fruits of active trade, and delayed i'm
ports will come in. Manufacturers will
go to work again and labor be better
employed Stocks of goods have been
exhausted, and to re supply them will
make work for many.
1t may be that we shall have a long
depression to endure. 1t is plain to all
minds that the demolition of silver
brought neither prosperity to the conn
try nor settlement to the question. 1t
is also plain that the tariff disturbance
the doubt and uncertainty as to new
rates, and the heavy burden of old
rates-were great factors in our COM
mon troubles; and that with the pas
sage of the tariff bill much better con-
ditions will be created, while by no
means such as we would desire The
passage of the world to gold standard
in an imperfect way has undoubtedly
contributed much to the depressed
prices of produce and constrained the
reduction of wages and falling off of
revenues, and the influence of this
economic revolution will long be felt
unless it be reversed. But the South
has an abundance to eat:-it is learning
economy more and more; it is Injured to
hardship; it contains hard working,
self contained, quiet, noble, neighbor-
ly people who help each other, and it
can bear the strain put upon it better
than any people on the globe. Its cam
paigns of education through war and
reconstruction have made it hardy and
and self-raliant and stimulated its re-
sources of self-help, and l have never
felt that it was worthier the love of all
it's sons than in witnessing it's splendid
morale during these times that try
mems souls. Its solid substantial char
acter will give it commanding influ-
ence, and this great fact will attract to
its borders the best elements of i'm
migration, and the largest investments
of capitalize fact that the South is
to- day the land where property rights
and personal rights are more respected
and more faithfully guarded than any
other portion of the world.
JOHN w. DANIEL.