Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1894-11-01
REPUBLICAN MEETING.

candidate for Congress in this district,
spoke at the Opera House last night.
The hall was crowded and the audience
was about equally divided as to color.
Many democrats were present, attract
ed by Mr.. McCaull's reputation as
good stump speaker. That he is an en-
pertaining speaker no one can deny,
but in all candor can it be said that not
an argument that he advanced last
night on the present issues of the day
the tariff, &c.-but could have been
riddled by any intelligent man in the
audience.
The meeting was called to order
shortly after s o'clock by Mr.. Park
Agnew who, in very few remarks. in.
troduced Mr.. McCaull as the republi-
can candidate for Congress and who he
believed would he winner. On the stage
were Messrs. F. A. Reid, L. w. Spear,
Thomas Burroughs, Chas. King, F. f
While. Lewis Mckenzie, F. E. Corbett,
Y. T. Brown, of Loudoun B. Callen-
der White, of Washington, and L. ID.
Gambrill.
MIR. McCaull commenced his speech
by saving he regretted Mr.. Meredith
was not present to divide time with
him and offered to divide time with
any substitute Mr.. Meredith might have
iu the hall. He then read IN extract
from speech Mr.. Meredith made in
Washington on Monday night last
in which Mr.. Meredith had
ridiculed the idea of Pat McCaull run
ming for Congress in district which
| had produced such men as Washington,
Madison, Lee and others, and said that
though he was not descendent OF a
Washington or Lee, he was the son Of
q mechanic and had the same right to
run for Congress as had Mr.. Meredith.
MIR. McCaull mad said in the opening OF
his speech that he did not intend to
appeal to the prejudices ofhis audience,
but five minutes afterwards he began
with such appeals and kept them
up through the evening. He said he
had been a democrat, when he had let
some one else do his thinking, but he
had learned better now and was re-
publican and hoped his former demo-
cratic friends would do as he bad done.
He then discussed the tariff and advo-
Gated protection, holding that protec-
ton was the prerequisite of prosperity
and without it America would go TO
perdition. He said not a half dozen
persons in the audience paid any of
the tariff tax because every thing they
used was made in this country. Alex
andria, he commended, would go ahead
if protection prevailed and the people
of the city would abandon the demo
cratic party and vote the republican
ticket. He intimated that if he was
sent to Congress he would get several
millionaires to come to this city and
then everything would be lively. He
admitted that Mr.. Meredith had done
we'll so far as getting appropriations
through Congress for this district, but
said he would do better and that il
elected he would favor the passage of a
bill for new 800, 900 postoflice in this
city and pass it, too. Reverting to the
tariff, be set forth what protection had
done for the people of this country dur
lug thirty years of republican rule and
said it was only when the democrats
got control that the people lost conf
dence and then the hard times had
commenced and had continued since.
He then condemned the new State
election law; said it was an outrage to
require man who. through misfortune,
could not read, to have to expose
his ignorance, and trust to
constable to fix his ballot before he
could vote; said he would hunt down
and send to the penitentiary any cleo
ton officer who undertook to defraud
him at the polls, and then told those
who could not read how to distinguish
mis- name on the ticket. He closed by
saying the presence of such large and
Intelligent audience was great compli
ment to him, which he heartily appre.
ciated, and invited any of those pres
ent, should they ever come to Culpeper,
TO visit him, promising them hearty
welcome. Mr.. McCaull is very stacy,
poses for applause, has good delivery
and flow of words, and, as stated above,
is very interesting speaker, but be-
fore deliberative body Of intelligent
men his arguments would certainly not
be considered either forcible or con-
vincing. Many of his statements last
night were entirely incorrect, and, like
all democrats who have turned repub-
licans, his speech abounded with DEM
agogical utterances. In several instar-
ces his remarks reflected on the intel
ligence of his audience, and Mr.. Mccall
evidently presumed on the credulity Of
many of his hearers.