The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-07-15
The Big Pic-N

L QulI6 a NUMBER Oh OuI ESOk1S
attended the picnic given at the
Changers Hall in the Upper Flats
ON Saturday last. Some five or
six hundred persons we're present,
and those we have heard speak of
the matter say that it was thorough
| ly enjoyed by all. The genial and
hospitable way in which the farm
ers in the Dutch settlement and
surrounding neighborhood treat
people attending their festivities,
make them feel like wanting to be
present on every such occasion
possible.
The principal feature of the day
was the free silver discussion by
Hon. Chns. p. Hogg and Hon. JAS,
b. Menager, for the affirmative,
and Hon. Geo. Poffenbarger, for
the negative. Each side was given
two hours, and the affirmative had
thirty minutes in which to close.
The time was divided by giving
Mr.. Hogg one hour, Mr.. Poffen-
barger two hours, and Mr.. Men
aqer one hour. Hr. Hogg's one
hour speech in the morning was
listened to with eagerness, for it
was the first opportunity the peo-
pie had had of hearing the living
issue of the day discussed. He
handled the cause of free silver in
his usual interesting and eloquent
manner, and showed to his hear
ers that the opening of the mints
of this country to the free and un-
limited coinage of silver and gold
at the ratio of is to 1, was the
thing most needed to insure a re-
turn to prosperity. Mr.. Hogg was
followed by Mr.. Poffenbarger, who
consumed n greater part of his
time in giving history of the
coinage laws of the United States;
the balance of his time being taken
up by reading from the Congress
ional records and law books (with
which he was we'll .supplied and
attempting to answer the points
made by Mr.. Hogg. He showed
to his audience that he had given
the subject considerable study, but
book reading proved to be dry and
wearisome to the crowd and he
failed to hold their attention. He
was followed by Mr.. Menager, the
Republican free silver champion of
the county. When Mr.. Manager
commenced TIC speak the crowd
gathered around him and listened
to most eloquent and convincing
address for the cause oe free sill
yer. He has devoted much time
to the study of this great question,
and has his heart and soul i'll the
cause, and but few handle it so we'll.
He showed by reading from the
speech of Stephen B. Elkins, deliv-
cred two years ago at Fairmont, at
the Republican League, wherein he
declared that silver and gold should
be coined equally, and there was
no danger of too much silver in
this country, and also from other
Republican leaders, that it was not
the free silver advocates who were
deserving the principles of the
Republican party, but the gold
standard men. He then referred
to Mr.. Elkins' interview given out
about three weeks ago, wherein he
declared for the platform of the ST.
Louis convention. Mr.. Menager
used Senator Elkin's speech de-
livered at Fairmont, with the power
and eloquence that he is capable of
doing and by it completely annihi-
lated the position taken by Mr..
Poffenbarger, at the same time
speaking in charming manner OF
the Senator. Mr. Menager
made it SO warm for Mr.. Poffen-
barger, the Republican boss and
"Gold bug" leader of the county,
that he asked the committee for
more time in which to speak, which
they kindly granted him, and
twenty minutes more on each side
was given, Mr. Hogg having the
conclusion. The crowd was de-
cidedly free silver one, and when
Mr.. Hogg was refuting a PROPOSE
ton raised by Mr.. Potfenbarger,
and the latter attempted to inter
rupt him, the crowd cried him
down. IF this meeting is an index
there can be no doubt as to the
result in the coming election in
November.