Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1896-10-30
Party Regularity. =,

If there is auy one thug more prom
inent than another to which the glib
tongued spellblnder devOtes himself after
having scared and sailed amId the silver
Innings Of the oratorical clouds; and
rhetorical realms Of delusiye sOpbistries
it lie that of party regularity.
There Is something pathetic ~ thu
VI, ice of that Bat le-scarr,d eouft-gleer
haranguer as he lifts up his eyes towarC
the far off heavens and pleads for party
regularity, and there Is something mex
pressibly touching about the beardes,
boy orators abJdt to cast their frs
presidential votes, who are dramatically
cracking the party last and clamoriug
with all the vigor OF lusty luag- Ter
regularity in party procedure.
Let us look for moment upon the
record of the present. silver movement IN
Virginia aud soc just what party re-
gnlarity has been observed in It,
10 the fl st place, last spring in every
city aud county m N we're busy arranging
tor the selection of delegates to the
Stanton Convention. Were these mer
the regular members of the State Com
mitteei In some instances they were, but
that was the exception. The regularity
consisted iu their beiug Identid.d With a
committee OF which Major Peter j. Ot,y
was the moving spirit, and which had foI
its sole object the selection of silver ad-
Vocate
Then Stanton was reached aud many
lifelong Democrats stalked through the
streets in the vain search for Deuocratic
headquarters. Across the balcony Of the
hoiel was stretched an enermoIs banner
inscribed silver Healq iarters," aud the
Democrat Who sought conference with
party leapers was 40 once assured that
the cutbstone across the street was the
only roosting place for him, for regu-
iaIIty was silver. aud silver was tolerat-
ID
Then from ont the "silver headquar.
err. came shower Of cards bearing the
name OF NJ jOr Peter S. Oteg, luf5rmin z
The assembling delegates that nJne Tut
silver men should BE- put on the State
Committee aud the committees OF the
convention Years Vt DemOorItic party
service was set at naught. Time and tail
aud devotion to Democrats principles
were no credentials there, tor party regu
lArlty was silver now. and regu arity
must be pre- served.
Then came the Second Di ;trict with
, be- audacity to say that her two delegates
T presented a people opposed to sIly'T
aud thou the gem Of regularity glittsre
upon the brow of the convention. The
unit rnle of course, why mott Had the
Second District not sinned past all for
g.v,ne,si The traditions of the party
we're as uaught. The involste usage in
Virginia bad but ieE defenders for regu-
larity was silver now. aud nothing mast
interposc to dl-tnrbe this regularity, ami
the unit role was passed.
The taleuted CONGRESSMAN from the
Fifth District whose love of regularity
had not accomplished his own selection
even as delegate to this convention
proclaimed from the platform as he urged
The unit rule 10 its adoption. that ths
Second district oply nominated her two
Delegates, aud the convention was re
quirrd to confirm them.
Then came Chicago With q contest from
Michigan, where the district named sill
YER delegates, aud their State convention
refused to confirm and named gold dele
paiss in their stead, audbere consistency
gave way to this marvellous hunger foI
regularity, and the Virginia delegation
voted that to be wrong in Michigan
which was right in Stanton, for the pa
uiotic purpose Of being regular, sot
r. gularity was silver then, aud patty
regularity must he maintained.
On, blessed, beautiful regularity, what
erin es have been committed in thy name.
And the first aud second childhood Of
political demagogy are calling upon
bee today from the Popuislic stump to
blind the eyes of an impossible people
Richmond Tunes Oct. 9Th.