Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1896-10-21
POLITICAL MEETINGS.

Hall last night under the auspices OF
the Bryan, Sewall and Rixey Club.
The hall was crowded aud in the gal
lery were a number OF ladies. The
Third Regiment Drum Corps furnished
the music and Mr.. ". B. Harlow, presi-
dent OF the club, presided. On the
stage were numoer OF prominent
democrats. The speakers were Mr. r.
Walton Moore, OF Fairfax, and Col. F.
L. Smith, OF this city. both OF whom
acquitted themselves most admirably
aud won repeated applause.
Mr.. Moore commenced his speech by
referring to the charges brought against
the democratic party, that il was taking
a course that woula promote anarchy.
He said that could lot apply when the
democratic party was led by such q
man a. Bryan if the charge was not
proved by the plan = in the platform 1t
might be dismissed as beneath notice.
He then took up the planks in the plat
form referred TO- He said the income
tax was legal and just, told how'll had
become law and now declared uncon-
stitutional by Judge changing his
mind: read the criticisms OF the mi
nority OF the superior judg's in refer
ence to the decision OF tnat court
and told how Congress by con-
stlutional amendment could Tx al
income tax beyond the power Of the
Supreme Court. He said the Palmer
and the Mckinley parties had refrained
from mentioning the income tax in
their platforms and denied that there
was anything anarchistic in the demo
cratic platform in favoring that tax. He
then took up the other plaDks IN the
platform which the republicans claim
savored Of anarchy and showed the
fallacy of such charges. In referring 10
Major Mckinley ne charged him with
having favored the force bill with all
the humiliation which it would have
entaiied on the South.
Mr.. Moore then addressed himself to
the laboring men and told OF the Chi
| cago strikes and how the success o..
peaceful organized labor had been
thwarted by federal Judge and said
that the plank in the democratic plat.
| form on this subject was sustained by
the report OF the commission appointed
by Mr.. Cleveland. He said he made
20 attack on property or wealth, but
be did attack those who made a fight
against labor Tor their own selfish
purposes. He said there was
nothing anarchistic in the IL
nancial plank Of the platform
and told how necessary it was for the
currency to increase in proportion to
the increase Of population and trade
! and attributed the fall OF the Roman
! Empire to restricted circulation. The
decentralization OF silver started in Eng
land, he said, in 1916. This was done TO
cause fall in prices, and was success
full, and great distress followed until
the discovery of gold in California. a
parallel condition Of affairs has existed
in this country since 1873. He then
read what Mr.. Carlisle had said OF the
crime and conspiracy and OF the dis
tress which would follow the demone-
tization Of silver, and said that Senator
Sherman should be severely punished
for the part he had taken IN that crime.
He then said that Palmer advocated a
low tariff and the republicans offered g
high tariff az a remedy for hard times,
and said if Mckinley was elected such
8 tariff bill would be passed as would
Increase the burden of the people. Mr.
Moore spoke OF the power Of combined
capital and said the present effort TO
boom the wheat market was being
made by those who controlled the gold
market. He believed the remopetiZs
ton of silver would do more to relieve
the people than any other measure yet
| PROPOSED. Mr.. Moore made several
amusing references to the Palmerites
vino were then holding meeting az
the Opera House and said as they had
been unable to get Harry Davis to come
here, they had gotten a man named
Coffin, an appropriate follower Of Pain
er. who is about dead. In referring to
the Palmerites in this State, he said all
they had and all they ever had, they
had gotten from the regular demo
cratic organization. lie then scored
them for holding Office under a party
they were trying to defeat. Meredith,
of Richmond, he said had been manly
enough to resign his office. Mr. Moore
said he meant nothing personal in this
for some Of these men were his personal
friends.
A voice -"There is one in Alexan-
dria who wont give up his Office
In referring to the silver question,
he said Mckinley, Palmer, O'Ferrall
and others had stood with Carlisle in
favor of free coinage, that Pat Nc
Caull had advocated it on the stump
two years ago; O'Ferrall had voted for
it eight times in Congress. The name
of Governor O'Ferrall was Kissed
whenever mentioned He then scored
Secretary Morton for his attack on
Confederate brigadiers and said he was
glad to read in the GAZETTE Senator
Morgan's reply to "the barn rat"
Mr.. Moore advocated the free coinage
OF silver without waiting for England
and said England never waited for any
body when she acted He closed with
a eulogy on Mr.. Bryan, whose antece-
dents were from Virginia, and urged
his hearers to support him.
Col. Smith was then introduced. He
said that Mr.. Moore mad left but little
for him to say. Although suffering
from a physical ailment, he had come
to tell his hearers that he favored the
free coinage of silver at Is to l. He
had been in favor of free coinage for q
long time and wanted to give his views
az a business man on the subject. He
then interestingly reviewed the silver