Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1896-10-22
MR.. WILSON AT cHARLEsTowN.

Hon. William L. Wilson, Postmas-
ter-General of the United States and
for six terms Democratic Member Of
Congress from this district, delivered
speech at his old home, Chan lestown,
last Saturday afternoon. Mr.. Wilson,
who has occupied such high positions
by choice Of the Democratic party,
several weeks ago announced that he
would not support the candidates nom
mated by the Democrats at Chicago
and repudiated the platform they
adopted. Last Saturday he came back
home to his old constituents, from
whom he has alienated himself, to give
his reasons for his action and to plead
the cause of the gold standard.
The courthouse was crowded at the
hour announced for Mr.. Wilson's ad-
dress. About one-fourth of the audi
ence was ladies. Most of the promi-
nent Republicans of the county were
present, backed up by considerable
contingent of colored persons. The
few gold Democrats were there, and the
balance of the crowd was made up of
the Democrats who stand by their
party and are for Bryan and free sill
yer. The ladies were enthusiastic and
looked beautiful. The Republicans
were impudent and joyful, nudging
each other and exhibiting to the Dem
ocrats an air of "there now !" and
INVITING the silver men continually;
Mr.. VIM. A. Chapline, the chairman
of the Republican committee, had the
highest seat in the synagogue, and led
the applause every time. The colored
brethren were jubilant when the az
gument was not too deep. The gold
men were noisy and happy. The
Democrats preserved an ominous ST.
lence.
When Mr.. Wilson made his appear
ance he was greeted with hearty ap-
plause. He went straight to the plat
form, and while the hand-clapping
and cheering continued he arranged
his documents. Then when there was
silence he began his address. He
spoke with deep feeling, and he con-
trolled himself at first with difficulty.
1t was evident that he keenly felt the
fact that his party was against him,
and the ovation he had received could
not conceal the evidence that his old
political associates deeply resented his
desertion from their ranks. There
was sadness in Mr.. Wilson's manner,
but there was defiance in his tone and
bitterness in his words. He said he
had not been asked to speak to these
people, but he had a right to be heard,
and he meant to speak the truth as it
appeared to him. 81 am a Democrat,
but not PopuEst," he said, with the
intimation that those who supported
Bryan were Populists and not Demo
Gratis. He attacked Mr.. Bryan, de-
nounced the Chicago platform, and de-
Tended President Cleveland. He quo
ted from Jefferson and Benton and
Hunter and other leaders to show that
they were not advocates of free coin
age. Mr.. Wilson said that no man,
woman or child had ever heard him
say a word in favor of free coinage Of
silver. He said that he had once voted
in the direction of free silver. bnt that
was done to defeat the force bill. He
endeavored to show the fallacy Of free
coinage by arguments that were not
themselves free from fallacy. He de-
MED that the demonstration of silver
had anything to do with the decline
in the price Of wheat and farm pro-
ducts, and said that the law of supply
and demand regulated prices.
Mr.. Wilson gave what he called an
object lesson. He had two silver dol
lars, one a Mexican and the other a
United States dollar The Mexican
dollar, which contained six grains
more of silver than ours, was worth
Just 49J cents, while the United States
dollar was worth hundred cents. In
the same breath, almost, he said :
claw cannot give value to gold and
silver" Of it wasn't law that made
the United States dollar worth twice
as much as the Mexican, what was it p
Mr. Wilson drew a woeful picture
of Mexico as an example of free sill
yer country and shook up the bones
of defunct Mexicans in a blood-curd-
ling way. He prophesied immediate
and awful disaster in case this coun-
try elected Mr.. Bryan, and predicted
poverty and suffering to the laborers
and farmers such as they have never
felt No high-tariff orator ever fore
told half so horrible a future in case
Mr.. Wilson's tariff ideas become law
as the Postmaster-General predicted
for the era of free coinage.
The peroration Of the speech was
fine. The eloquence that he assumed
to despise in Mr. Bryan he made good
use of himself, and his closing was q
studied and effective effort that wa;
: worthy of the applause that greeted it
In fact, it sort of hypnotized some O.
the silver men for a brief period
Many persons are of the opinion that
the speech was the most eloquent Mr.
Wilson ever made. When he had fin
ished Mr.. Wilson was congratulated by
' the ladies and few of his old friends
: but it was painful to see how studiously