Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-09
The Meeting at Kent's store.

kentS store, Va, OCTOBER 0, 1870.
To the Editor of the Dispatch
The Richmond Times must be sorely
pressed for material to bolster up its
reasonable designs when 1t publishes
such stuff as this, taken from its Issue
OF October 2d:
Warm times IN F'luyanna. The cause
OF sound money keeps growing In Vir-
gnia Fine speech of John Hunter, Jr.
The silver element carried out It's usual
tactics of interupting the speakers, ETC.
This Is the heading of the Timess ar
ticle on the political discussion at this
place Saturday. the 18th OF September.
The article reflects on our people and is
inaccurate In many particulars. There
fore, In justice to the "free-silver ele-
ment" mine tenths of the white voters
of this place.. | submit this statement:
The Bryan Club at this place had in
vited several gentlemen to speak. The
other two parties had also invited speak
ers for the same evening, and thinking
they had the heaviest artillery. chal-
lenged US for a discussion. This was
promptly accepted. John Hunter, Jr..
opened the discussion for Granny"
Palmer. His party, If he had any. fail
ed to introduce him TO the audience,
and he forgot to introduce himself: SO
he houndered on through his discussion;
He seemed 10 be an Ishmaelite: his
hand against every man. Many OF the
free-silver people up here had never
heard of John Hunter. Jr.: nor Granny"
Palmer, either; but finding that he was
advocating some kind OF crooked politics,
very naturally asked him a number of
times, who he was for, anyhow" He
declined TO say, but fired off his shot,
seized his grip-sack. folded his tent, and,
like the Arab stole silently away. "hr
Hunter received great applause" says
the Times The only applause ELECTED
by Mr.. Hunters Grafton came from Uncle
Sam Rolan. ar ebony Darwinian, upon
whose complexion charcoal would make
white mark. Being a pronounced sill
verite, when interviewed after the speak
ing by one Of the club. and asked If the
gold man had converted him. Roian wss
indignant. and replied: "Bress de Lord.
sir: thought dat eemman was speakin'
for free silver" Much OF Mr.. Hunters
speech might be safely endorsed by every
good citizen. but II was unfair. I'm that
he placed construction on the Chicago
platform neither warranted By the Ian
guage nor the intention OF its authors.
Mr.. Flanagan. of Powhatan. followed
for the Republicans. Says the Times
"The crowd started out 10 accord him
worse treatment than Mr.. Hunter re-
ceiyed." Mr.. Flanagan, In the very
outset of his speech. stated that VI. ID.
Flood sneaked up behind him and struck
him with a club. As this was calcu-
lated 20 injure Mr. Flood IN his absence.
"A member OF the club confronted him
with tie statement that the principal
witness before the trial court In Rich
mond swore that Flood advanced ard
struck him from the front. and that he
CFlanagan) looked iiire whipped rooster.
No further interruption occurred; but Mr.
F1annagan.i seeing exsenator Parrish,
of Goochland. standing liz the crowd. IN
order 10 make capital. very indiscreetly
lugged the contested election case be-
tween himself and Parrish into the dis
cussion. This was z matter OF ancient
history. and entirely foreign 10 the mat
tsrs I'm discussion. To this gratuitous
attack Mr.. Parrish replied In hitting
terms. In refutation Of the Timess
statement about the free-silyer people
,oterrupting the speakers. we offer the
testimony OF Mr.. Flanagan. In his
closing speech in very courteous Ian
y,,age he thanked the people mine tenths
~ whom were for free silver, for their
,st,ent and respectful attention. We EN-
nnat,cally deny that the Bryan Club here
,rteryupted any speaker; on the contrary
.,r.rv me nber used his best EFFORTS to
rssr ord. r. 1t Is as impossible to prevent
rvuvanna crowd from cheering for
p~v.n as II Is to efay the swelling tides
20 Ola Ocaen- The onl- disturbance
here came from a man intoxicated. He
had no connection with the Bryan Club;