Omaha daily bee., 1896-10-06
PLEADS FOR LAW AND ORDER
Bx-President Harrison Makes Speech al
Richmond, Va.
DENoUNCES THE CHICAGO PLATFORM
Declares the Constitutional Powers
of National Government Shall
Not he TrnmpIed Upon-Sound
Money and Protection.

hlCHMOND, va, OCt. b.-EN breSluent
Benjamin Harrison spoke here to about
5000 people tonight. The meeting was held
in the Auditorium building at the exposl-
tion grounds, where Mr. Bryan spoke a
few weeks ago The audience was about
equally divided between the two races. On
the stage were many of the leading repub.
licans and democrats and also springling
of silver democrats. General Harrison s
wife was present. She was accompanied
by several Richmond ladies' The ex-presi-
dent was loudly applauded when he made
his appearance on the stage City Chair
man n. j. Young called the gathering to
order and introduced Hon. l.. l.. Lewis,
republican nominee for congress- to pre-
side. Judge Lewis made no speech, but in
few words presented General Harrison. The
speaker was in good voice. The rival ap-
plause for Mckinley and Bryan interrupted
him several times. There were few dis
orderly persons present and the police ar
rested some of them and put them out of
the building. Once the lights went out and
the building was in darkness five minutes,
during which General Harrison suspended
his remarks. When General Harrison pro-
ceeded and warmed up he received better
attention. His complimentary references to
Virginia and the south were all most lib
ginning his address, said: Ladies and Cen
tlemen: II will thank you to be as quiet
as possible, as | desire to speak to you in
quiet, dispassionate way of some things
that are of great interest to me and hope
are of interest to YOU. | have come hero
at the request of Virginia friends to speak
on questions now agitating all. Virginia
Is not the enemys country to me
(CheersD 1t is my ancestral home and
its citizens are my fellow citizens.
tCheers) l do believe that Virginia
has as large number of great and good men
under ground as any state of the country
/ never said that she had no good men above
ground. lCheers and dsorderD There was
time when the north and south were ar
rayed against each other in battle line
That time is now only memory. We all
are again one united people. This great
state and all the states that participated in
the civil war have sworn allegiance to the
flag and constitution and Virginia stands as
firmly united for their defense as any state
in the federal union. Applause.) More
than that, not only do her citizens but the
confederate soldiers, stand now for the old
nag OF Washington. Applause) If it shall
be the sad fate of this country to be involved
in war, if any foreign flag attempts to tram
pie on our flag, Indiana and Virginia will
charge together, and who shall stay that
onslaught? The memory OF Gettysburg and
AppomattoX will force us not to stop untH
-wo are on tho inside of the breastworks OF
union. We are here to claim for our states
those rights which the federal constitution
gave them. We are here to say that the
constitutional powers of our national govern
ment shall not be trampled upon. | regret
to notice the recent assault upon our cOnsti-
tuition. The incident l refer to is the Chi
cago riot Men in defiance of law, in great
organized bodies went through the streets
with hre and sword, destroying property,
stopping railroads, blocking the mails and
l,J
origin in railroad strikes, and were the work
of men under the red flag of anarchy Mr.
Cleveland felt it much his duty as was
any duty that devolves upon the president of
the United States, as commander of the army
and navy, to restore traffic and the move
mont of trains. The courts were appealed
TO and writ of injunction granted to en-
force the law. Violation of the order of the
court resulted in contempt proceedings and
punishment of the offenders which was
right These courts proceeded on line that
was legal, that was upheld by the constitu-
tion, and yet the president and the supreme
court are denounced in the Chicago plat
form"
The speaker referred to Senator Daniel and
scored him for being a party to the Chicago
platform, when he had In the senate fathered
resolution ndorsing President Cleveland
for sending troops to Chicago He held that
the upholding OF the constitution and law
was the most important of all duties of citi-
meant to change the supreme court body
so as to accomplish the ends of anarchy He
said that Virginisns had just as much at
stake in the preservation OF the laws as the
people Of any other state. and urged them to
vote to prevent 1t from being despoiled.
The second question that General Harri-
son discussed was the money question. He
had exhausted over half Of his time in speak
ing OF the Importance of maintaining law and
order. His arguments against free silver
were along the line OF those he has used in
other speeches In closing he advocated pro-
lection to American industries. Protection
would be great boon TO the south, he said
He mentioned Mckinley only once and that
was In his final appeal for law and order,
sound money, protection and Mckinley"
At the close the general was vociferously
applauded and many people rushed forward
to shake his hand. The ex-president and
Mrs. Harrison left Immediately for Charles
ton, w. Va. Murat Halstead is with him