The record-union., 1896-10-06
EX-PRESIDENT HARRISON
ADDRESSES A LARGE r1EETING
AT RICHMOND.
Talks to the Virginians on the Vital
Issues of the Present
Campaign.

RICHMOND (Va), Oct 5.-Ex-Presi
dent Harrison addressed about 1000
people here tonight at the Auditorium
building. Of the number named about
half We're colored people. The distin-
gu:shed speaker was met at Hanover
Junction by a committee of well-known
Republicans, and on his arrival here
was driven to the Auditorium Hotel.
After dinner the ex-President was
driven to the Auditorium.
General Harrison was cordially re-
ceiVed by the audience. There were ON
the stand a number Of leading Repub-
leans and sound mo ey Democrats, and
many Bryan me- ere in the audience.
About 8 o'clock tine electric lights in the
hall went out, as they did when Mr..
Bryan spoke in the same place recently.
For about five minutes the place was in
total darkness. during which General
Harrison said the Republican party did
not need as much light as their oppo-
rents Mr.. Harrison spoke as follows
Ladies and gentlemen: I have upon
Tny return to my home in the West been
requested by some Virginia friends to
speak to you for a little while upon
81 me of the great issues that are now
agitsting this great country. Virginia
is not the enemy's country to me. 1t
IS my ancestral home, and it's citizens
are my fellow citizens. There was a
time when the North and South were
arrayed against each other. That time
is to US now only a memory. We are
again one united loyal people. If it
should ever be the sad fate of this coun-
try to be again involved in war, if any
foreign power trample upon that flag
or invadeS our shores, Indiana and Vir-
g:nia will charge together against the
e. emy, and then what shall stay the
or slaught?"
The speaker then said that they were
as citizens of a Union established by
our forefathers, and were there to claim
for themselves these rights which were
left to the States when the Federal
Constitution was organized. The wis
dom of men, he said, never devised a
system so perfect as that system which
cur fathers formed by which they com
mitted to the National Government all
| rational concerns, and reserved to the
State Governments all local con-
Germs.
Il regret to notice that in this cam
paign an assault is made upon what
/ believe to be the just executive powers
| DL lNe NdIlDIdl government. l. he III
cident out Of which this grows is what
| has come to be well known as the great
Chicago riot. There, in defiance Of law
| both State and national, great organ
| lied bodies or acting individually upon
| a mad impulse went through the streets
of Chicago with fire and sword destroy
| ins property, interrupting all railway
| communication. stopping the passage
/ of md l,af into 1I,o cF -fnfa
| commerce.
| THE President of the United States
Mr.. Cleveland, Democrat. felt it to be
! his duty under the circumstances to use
the forces of the United States to open a
way for the public mails and for inter
state commerce. 1t was as plainly his
| duty to do so as any act that ever de-
| veloped upon a public official. Does
| Virginia consent. does she mean to ex-
| press her consent this fall, that the
mails in Virginia may be stopped by a
mob in any city of our States and their
| delivery interrupted? Does Virginia
mean TO say this fall at the election that
she Is content, that the products of her
State on the way to another State may
| be stopped by an irresponsible mob in
any city in the land?'
! Continuing the speaker said: 1.-The
| President Of the United States is sworn
10 execute the laws, and is made Com
| mander Chief of the army and navy
| of the United States that he may have
| suitable instruments to enforce them
| Without unnecessary violence with a re-
| straint that was remarkable the troops
| Of the United States were simply used
to push out Of the way those rioters who
obstructed the progress of the mails and
of interstate commerce. The courts OF
the United States We're appealed to
That right is familiar to every lawyer
and every intelligent citizen, the right OF
! Injunction by which the courts restrain
lawless conspirators to oppose the law
and it was used by the Circuit Courts
| of the United States. 1t is essential tC
the life Of the judiciary that it should
have power to punish those who insult
it's Judges or disobey its orders. These
courts. proceed with the most strict con
| formity to law. They proceeded upor
lines familiar to the profession and jul
dicial system. and yet the President who
executed the law by using the forces OF
the United States and the courts thai
used their powers to anticipate and pre-
vent violation Of the law are both de-
nounced in the Chicago platform