Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-06-25

The Republican ratification meeting
took place last evening, at the Grand
Opera House.
The building was we'll filed and the
net result was very creditable TO the
management of the affair.
There was a natural expectation that
there would not be much said about the
financial question, in view OF the de-
clarations of Mark Hanna, the West
Virginia Republican management and
the oracular Intellgencer that fin
ances did not and must not enter into
the campaign, and yet, the truth is that
very little else was talked about by any
Of the speakers, and Editor Hart de-
voted himself wholly to silver, thus
showing conclusively that the Republic
ran management take no stock person
ally in their assurances TO the pcblic
that the finanrial issue was of no con-
sequence whatever. II was a curious
Illustration of the Old saying that the
truth cannot be crushed or kept down.
The meeting was called to Order by
Bentley Jones, who introduced Hon. n.
E. Whitaker as president. On the
stage were National Committeeman n.
B. Scott, Hon. Lorenzo Danford, of the
Sixteenth Ohio district, Hon. G. w. At
kinson, Judge G. l.. Cramner, County
Chairman J. X. Hall, Hon. Joseph E.
Brady, Congressman y. G. Dayton, OF
the Second district, Candidate for Sher-
if H. C.. Richards, Candidate for Circuit
Clerk C. H. Henning, Candidate for
County Clerk Richard Robertson, Edi-
tor c. B. Hart, Hon. A. r. Campbell, I.
C. Moffat, Frank Stanton, William
SrhwerJfeger, w. B. McMechen,
Dr. c. F. Ulrich, Hugo L. Loos, T. NJ.
Garvin, Frank Bowers, John Kindel-
berger, John Frew, George X. Nc
Mechen, DR.. D. H. Taylor, and dozen
or so more, among those in the eX-
IRENE rear a solitary colored brother.
In his Introductory observations Mr..
Jones rang the changes with prac-
ticed hand upon the names of Mckinley
and Hobart, and his eulogies resulted
in about as much noise for Hobart, who
was not known TO five men in the audi
ence ten days ago, as followed the men
ton OF McKinley's name-and neither
got much. He closed by introducing
Senator w" E. Whitaker, who got
more applause than Mckinley and Ho-
bart put together and multiplied by
two.
Senator Whitaker's remarks at first
promised to be brief and to the point.
He stated the business in hand in a
straightforward, conversational tone,
complimented his audience, said some
nice things about Mr.. Mckinley, who,
he said. had put himself in line with tbs
material interests of the people, whence
proceeded, to a great extent, his popu-
larity. but then he rambler off into a
set speech which grew prosy. He dis
cussed the great and momentous ques-
tons before the people - questions
which. he said, ohght to be decided not
by partisanship or sertiOnalship, but by
patriotism. This statesman-like re-
mark was immediately nullified, how
ever, by the following observation that
the Republican party alone could do
that. Then, leaving the domain OF
fact for the realms of fancy, Mr.. Whit
aker drew a dismal picture of the ruin
Gus condition of the country, asserting
that factories were Idle, machinery 81
lent. workingmen out of employment
and in despair, ETC., etc, all OF which,
he asserted was in some way attribute
able to the existence on earth of po-
litical organization known as the Dem
ocratic party. The speaker scattered"
a good deal towards the close. He
introduced Hon. Lorenzo Danford,
who was accorded flattering reception
by the audience, three cheers being a
feature.
Mr.. Danford began with great delib-
erations. stating as preliminary, that
his letter Of invitation had suggested
that he talk upon the money question,
a question which, he thought, would en-
ter. to some extent at least, into the
coming campaign. 1t was his idea,
however. that the revenue question
would predominant. He then located
the National Convention which nomi-
mated Mckinley in Chicago, and
gave it as his deliberate opinion that
the Democracy would go before the peO-
pie demanding the free and unlimited
coinage of silver at 16 to l. This Will
be their issue, abandoning the line upon
which they were beaten Two years ago,
ard this new line the Republican party
will be called upon to assault, to some
extent. but through it all we shall up
hold IN front of our columns the great
banner of protection to American in
dustrieS."
Mr.. Danford then took up the money
issue. starting with the act Of 1873, ana
he vehemently denied that the demone-
tizatioa Of silver was done secretly, or
was a result unknown to the people
or TO Congress itself. He said, on the
contrary. that the bill to drop the 4121a-
grain silver dollar was first introduced
into Congress in 1870, and was dis
cussed for nearly three years, the de-
bates taking up seventy pages IN the
House record, and nearly sixty pages
in the Senate. The record, he said, was
voluminous. and open to the world.
He alluded TO Senator Stewart as the
chief among those who were going
about denouncing the crime of 1873, yet
in January. 1871, Senator Stewart voted
in favor of a bill dropping the 4l212-
grain silver dollar from the coinage OF
lthe country. while John Sherman, who