The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-09-02
%O'FERRALL's POSITION
tconcluded from sixth page.)

Concluded from Sixth Page.)
hand, ito let them enjoy the fame which
they acquired in abusing me. They say
that l am not a Democrat--I who have
never cast anything but a Democratic
ballot In my life I! And yet they call
Bryan, with his undelnocratic acts, q
Democrat par eXcellence." And as
Governor O'Ferrall made tho contrast
he uttered Il sound which was very much
like "bosh."
STILL FIRM IN ills POSITION.
1.-THE criticism does not seem to have
shaken your position"
II am as firm to-day as ever was the
reply. uttered with n sincerity and hear
iiness thai admitted OF no doubt, "and
l am glad to say that the abuse OF recl-
less men to which ! have been subjected
has fallen harmless at my feet. / have
smiled at their antics, laughed at their
fOllies, and piled them in their deliriu1n.
Through life have had the courage of
my convictions. Even the most extreme
Bryanite will hardly charge me, when !
took my position, with seeking popu
larity. l was satisfied 1 would be IN the
minority. If ! had aspirations l knew
full well that l was blasting every hope.
My Judgment led me to my conclusion,
and my conscience dictated my course.
/ have no regrets.
Then, II the next National convention
should rcnomInate Bryan on n similar
platform to that of 1896 you would again
refuse to support him ?"
Certainly"
WHAT HE WOULD NOT VOTE FOR.
II shall never give my support to a
monetary system which ] believe would
bring wreck and ruin to the business In
tereSts OF this country, unSettle values,
drive ont rnnit11 ptnh 10 Inr nr,I t,i,,.a
beyond measure The agT.culturist. / will
never support Il tariff plank hat does
not declare for revenue only or in terms
deny h right to tax the people for pro-
lection purposes. To do so would be to
stultify myself before the people of my
state. l will never, by vote or voice,
lndorse the attack upon President Cleve-
land for sending troops to Chicago. and
neither will ! sanction the assault made
upon him personally by the convention
| cannot allow myself to be SO ungrateful
rs to forget all that he did for the South
crn people In the recognition of their
eminent men, In vetoing he dependent
pension hill in The face Of violent Oppo-
sltion from the North, in directing the
return OF Confederate flags, and In his
eNert!ons for the repeal of the Federal
election laws. / will never vote, 1 might
add, to degrade the Supreme Court OF
the United States to the level OF n par
tisan board appointed to register the will
or n political party. l favor IL proper in
come tax, but l would rather see n
thousand decisions agaist its constitu-
tipnality than to see the highest lcga!
tribunal in this and required TO record
the VIII of n party rather than the free
anu untramme!led Judgment of the court
or make this august body the football Of
partisan strife. Now. | reckon there is
no doubt where l s,and.' and Governor
O'Ferrall brought his fist down with Il
rcsounding blow.
Blu the gold Democrats In Virginia"
I remarked. as the Governor paused,
ARE numerically weak-a couple of
thousand
Forty thousand, at lenst." was the
instant reply.
They east only about 1000 votes"
BRYAN AMI VIRGINIA'S VOTE.
'Oh. yes. there were only about that
many votes for Palmer and Buckncr,"
said the Governor, but let us see about
the strength Of the gold Democrats. Do
you know that Bryan would have come
vary near losing the electoral vote of
Virginia If he had relied upon the Demo-
era Is alone 2"
NO ?
ut is 4 fact. His vote under ordinary
conditions. counting the average in.
crease over the Cleveland vote Of four
years previous, ought to ~ been 1884,
600. 1t was 5000. Out of this latter
number, however. You must subtract a
Populist vote OF ut least $4,000. That
brings the Democratic vote down To
100000: so that over 10000 Democrats
did not vote for Bryan. The lattcr's ma
tority was 2 ,597. Deduct the Populist
vote from this and the actual majority
Of Democrats voting for Bryan was less
than 5000. This shows his great
strength added Governor O'Fcrrall.
sarcastically "in Virginia. AIR. Glove
land received q majority of so, 7l5, and In
this 80. coo there was not a single Popu-
list
The logical conclusion would be that
II Bryan was nominated again. and the
Ponul.sts did not support him. Virginia