Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1897-10-28
THE DEM 0CRATS.
Hons. A. j. Montague, Edward Echols,
and John N. Opie Speak.

Hons. A. j. Montague, Edward Ech0is,
and John N. Opie Speak.
Mr.. A. j. Montague, Democratic can
didate for Attorney General, spoke in
the Court house on Monday to one OF
the most enthusiastic audiences which
could have been gathered. The day
was rainy and chilly and the smallest
number of people were in attendance
on the court we have seen for long
time. But the Courthouse was well
filed and scarcely man whether OF
his political party or not who stayed
to hear his opening sentences but stay
ed also to hear his closing ones. With
out flattery or without party bias we
assert, that no more finished speech
ever echoed in those walls. no more
logical one has been delivered In our
hearing, and none has had truer or
honester ring within our memory.
Mr.. Montague was introduced by
Hon. Edward Echols, candidate on the
same ticket for Lieut.. Governor, and
without pause or parley entered upon
his subject. He called attention to the
closeness of the State government to
all the people, it met them every day,
everywhere it was In their business, in
their lives, by their hresides, in their
sleeping and waking moments, and
we cannot afford to try any expert
ments in it. We have, he said, 100
county judges to be elected by the
next Legislature and without dispar-
agement to any or without invidious
comparison or hard words, where but
in the Democratic party of the State
could we find one hundred men to
whose care and custody we could en-
trust these offices7 To whom could we
turn over the collection of our taxes or
the management of our public schools
but the democrats of this State? II
there ever was time when we did not
desire to rend the quiet of our affairs,
and throw down the pillars which up
hold and strengthen our government
this above all is the period.
He said our public schools are the neces-
sary adjuncts OF our free institutions. and
that under the existing State government
they had been greatly improved, and larger
sums of money expended on them.
He said that this State had been spending
money in support Of its people who had
been soldiers in the Confederate army. He
was too young to have been soldier, but
there was no act on the part Of this State
nor any country which lifted it higher in
the role of nations than its memory Of the
great deeds Of its people, and he knew OF
no star in the galaxy which adorns her than
this tribute to the men who tramped with
MARS Bob" on her blood stained fields.
A country without history was poor af-
fair, and one which had no reverence for
the deeds of its great men would come to an
end and ought to come to an end, the sooner
the better
Our institutions, he said-our Deaf, Dumb
and Blind institution, and our Insane hos
p itals. need the fostering care of the State,
and would receive it under Democratic rule.
Once they had been turned over throughout
the State to the Republicans. but few desire
a repetition of this. But, said MI. .Monta-
que. we are met with no issue, we are con-
fronted by no principles. The opposition
have but one cry, and that Is honest cleo
tions. Are they sincere, would they practice
what they preach? Is that party going to
give honest elections which Is said to have
spent thirty millions in carrying the last
presidential election. 1t is said that at
Lynchburg recently there was sample of
their honest count, and that counties were
voted for or against certain candidates
which had no representative in the conven-
tion. This party had reversed the election
when Tilden ran. Who is there to stand up
and shout, Hurrah for Mark Hanna and
honest elections? In Ohio. in Indiana, In
Kentucky, in W. Va, men had been born
rapidly, the population had increased to a
wonderful extent if the voters who swelled
the lists were really citizens honestly emil
tied to vote in the last election. But no
election law would stop fraud unless the
conscience of those who administered those
laws was first made clean and pure. No
stuffng of the ballot box and no manipula-
ton Of the votes was worse than the bribery
of the voter. and this seemed to be practiced
without complaint.
But, said he the Democratic party may
have had Its short comings and made its
mistakes, but it had never yet slandered
this old Commonwealth.
He said that we have been told that II
Mckinley was elected confidence would be
| restored. Well the vote was about Z, 000, 900
for Mckinley and 6. 500. 900 for Bryan. This
was Of that character which existed In the
breast of the fellow who came by q smoke
house and saw it unlocked and q notice on
the door which was to the effect that the
owner soeonfded in humanity that he put
no locks on his doors. The fellow went in
and took ham and left note on the door
saying, "You may live on confidence, but
Ill be darned il it don't take meat to keep
me alive"
He touched on the inequalities of the pres
ent tariff, and told how poor mem 3 blankets
and window glass paid as much or more
taxes than those of the rich.
He said that this country was one of free
speech and free thought, at least that was
what our forefathers intended, but we were
getting away from the moorings, and that a
conspicuous example had recently been
shown in the turning out of President An
drews of Brown University because he dared
to think for himself, and differ with per-
sons in power there. on bimetallism. The
Hamiltonian idea was to follow the trend OF
English thought and monarohical tenden-
cies. The Jeffersonian idea was to sail out
upon the broad ocean, think and do for our
selves, and in that thought was the great
ness of our nation found. l do not know
that Bryan is greater than other men, said
he. but people flocked about him, they fol-
lowed him as If to touch the hem of his
garment, and can think of no reason for
| their an dOinO hut that 10 tho al ~, IL,