The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1898-08-18
Judge Rhea at JonesvilIe

anxious to hear the issues of tn
l. campaign discussed. The Judge wa
, ;, in fine form and made deep impress
II sion on his hearers. He was fire
quently interrupted with applause as
he scored one after another telling
a point. lie spoke for an hour and
d three-quarters and held his audience
|. TO the end. The democrats were well
pleased with his opening speech and
v are enthusiastic at the prospect of
t rolling up large majority in Lee in
8 November. The dissatisfaction with
Gen. Walker is very pronounced in
the county and the disaffectiOn from
his cause will undoubtedly be great,
while the democrats are united to
man on Judge Rhea.
a large part of the Judges speech
was devoted to an exposition of Gen.
Walkers political record, showing
that from having been originally a
bitter democrat he became a republi-
can in 1894 for office, making his
fight on the silver issue; that he re
versed his position. if not his convic-
lions, on this question in 1896, still |
for Office; that he had done nothing
for his district, nor his partisans,
during his two terms in Congress-;
that his whole time and energy had
apparently been absorbed as chair
man Of the elections committee No. 3;
in turning out Southern democrats
from seats in Congress, to which they
had been honestly elected, and putting
in republicans, white and black; that
1t remained to two northern repub-
lican Congressman, one from Massa
chusetts and the other from Wiscon-
sin, to rebuke Gen. Walkers libels !
against his own state and section a
and to place the latter in the right i
light before the country; that Gen. e
Walkers shibboleth had been dis o
honest elections in Virginia, while, o
as a matter of fact, for several years
prior to the passage of the Walton I
law the 9th district had given large L
democratic majorities, whereas the
only congressional elections held q
since the passage of that law were the =.
wo in which Gen. Walker carried g.
he district by large republican ae
najorities; that this cry of dishonest to
lections was made to divert the at G.,
ention of the people from the real so so
SSues and to enable Mark Hanna and so
is henchmen to put a corruption l..
nnd OF 100000 into Virginia to de- W
auch the ballot, which latter fact has ~ ~
ONE to light by an admission of Mr.. we
'amb, the republican state chairman, thi
trough his quarrels with the rival
publican head in the State. nf
lie further showed that while the ~ VI.
t. LOUIS platform of 1896 was in Au
vor of Civil Service Reform, Gen. ant
Walkers Marion platform is opposed h
this; that Gen. Walker promised r re"
is republican constituents many rich tina
hoes when, as matter of fact. sun
'out the only positions he had been wei
lie to secure for them from the ad T 1Tm
lnlStratlon were mental positions gr4
two negroes. one from Bristol and tod
e from Wytheville, and a police sym
ans position on the Capitol Square SSp'
an Abingdon man, while at the at a
me time Mr.. Brownlow, from the doet
Joining district in Tennessee, had -
'ured hundreds of Offices, military yss
civil, for his constituents. with :
aries aggregating many thousands 3
dollars annually, SO that the Z
neraPs artful dodge behind civil .
vice will not deceive the people of 3
district as to his inefliciency and &
eral weakness with the admins
lion. He further showed that 8
en- the Quay resolution, forbidding
shipment of coal from American 81
IS to Spain, when war was ab.ut =,
o declared, Gen. Walker was the
man on the floor of the HonSe 4 b,
was found to object to the i'm o,
late consideration of the resolu- ~ y,
that this action on his part had o
ID forth, even from northern 10. m
ican newspapers, numerous pro &
and great surprise that even one w
rican was found who was so nm. 4
otto as to interpose such an oh.
'n under such circumstances
Gen. Walker voted with the ex. &
. gold element OF the republican &
on the war revenue measure 1r
ne had voted against a tax on & Liz,
les and corporations, even 4 dis
'h the income tax feature was 1t
ID to meet the former decision n9s
Supreme Court on that point 3 doe
le had voted against the Senate inv,
iment cutting down the Issue 4 ton!
erest. bearing bonds from five you
ed million to three hundred mil. 90.
Ind had voted for the issuance 49,. ~