Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1900-09-28
DEMOCRATIC SPEAKING.

- c OcuOCTdSo Vi buls COuuty Wei
given a.treat on Monday last in tn,
8 Speeches delivered on that occasion.
The Hon. H. D. Flood was on hand
| and the State Committe had procured
the services of Gen. J. W. st. Clair, Of
West Virginia, and for about three
hours Democrats were made joyous,
and their faith strengthen by theee
speakers. We cannot in our limited
space give synopsis of these speeches
which would do the speakers Justice
or convey proper idea of the speeches
made.
i About - M. the court house filed
with anxious hearers, and Chairman
McCue called the meeting to order.
He then introduced Capt. R. 3. Ker,
who in a few felicitOus remarks intro
duced Hon. H. d. Flood. Mr.. Flood
spoke for about an hour and quar-
ter, and made one of the most dignifi-
ed, classical, logical and eloquent
speeches our people have heard in
years. The impression made on bis
audience was very fine. His
speech covered the Democratic ground
in an admirable way. and it's strength
and power elevated him greatly in
public esteem, and inspired all who
heard him with the conviction that be
would not only ably represent this
district in Congress. but that he would
uphold those principles and give that
aid to our intrepid leader, Bryan,
which would make his election real
ity and not farce. Mr.. Flood made
many friends here on Monday.
At the close of his speech he intro.
duced Gen. J. W. st. Clair. of West,
Virginia. Gen. st. Clair is a man of
commanding presence, fine face, large
head and in feature is not unlike
VIM. J. Bryan. When he tackles q prop;
osition he does it with vim and power
that impresses those who hear him
that he knows just what he is talking.
about and is by no means afraid to say
so. He began by saying that be was.
born in Virginia, but had been over in
West Virginia for some rs years. He.
however, kept closely in touch with
the mother State. and loved her insti-
tutions and her people. He had al
ways known that in days gone by in
Virginia to be in genteel company
ana under refining influences, man
was bound to be Democrat he was
satisfied on looking over the audience
before him, and then on the body he
saw gathered to hear the Republican
orator on the outside, be had no reason
to modify or in any wise change those
views.
He said the Republican party was
nothing without money, it lived,
breathed and existed on that alone.
Strip it of money and send it before
the country on it's merits, and on Nc
Kinley's record, and it could not carry
three of the smallest States in the
Union. 1t never counts it's votes be-
fore election day, it counts its money,
assured that on election day it can get
the votes if it has the money. There
never was such debasing act of all
the acts of Mckinley as his conduct
toward Porto Rico. Without consult
ing Congress he had recommended free
trade with Porto Rico, but, speaking
advisedly, the tobacco trust visited the
President and in little while we be-
held the disgraceful spectacle of a
President importuning Congress to
defeat measure solemnly recommend
ed by him. 1t was q sale direct to that
trust of himself and the people of that
island. He read the declaration of
war against Spain and showed that
no man ever contemplated war on
the Philippines or Porto Rico. Cuba
was alone mentioned, but Republican
rapacity at once asserted itself and
without authority from Congress and
in de fiance of the constitution he
la nded troops in Porto Rico and then
seized the Philippines, and there are
governments on all of those islands
now, as kingly and monarchical, as any
that are administered by any monarch
or king, absolutely dictated by VIM.
i NICK inley as to every branch, such
governments as were foisted on the
South at the close of the war, when no
white man of decency could vote,
plead Or be implicated, or exercise any
of the functions of citizen, and
where the followers and hangers on
and SO called officers robbed and
plundered at will, taking everything
from spoons up. So are they doing in
those countries, and nobody to prose-
cute them. He ridiculed the idea of
Mr.. Hanna that there are no trusts,
as long as Mark Hanna had declared
that Bryan was hypocrite and con-
tinued to call him such, just so long
could he, st. Clair, when Hanna said
there were no trusts, call him liar.
He tackled the Prosperity cry, and
said there was no prosperity such as
had been claimed, he declared that the
coal miners Of his section had made
more money during Cleveland's ad-
ministration than they are making
now. and appealed to Mr.. j. Fred
Ef1nger, large coal operator, who
was present to deny the proposition.
He cited the closing of furnaces of the
wire nail trust, the strikes in the an
thracite region, the drop in coal and
pig iron and various other things to
prove his assertion. He said that the
Republican party never had done any
thing in the interest of labor, they
fooled labor into believing they would,
but when the time came the natural
law of supply and demand met the
laborer and he had to work for just