Evening star., 1901-10-25
Republican Nominee for Governor of
Virginia Addresses Alexandrians.
LANNON'S OPERA HOUSE CROWDED
Interest of Audience Held for
More Than Two Hours.
MIR. PARK AGNEW PRESIDES
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
Evening Star Bureau,
No 7O1 King Street,

Evening Star Bureau,
No TO1 King Street,
Bell Telephone No. 106-
ALEXANDRIA, Va, October %, 1901.
Before a large, appreciative and repre-
sentative audience. in which political en-
thusiasm was tempered by the refining in
fluence of the presence of many ladies. the
republican campaign was opened in this
city last evening. when Col ]. Hampton
Hoge the candidate for governor of Vir-
ginia spoke for more than two hours in
Lannon's Opera House. The hall was
crowded to the galleries. On the platform
were seated some of the men most promi-
nent in state party affairs. Among them
were MI. Park Agnew, the state chairman;
Mr. s. Brown Allen of Staunton, member
of the state executive committee; Mr.. j. NJ.
Mclaughlin of Lynchburg, also member of
the state committee; Mr.. Thomas Lee
Moore. member of the state constitutional
convention; Mr.. Joseph L. Crupper, chair
man of the city republican committee, and
MesSrs. Charles King, Marshall l.. King
Judge NJ. B. Wood Captain Wood, A. A.
Warfield and others. Haley's Band from
Washington diScOurSed popular airs before
the meeting openeu.
1t the first appearance of Colonel
Hoge before an Alexandria audience, and
there lack of warmth and enthu-
siasm in the greeting which he received.
His wit, sarcasm and eloquent oratory held
the throng of listeners Spellbound. HIS
audience was composed of both democrats
and republicans He was not interrupted
once during the delivery of his speech
Scathing criticisms of the democratic party,
state and national. intermingled with pane
gyrics the time-honOred principles and
policy of the republican party, which party,
the speaker declared, is able to bring abun-
dant prosperity to old Virginia, as they had
IN other states and the country at large.
He implored his listeners to abandon sec
tional prejudices for common-sense poll
tics.
Becoming fired with his subject at times
Col. Hoge would lean forward over the
edge of the rostrum, his tall. commanding
form thrilling with emotion as he spoke of
his loyalty and love for his native state and
for the stars and stripes, or when he re-
ferred with pride to the glory of national
life and national achievements. Nothing in
his whole address surpassed the beautiful
tribute he paid 10 the memory of the late
President Mckinley. Most of these periods
Were received in sorrowful silence. His
listeners were ,rede too sad to give voice
to applause
Mr.. Agnew Presides.
The meeting opened shortly after
o'clock, when Chairman Joseph L. Crupper
of the city committee presented Mr.. Park
Agnew, the state republican chairman, as
the head of the republican party in Vir-
ginia. Mr.. Agnew opened his remarks by
the announcement that he had no speech to
make, but before he had been on his feet
two minutes he had the audience cheering
repeatedly, his reception evidencing his
popularity with his fellow townsmen. He
referred to the two consecutive defeats of
the democratic party under the leadership
of William j. Bryan, and said that the peo-
pie of that faith had been following false
prophets for many years. The speaker al
1uded to the diminution of confidence of the
rank and file of the democratic party in the
leaders and doctrines they had been advo-
eating. In speaking of Col. Hoge as the
candidate
ernor of the state, Mr. Agnew elected great
applause by declaring that he believed the
candidate would be elected He alluded to
the state constitutional convention and
criticised It's deliberations severely. He said
that even the democrats. the members of
which party largely composed that body,
had become disguised with the proceedings
of the convention.
I'VE stand upon the principle that every
Intelligent man in the state should have the
right of suffrage" said Mr. Agnew. in con-
Guiding, when he introduced Col. Hoge as
the next governor of Virginia"
Candidates. witticism.
Colonel Hoge opened his speech by saying
that it was his ambition to place the bal
lot box Of the state where moths and rust
do not corrupt and where thieves do not
break through and steal" He said he had
come down from his mountain home to
speak to the people of Alexandria and re-
marked that he felt perfectly at home
abuse the democratic party for from my
earliest infancy 1 have been taught to |
speak respectfully Of the dead" the
speaker solemnly declared, and his sar-
easm was greeted with loud expressions of
appreciation. Referring to Mr. Montague
the democratic candidate for governor, Col
HOge said he (Mr. Montague) had refused
to enter into joint discussion during the
campaign because he was afraid to trust
himself to debate on the issues involved
The speaker declared that sectional lines
uit aoA hot
people of the state in casting their ballots
should consider the best interests of the
commonwealth instead of being Influenced
by conditions of the past. This Is the great
commercial age OF the world said Colonel
Hoge, and then he exhorted Virginians to
wake up to the necessities and duties Of
the times My ambition is not the up
building of any political party, but the up
building OF old Virginia" the speaker went
on TO state, and he added that Virginans
mad been making the mistake of swallow
ing democracy, right or wrong for thirty
years.
Reference to Late President.
His first allusion to the late President
william Mckinley as a grand and glorious
statesman and citizen was responded to
with expressions of sincerest approyal
Col Hoge rehearsed the history of the
democratic party OF the past ten years
The doctrines of sixteen to one and free
trade both came In for scathng criticism
He said that recently the people of Vir-
gtnia were startled at the announcement
OF Senator John W. Daniel and President
John GoOde, Of the state constitutional
convention, that they had discovered that
sixteen to one was all wrong. He said he
was glad that the people had not taken
the medicine before the doctors ascertained
that It was poison.
Col. Hoge declared that the democratic
party had demanded the furling of the
American flag after 1t had been raised by
American blood and valOr over the Philip
pines, but the speaker announced the firm
belief that the stars and stripes would
wave over the islands OF the Pacific as
long as time shall last. He told of many
things that the democrats were opposing
and asked what they were really in favor
of. In the state of Virginia, he said, their
hnhhY lust now Is good roads Lack