Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-10-28

charge of neglect of duty passed With
bis friends. who applauded loudly.
he then retaliated by charging. MI
Flood with having served a. Congress
man and member of the constitutional
convent ion at the same time and draw.
Ing paw from both, and spoke of the
prosperity of the country and claimed
credit for it for the Republican party.
Attacking the platform OF the Demo.
cratic party on its financial plan he
said if you were right in 1896, why are
you not wrong now? He made . Ia
bored effort to explain the position Of
his party and made the bold assertion
that 81 per cent of the products of this
country are sold at home and told 3
good story of the Irish Democrat who
said it was good thing to die a Demo
crat because Que had such hard time
here being aiDemocrat that he would
not mind so much landing in the bad
place, all this was funny and raised
the laugh but had no argument In it.
Mr.. Rivercomb said much more
about the proclaiming Of the constitu-
ton, the DISTINGUISHING OF whites -
well as blacks. and boldly proclaimed
that the next Congress would be Re
publican and if the people sent him
there, which they would do he would be
with the majority and could do some
thing.
Mr.. Flood in bis rejOinder spoke rap
idly and with much spirit, arOusing
great enthusiasm replying to all Of
Mr.. Rivercomb's charges and criti-
cisms. He referred to the number Of
rural delivery routes which he had e.
tablished and his other efforts in be-
half of his constituency, and said II he
had during his term received $25, 900
for his services, it was good invest
ment of the public money as be had
diverted to his district $500, 600. No
man could do better than that in any
business.
Mr.. Cleveland said it was lie that
he had never invited Fred Douglass,
or signed bill, as charged. for mixed
schools.
If any white man had been disfran- |
chised for not paying the poll tax they |
disfranchised themselves. the Demo
cratic party did not do it. The Dem
ocratic party tried to avoid disfran-
chising any white man.
Mr.. Flood answered Mr. Revercomb's |
various points. and showed that Shop.
herd, who stole in the Auditors office,
is now in the State prison.
Referring to the criticism OF his
opponent upon his drawing pay from
both the convention and congress, he
said that be felt it his duty to serve
his people in both bodies as they sent
him to both, but he had not used bis
convention pay, and that after deduct
ing bis expenses in going back and
forth between Washington and Rich
mond, he had turned over all the bal.
ance of that per diem to the fund for
erecting Confederate monument in
county.
He closed by denying Mr.. Rsver-
combs assertion that his party would
win. No, the people will relegate the
Roosevelt to obscurity on
the Sth of November, and the grand
old ship of state will sail in smooth
sea under cloudless sky, manned by
good, honest Democrats, and com
by that grand old captain.
Alton B. Parker.
Our space prevents full report of
the interesting discussion, which, not.
it extended over three
hours and the hall was cold, was en-
joyed by all who heard it out. If the
were we'll pleased with
their side of it. the Democrats were
better, and left feeling that their can
didate had strengthened himself in
Augusta county by his able presenta-
lion of the cause of Democracy and
the good account he rendered of his
own stewardship.