Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1906-10-26

know the barkeeper ha watched fol
you and hauled you in and made you
pay him the dollar eighty you owed
him. Then your wife says again, Am
dis all you dope brung for ter eat all
next week? Then you lie again, when
you tell her how 1t happened you
couldn't get the shoes, and could not
| bring home any more grub.''
| Now" said Mr.. Jones, go look at
the bal keepers family. When you go
to his house what do you find? You
| come to stately mansion, at the door
| stands carriage and hOi ses waiting to
take the barkeeper's family out for a
drive. 30 inside, WHAT do you see
Does it look like your poor, miserable
| cabin? Not much. When you open
the door the house is warm, and the air
laden with perfume, the carpets are
| thick, and you sink into them when
you walk. On the walls are paintings
and flowers stand about the hallway,
and in the rooms. Some one is playing
a piano in the parlor, and the children
who have On shoes and stockings and
warm clothes and are with their nurse.
are putting on their fur coats and max
Ing ready to 90 out for their drive The
barkeeper's wife comes down stairs.
Her silks swish and rattle, her dla-
mOnds flash under the early lit lamps,
all is wealth. and ease. and luxury;
not like your cabin. Who paid for all
this p? Oh, you people whose black
aces are now before me. whose eyes
look into mile, who hear the sound
my vOice"-then rising on his toes
with his hands upheld over his mead be
shouted, Tell WHO PAID FOR
ALL THIS ?-why you, YOU, YOU-yOu
black drunkards; you weak, besotted
creatures. You paid for every cents
worth of it. You starved your own
families and gave your money to the
liquor dealer Robbers and murderers
that you are" 1t was useless TO try to
restrain the negroes then. The preach
ers of the various churches fairly
shrleked amenS, the members shouted,
and laughed, and cried, and grabbed
each other in their eXtacy. Tell 'em
bout it, cried the preachers, "Yaas. "
shouted the laymen, "GlOry hallelu.
yah" shouted the sisters. and Praise
de Lord" came from many voices
There wac almost pandemonlum. aud
it was some time before he could con
tinue his discocrse. duriug all of which
time Sam Jones stood silent and mo-
tiOnless, a broad smile playing over his
cOuntenance. When he resumed, he
said, rs this hellish traffic to go on
forever. or will you by your work and
your votes drive it from the face of the
earth 7" 1t is safe TO say that had the
election taken place the next day the
"wets" would have suffered from the
negro vote.
True it was that Sam Jones came
back to Staunton some weeks later
when the election was imminent, and
when the effect of this sermon had
somewhat passed away, and 1t is said
his influence was not SO great as was
anticipated, but those who recall the
incidents of that election, will also re
call that the vets were made to ''live
nard," and that It was mo walk over"
for them.
Some of those who felt his presence
80 keenly then, in these moments when
after the storm has long passed and
the truth may be told, will no doubt
testify that he was one of the most re
markable men of his time. and gifted
with power of oratory and invective
which, whether skilfully used at all
times, or even properly used at any,
made him force to be reckoned with,
man not met at every turn in the
road; yea marvel and a genius
r. s. TURK.