Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1908-10-03
BIG REPUBLICAN
RALLY LAST NIGHT
Three Distinguished Speakers Adj
dress Immense Audience.
THE MEETING LASTS TILL
NEARLY ELEVEN O'CLOCK

Net@ ~ 0m00N
Congressman Sturgiss, Hon. Stuart
r. Reed and Hon. Joseph L. Bar.
bour, a Connecticut Yankee, Arouse
Intense Enthusiasm by Their Dis
cussion Of National and State Issues
From The World OF Saturday:
One Of the largest, most harmon
ious and enthusiastic political meet
ings ever held in the court house was
the republican meeting last night.
The only regret was that the court
house was not nearly large enough
to hold all the people who wanted to
attend; as 1t was the room was
crowded almost to s~uffocation.
One thing especially marked the
meeting and that was the perfect or
der maintained throughout and the
close attention given the speakers
the people having seemingly come to
hear what was said and not to play
horse.
Both the City band and Comrey's
band were on hand, occupying seats
to the light and left of the judges
bench. A number OF ladies were in
the audience.
The distinguished speakers of the
evening were Hon. George C. Stur.
giss, of Morgantown, Congressman
from the second district and candi-
date for reelection; Hon. Stuart F.
Reel. of Clarksburg, candidate for
secretary of state, and Hon. Joseph
L. Barbour, of Hartford, Conn, a
state senator of Connecticut. This
trio of able speakers, two bands OF
music and a vast and intelligent audi
ence together constituted a remark
able political meeting; and if no DEM
ocrats were converted to the republi-
can side the weakened and doubt
ing republicans were at least steadied
in their faith by the eloquent and
convincing presentation OF sober truth
and fact.
After a lively air by the City band
County Chairman /. w. Wood called
the meeting to order shortly after s
o'clock and named by Geo. w. Feidt
as chairman, who introduced Mr.. Reed
as the first speaker.
Mr.. Reed was very cordially re-
ceived. He spoke for more than half
an hour on state issues, a~rraignfng
the democrats for mismanagement OF
state affairs and misrepresentation of
state funds during a long period Of
years prior to the a~scendancy of the
republican party in West Virginia
and effectively answered some OF the
false ~utterances recently made by the
opposition. His glorifcation Of the
wonderful of West Virginia
and the notable part that the repuIbli-
can party has played in their ievel-
opment. the wise fostering of her in
situations and the broadening of her
public school system were especially
eloquent and produced a profound i'm
preston ON the audience.
After a patriotic air by Comrey's
band, Mr.. Barbour was introduced.
His odd personality and rather pecul-
lar style Of speaking at once attracted
the attention of the audience. Gifted
with wit, humor and a natural eIo-
quence he either CONFUSED his hear
ers with laughter or held them spell
bound by the force of his reasoning or
the flights of his ~eloquence. Mr.. Bar
bour spoke on national issues alone
and the way that he fayed Bryan and
his vascilations will not soon be tor
gotten by those who heard him. I'm.
ierIying his frequent use of ridicule
was hard logic and convincing fact
WHICH wed DOir vi dtid(h AO ooOd
most effectively against the democrat
ic s'andard bearer.
The last speaker was Mr.. Sturgiss.
Though it was late when he began to
spsak he held the closest attention OF
IRE 1Ipq ugql slom Ioy eousipne eql
hour. very few leaving their seats
till the meeting had concluded. Mr..
Sturgiss made a solid speech, appeal
ing to the reason of his hearers, rath-
err than to their passions, He spoke
on both state and national issues. en-
paasizing the Importance of the re-
pubiicans electing Taft, Glasscock and
the whole republican state ticket and
giving assurances that signs of the
times pointed to that result in state
and nation. He, like the other speak