Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-09-02
J. ALFRED, EDITOR
.YOssltNy Morning, &esz. 9
Convention Election.

The Spectator of last week endeavors to as-
sign the causes for the defeat of Messrs Niche
and STUART, which are not little amusing.
1t was right and proper that the editors should
assign some reasons for the overwhelming dis
comfiture of their candidates, because from the
cry of "reaction" so Justify put forth by the Spec
alor, different result was TO have been antici-
pated. We have heard good anecdote with
regard to this cry of 'sreaction," which it would
be we'll to relate. There were some five or six
changes against the reform candidates, and as
these were reported by the friends of the Con-
sentative or anti-retorm candidates, it was sup
posed they were different persons, and thus the
same man was counted dozen times over and
by as many different persons, thus swelling the
number to all enormous amount. But we must
pass on to the Causes assigned by the Spectator.
The first OF these causes, says that paper, which
contributed to their defeat, was the magic of the
name "Reformers," assumed by the Reform
party, and the odium of the name of "Anti-Re-
formers" applied to Messrs NICHE and Stu
ART. The editors forget the favorite quotation
of one Of the defeated candidates, that "a rose
by another name would smell as sweet,'-but
we deny that the name controlled the election
it was vote upon principle, and we beg respect
fully to say to the Spectator that it is some
what serious reflection cast upon the Tuo Thou
sand men who voted for the Reform ticket to say
that they were swayed by mere clap-trap; whilst
of course, the Anti-Reformers were governed by
pure and exalted principles Our neiehbors
speak Of the name CAN'T Reformers" as if it were
applied only in the Augusta district; but it is a
fact that the name was notorious throughout the
State.
The second cause assigned is, tina. the Demo
cratic party voted almost in body for the Re-
form ticket. We are proud to say that such was
the fact-but the reason assigned by the Specta-
tor for this Compact opposition of the Demo-
cratic party" to Messrs NICHE and STUART is
not the true reason and will cause some rnerri-
ment among our Democratic brethren, if, in
deed, it does not excite the risbes of some of
our Wing friends-that portion of them, certain
ly, who belong to the Reform party 1t is that
the Democrats, not regarding principle or the
convictions of duty, came to the polls in "solid
column" and voted against Messrs. NICHE and
STUAaT to pay them off for old scores-that
smarting under the blows those giant Wings
had inflicted in days gone by the Democrats
took this occasion to wreak their vengeance on
them. Mr.. STUART was one of the Taylor cleo
tors in 1913, and made, we believe, but two
speeches in this county-the Wing vote of the
county of Augusta was diminished, and the De-
mocratic vote was increased SO as to lessen the
Wing majority in Federal Augusta more than
one hundred votes That was nothing to get
mad about, surely on the contrary, the Demo-
Gratis have every reason to be in a particular
good humor with the elector. Again, in 1914:
when Messrs BED1NGER and CAsK1E were here,
Mr. S. found it convenient to be in Botetourt,
whether from previous engagement, we neither
know nor care--one thing we know, the Demo-
cratic vote was not diminished during that cam
paign. Why, then, should the Democrats be
angry with man who had done them no harm
But we hesitate not to say that the Democrats
would have supported Mr.. STUART most cheer
fully if his Reform views had met their appro-
bation-they did not intend to follow blindly
the lead of any mantle views Of the cand-
dates they intended TO know-and they intend
ed to support no man, whether Wing or Demo-
crat) who was not identified with them on the
Reform question Mr.. LETcHER, Democrat, as
he is, would not have received 10 Democratic
votes in Augusta, if he had entertained different
views. This was the position of the Democracy,
and it was the position of hundreds of Wings in
the district, all of whom had determined to lay
aside party and advocate those measures, the a
doption Of which, they believed would place ALL
in possession Of EQUAL RIGHTS.
We wish to say another word or two to the
Spectator, which, perhaps, may open its eyes
The Democrats did not support Messrs NICHE
and STUART because they did not believe them
to be thorough retormers, and were unwilling TO
be controlled by the magic of great names, so as
to defeat their own opinions. The fact that
these gentlemen were big Wings was certainly
no temptation to the Democrats (whatever it
might have been to fen Whigs) to desert their
principles and rally under their banner, 'right or
wrong, n--and the fact that they were Wings
was no reason for the vote against them, because
Messrs. SAEFFEY and FULTz were as true Wings
as they are. We will add, also, that the people
did not like to be told that they would be gov
erned in the choice of their Judges by the fact
that the candidate for that honorable post would
tstreat at nusters," or that he would distribute
gingerbread among the children. We regard
the vote as stern rebuke to all those who ven
tured to speak slightingly OF the intelligence and
capacity of the people to make their own gov
ernment-to elect their own officers, and to hold
these officers responsible to themselves.
The Spectator might find in its own columns
az other potent cause for the signal defeat of its
fri ends. The sneers and contempluous ridicule
OF he Reformers and their candidates INDUCED
IN by its puny scribbers and witless dreamers,
were well calculated 10 ALLEVIATE its friends and
sxasI srate those opposed to the general course
of that paper. 1t did exasperate them-the re-
fo'mess clungto their candidates, thus tainted