Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-03-25
Doc HILL, Pendleton, March 10, 1850.

scented TO the voters of this election district, by
highly respectable meeting of my democratic
friends, held at the January Court Of Highland
County. feel it due to the wishes expressed by
| that meeting, to announce myself candidate to
represent the election district composed of Pen.
dleton and part of Highland i'll the next House
Of Delegates.
| A respectful Difference to the people, whose
suffrage should be pleased to receive requires
that should make known to them my views oil
political affairs in order that they may be able
| to know the principles by wiichmy legislative
course will be governed, if they should elect me
as their representative.
! sst | am and always have been, member Of
the Democratic party concdng entirely with
that party in their political sentiments.
2ndly. am in favor of Convention to a.
mend the present anti-republcan Constitution
of Virginia. | desire it to be so amended as 10
require more direct responsibility Of officers to
the people, and to restore to the people the pow
er which belongs rightly to them of electng their
own servants, and at short intervals passing up
Gil their conduct by re-elecing or dscarding
, tlem.
Sd. desire an extension OF the right suffrage
to every free hite man who works upon the
public hieAsyay and has been IL months resi-
dent in the county in which he offers to vote
Our Bill of Rights declares that ''all men are by
nature equally free and independently aud l
hold that man to be less free than Others who is
denied the right of voting in our elections.
4th sm in favor Of the Legislature being re-
stric1ed to assembling but once in two years. &
that The time Of meeting should be the End Mon
day in January aad thus the Christmas holiday S
and frolicks which are now enjoyed by the metn-
bers at the expense of the people, would be spent
at home without cost to the State. By meeting
once in twS years, an annual saving Of many
thousands Of dollars Of the peoples money would
be effected, which might be applied to reducing
the taxes or improving our roads.
According to the present Indications, it would
seem that the members of the present Legisla-
ture do not intend TO abandon Gieir hold upon
the public crib until the resources of the State
are exhausted and her Treasury bankrupt
During the last 16 months they have been sitting
about l2, at an expense of little short of thou
sand dollars per day. Was ever sach an outrage
perpetrated upon a free people?
The foregoing are the leaang grievances I'M
der which the people of Virginia now labor,
though there are others of much and serious i'm
portance especially the County Court system,
which wish to see radically changed. Our
Agenllemen Justices" are rather too numerous
and clanish for The pubic gold They divide
county, and by species OF legerdemain increase
their numbers and perpetuate their species, in
opposition to their wishes and In defiance of the
protests Of the people Let the people elect
them and this evil be remedied.
1t is known to you, fellow citizens Of the Dis
trict, that was first brought into the field, but
my nomination Was by no means satisfactory to
the Mccoy and Hiner dynasty, who have ruled
the county for about thirty years, and seem to
believe that they have the right to dictate to the
people who is to be their representative-and
they believe no one fit but one of their number
They accordingly set themselves to work-sent
out emissaries TO bring in the true and faithful to
Pendleton March Court, and brought out their
knsman and blood relation, Jatnes B. Kee, a
Magistrate, the Escheator of Pendleton and late
Commissioner Of the Revenue. Last year he
held three offices-he now holds but tuo-but
belonging to the royal stock, not less than three
will satisfy his appetite. They have thus, to
thwatt. my election, brought out candidate of
their own, distracted The democratic party, and
thereby brought into sheffield "a whig, in the per-
son of John c. Woodson, Esq, of Highland.
7Aey are the men who have thrown a hrebrand
into our ranks ; and appeal to the Democratic
party Of the District to say whichof us is the
true exponent Of democratic principles. en-
treat you for your oun sake, for the>sake, of your
children and your country, 10 rise in your ma
esty and rehuke that spirit Of arrogance and
presumption which aspires TO rtlle the wishes
and control the votes OF free people for their
own ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
EDWARD T. SAUNDERS.