Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1856-05-21
va Die Eaitora of Me Staanton Spectator:

GERS draws nigh, and the people of our neighbor-
hood still keep talking, talking-andr reading, and
~reading-your paper, the Spectator, the Vindi-
Gator. and that new newspaper called the ssStaun-
ton True American.p This latter paper, how
ever. is not much used in our parts,-because.
since the great Philadelphia Convention ex.
plunged the 10Th Section of what was said to be
the American Platform, they don't eractlu knoao
bwhat it is this "Staunton True American is Of
ter. But no matter for this. There are some
very good meaning people who ever were and
now are Know Nothings. My object in penning
this note to you at this particular time, is to no
ticc an article over the signature, Constitution"
printed in this ''Staunton True American I
would have preferred that this note could have
appearedin the said True American before the
election. because the editors of that print could
then have had an opportunity either of landing
or picking at it. We neighbors still feel well
assured that the Office of Sheriff for this county
is a very important Office hence, we wish to no
tice this Mr.. "Constitution." But before COM
mencing l declare to you that neither the writer
nor any of the ~neighbors know who is the an
thor of the respective articles signed "a Conser-
~yatiyen and constitution" We care nothing
about the authorship-it matters little to us who
wrote them.-whether they were written by a
rood LAWYER or mot much of lawyer after all"
Mr.. Consultation says Of Mr.. Rudolph Turk-his
candidate-that "he (Mr. T) is a gentleman y
yery well. admit it. He further says that she is
honest, faithful, capable, and the same may be
said of the gentlemen named as his Deputies" =
We neighbors have been long since taught to
speak eoiI of no man, but we think we have
right to enquire into the capabitity OF candidates
to discharge the duties of the offices to which
they may aspire. Mr.. Turk, and the gentlemen
he mentions rs his Deputies, have long served
the present High Sheriff of Augusta as his Depu-
ties |; if then, they have been so very capable, as
Mr.. Constitution would have us neighbors be-
lieve, why is it, that the present Sheriffalty has
turned out so very unfortunately we rejoice not
in the misfortunes of any man or set of men, but
we very much dislike to see such glaring dis
crepancies and inconsistencies as are contained in
the article of this Mr.. "C0nstitution." Mr.. Turk
and the gentlemen he proposes as his Deputies,
in the event of his election, It seems to us have
given to the public no abiding evidence of their
eeticiencv as public officers. They are not enti-
tied then to anv credit on the ground of efficiency
or capability over Mr.. Cochran. Mr.. Wilson,
we understand. is not a candidate. Mr.. Consti-
tuition goes on and further saith-sI want to
know before I vote, the person who is to collect
my dues to the State and county. want no
close-fsted Shylock to walk into my house and
demand payment with q grim visage and lower
ing brow, and in the event of my not being rea-
DIV with the dimes at the moment, levy on my
bed" &C., &c. .ad .U .lo i'
We neiyhbors understand the above Language
to be uttered against Mr.. Cochran. We have
known Mr.. G. long-we have known him well,
and merely for the purpose of doing him justice
nothing more-we feel constrained to say that
we have never known him do any act that he
ought to be ashamed of. We know him to be q
kind and good neighbor, especially to thedeservlng
poor. Call him q Shylocki! Wedefy Mr.. Con
~stitution and all his little satellites to put their
finger on any single act of cruelty or oppression
ever done by Mr.. @. We know he is q prompt,
~punctual and reliable gentleman. If indulgence
to any citizen were necessary and proper, we
think Mr.. @. would be as willing to extend it as
Mr.. Turk or any of his Deputies. Surely he is
as able to extend it as any one of them. But
we neighbors "want to know' o little more than
Mr.. Constitution seems anxious to know. MIR.
Constitution says-"I want to know before
vote who is to collect my dues to the State, DC.
We, on our part, wish most to know uho Is to
pav our dues to, &c.-and who is to pay to the
party to whom dues legally and equitably belong.
The duties of a Sheriff are not completed by
merely collecting monies UNLESS they are paid
over to the parties entitled thereto, we had much
better have no Sheriff at all. Now we think in
our neighborhood this ranting Of Mr.. C0nstitu-
ton about O Sheriff taking the bed of q citizen
for public dues is mere stuff. He seems to be
conversant with our Code; in several instances
he points to the Chapter and Section of the Code.
When he was plying himself because of his an
ticipations about his bed being seized by 'Shy-
lock" for his dues to the State and county, why
did he not fly at once to his favorite author-the
Code-page 252, sec. 34-there he would have
found O cordial for all his fears, to wit: SIN the
case of a husband or parent there shall be ex-
empt from distress or levy the following articles
One COW, "bedstead NTH a 6ed' &C., chairs,
tables, knives and forks, plates, dishes, basins,
corn, wheat -four, bacon, DC. We think amongst
us neighbors that this Mr.. Constitution is rather
a curious gentleman, Notwithstanding the endor-
sation of the "Staunton True American"
Mr.. Constitution has greatly applauded Mr.
Turk for his generosity in announcing to the
public that some four or five of his present Co
Deputy Sheriffs are to be his Deputies in the
event of his election. Let's see how this thing
works. Mr.. Turk agrees with these his CO.
workers that if they will electioneer tor him
put their personal popularity in his side Of the
scale and secure his election-then and in thai
event he will give to each one Of them certain
portions of the county in which they may re-
spectively operate, and take to themselves the
whole profits of the Office, without paying to him
the High Sheriff, any farm or let compensation
whatever. Nay more,-they are not to be re
quired to execute any bond to him as High Sher
if;-true, oil hands are to unite and get theil
respective friends to go into the High Sheriff
bond. This course-in Equity at least-constl
tutes them partners in trade. The High Sherlt
and all his Deputies are partners-each one ant
all of them have been endorsed by the people 0
their respective Districts. Suppose then tina
one of these Deputies turns out badly, (sucl
things sometimes occur,) how, we ask, is tie
High Sheriff to get rid Of himl The Deputy 4
his partner. The Deputy has been endorsed by
the peopS because they supposed said Deputy
would be kind to them. If the High Sheriff
should undertake to do his duty pursuant to thu
provision made in his favor for just such a cast
as this, the Deputy would contend for his part
nership rights-pursuant to contract-urge tina
he was endorsed by Mepeopb, and thus the Higf
Sheriff would be trammeled, and poorly situated
to exert his legal privilege found in the Code
page 248, sec. II, in these words, to wit: "Sucl
Deputy may be removed from office by his prin
cipal," &C., &c. We ~neighbors call on Mr.. Con
s~titution to deny that Mr. Turks arrangement
with his Deputies are not precisely as above sta
ted. We hardly think he will deny it.
But this same Mr.. Constitution labors to SHOW
that Mr.. Turks course with his Deputies is iden
teal with the course pursued under our old law
when, in most cases, the office OF Sheriff wa
let to farm by the High Sheriffs. We think yer,
differently. All persons who have acquainted
. themselves with the subject know very wei
that no Deputy Sheriff could buy the Sherittalt.
unless he was reputed as being not only a GOO
collector, but that he would promptly pay ore
| all monies which came to his hands to the par
ties entitled to receice it. In those days NOR
, stress was put on prompt payment by the Sher
iff than on any other quality of character in tn