Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-05-17

Majority for Convention, 50
Here. then, we find majority Of 2lg6 Demo
Gratis for Convention. But suppose tnat an
mistaken in thinking thst Onshag OF ohehaqeo,
ah was in favor and that, in fact, only ons'tSer@
of the Democrats of that county favored OGn
ysption; even after correcting TINS m I
there would still be majority OF 1915 D TIL,
Gratis in the District for Convention. aas
Won perceive that upon the most hoersl
AGAINST q Convention, there was very us0luou
majority of Democratic votes in favor Oh que,
and that Mr.. Harris calculations 10 tue oon""'J
are utterly upset upon the slightest scrutl
Rnt Il has been urged that the O0 ,I S,,,
was gotten up for the purpose Oh Anlne on
Mr.. Harris and it has thus been sought " q,
waken interest in his behalf. Mhse sTe 1ne
facts? In the same issue OF the w siiey Dem9 3
crat" in which Mr.. Harris was hrst ahhouHI ITI
tho editor, who is friend and supporter vi nj NJ:
Harris. after stating that there were three oanui
dataa in the field, asks, "Who is it that Is clam
or;ng 40 muoh for a Convention Are they men
who have the interest of the Democratic parry
Of heart - &c, showing conolusiyely that lhere
was olamor. and much clamer for CONVENTION
bsfore Mr. Harris wa, announced. But Mt mar
rio bimself tells YOU that before he became eau
didate So Convention meeting had been caiieu
in Shenandoah for the January Court ouI LYLE
was beld.n Mr.. Williams informs you thst III
Judge Samuels death, and the proceeain9s oTu-
Sonnsnt thereon, are to be found the reason why
tbat meeting was not held. 10 Rockoridgs, TOO
tbera had been a call for Convention meeung
before Mr.. Harris became candidate; anu Tue
reason why the meeting was not then heio III
that county, was, that though the Democaacy
were in q favor of Convention, they preferred
waiting till they could gather more OF the gen
Al sentiment of the District, before they scteG'
Tins il seems that there was not only muen
clsmor for Convention, but that OonVen'lon
meetings had been called in two counties, con
tanning more than one third OF the UelAoprstlc
vote of the District, before Mr.. Harris was an,
nounced; and that it was for good ana suutciene
reasons that said meetings were not heiu @s 'no
time-reasons which did not contemplate an o.
abandonment of purpose, and when were III ~
way connected with Mr.. Harris prospects. >.
But more than this. Mr.. Harris has hlnlseh
claimed that of the $50 delegates appointed by
the Rockingham Convention meeting, only some
so or 60 attended, and that the rest, namely
some 120, remained at home, "and were DONG
Yeomsns service for him." 1t thus appears
that taco.tkirds of the Rockingham Delegation
appointed to the Convention were friends OF MI.
Harris, and it will scarcely be commended that
the OLQ6r CAuUIUaL6S III tuC AclO "SAS NV
tied to the remaining one-third OF the vote OF
that county. In Shenandoah, under the resolu'
ton fayoring Convention, every Democrat IN
the county who chose to attend, was authorized
to sit as delegate so that there was no dlthcuty
in the way of fair representation for MIR. har-
ris from that county. In the other counties OF
the District his chances among the delegations
were the same as those of the other candidates.
But the fact is that so far as Mr.. Harris Is con-
cerned the Convention was 'more sinned against
than SHINING He used every mesns IN MS pow
er to prevent the holding of one. lie rode a,
gainst it. wrote against it, spoke against It, ana
finally, when the question wss put IN the ROCK
ingham county meeting OF "UonYenuon or 10
Convention" he did not coDhne himself 70 the
single vote to which he was entitled, but voted
in rapid succession four or Ave times, mo! no!
no! no. mol"
have thus stated how | came before the
people. and that at no time did | exert myself
to bring about or prevent Convention. have
shown that the Convention was held in conform
ity with the time honored usage of the Demo
cratic party, that it was desired by large ma
iority of the party in the District that 1t cannot
be considered to have been gotten up to "kill
Off Mr. Harris, and that in fine the grounds up
on which he rests himself 10 opposition to it are
utterly unfounded. / leave it to discrlminat-
ing public 10 view of both Of our positions and
qualifications, to say which of Us shall represent
them in the next Congress of the United States.
In haste.
Respectfully your fellow citizen,
JAMES ID. SKINNER.