Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-04-28

4 va Il AAiNN " AhtAhaAA N''a
pluck one" | should like to know who Is
the ~plucIee, The field had been occupied
before you came out. You very politely in
formed my Red Republican, friend, at Cul-
pepper. that he had better wait awhile, that
YOU might get another office or die. Mr..
Thomas then referred to the Alexandria Con-
charged him with being Il 'Squatter Soyer-
eign." He would give a brief history OF that
Alexandria Convention. The Delegates from
the Seventh Congressional District 10 the
Richmond Convention, met at the II. Charles
Hotel. lie (Mr. Thomas was called to the
chair. lie then, for good and sufficient rea-
sons, advised against the propriety OF a nom
%ination. Notwithstanding his advice. Il con-
vention was determined upon, and held IN
Alexandria. Meetings were held in several
of the counties, and Delegates appointed. In
his county, in preference to the regular man
ner Of preamble and resolutions, the Delegates
10 the Richmond Convention had been request
ed 10 represent the County in the AleXan-
andria Convention, and they did So
lie had had the honor Of being selected
President of that Convention and had APP
pointed the committee, but the Chairman OF
that Committee, W. ID. Massey, knew my
unwillingness To become Il candidate; and 1t
was not until the other counties expressed
their decided preference for me, that my name
was allowed TO be- used; and yet with the
unanimous nomination of Il convention
bodies thar the gentleman so utterly abhors
composed of gentlemen from nearly every
county in the District. the gentlemen charges
that | am IA squattcr sovereign. lie who
came from California where he was Il squat
ter and seeking of;rc. Who. failing to Sc
cure an office there. cameb back here, and while
actually not entitled to the right of suffrage,
takes the Democratic party by the throat
and says to them. take he or no one. lie, TO
accuse me Of squatter sovereignty. Why,
gentlemen, he is the prince OF squatters-the
very embodiment of S1uatter sovereignty
1t is not right for the Wing party to run a
candidate. The gentleman is unwilling
that 49, voters in this State. more than
are in the territory of Kansas. for the adj
mission of which State into the mon the
gentlemen had voted, should have one Rep
resentative III Congress. Two gentlemen
are here ut their W bidding, each OF whom
is engaged in disproving the Democracy Of
the other. With the adjustment Of these
family u%uarrels he had nothing to do. The
speaker IIltl USktl uON wv b'iipIit'''
party had acted in several instances where
there were two Whig candidates running, and
quoted an article from the Washington Union,
which paper recommended that a Democrat
should be run I'M District i'll North Carroll
ma. where there were two Wings already IN
the field. The speaker denied the right OF
Mr.. Smith to question the right Of any one
to become a candidate, and asked. upon
what meat doth this our Cesar feed, that he
has grown So great" The gentleman has
asked, if would have dared 10 enter the
contest with him single handed. | will an
swer him. that had | been the choice of the
party, | should not have hesitated to have
taken "A tilt with honest John himself, be-
lieving that Wing principles alone could
save the Union and preserve the prosperity
of the country; he, lThomas) would have
been willing to become the STANDARD bearer
of the party in the State. lie referred to the
charge that he had scattered black bread"
through that County. The gentleman was
lust four years out of hi, reckoning-black-
bread had been introduced into the campaign
of 1914, and it was only shown AS a specimen
of what the paupers of Europe had TO eat,
and To show that it was on this account that
foreign labor was so much cheaper than ours.
He next inquiries how ! stand on the Pen
sion Bill. ! stand where the gentleman
stood on the Bounty Land Bill. He Smith
was willing that As the Land WAS gong 40
rapidly the old soldiers should have II,
merely that Virginia might get IL portion:
He Thomas was willing {" provide for
those who had borne the hardships and bur
den of war, but he wouldn't borrow money
to make these payments. Let there be u
surplus in the treasury, and ! will vote for
pensioning the old soldiers. He next adver-
ted to the Internal Improvement policy Of
the State, and contended that if Mr. Smiths
views and plans had been carried out, there
would have been but two leading lines OF
railroads. and the people of fauquier never
would have heard the whistle of the Loco
mOtive--and the cost Of the construction oi
the two railroads proposed by Coy. Smith
would have been greater than for the con-
s~truction Of all the liues at present i'll pro-
gress. When the gentleman arralgned him
for his advocacy of internal Improvements,
he was hitting his own friends. What had
Gov. Wise done But he begged the gentle
mans pardon. Gov. Wise was not one Of
his friends.
Gov. Wise had said he'd make the people
groan under taxation, to complete the lines
OF internal improvement under construction.
The gentleman wants 10 know whether |
would 90 for an increase Of the revenue!
He here read from the report OF the Secrcta-
~ Of the Treasury, showing that there would
be q deficit of SIS, 900, 900 in the Treasury
at the end Of the next fiscal year, and IN"
speaker asked. how are we gong To raise 1t:
Mr.. Bigler, Of Pennsylvania, says that the
present revenue from imports is insufficient
for the wants of the Government, and that
it is absolutely necessary that the Tariff
should be increased. To meet the present
wants of the Government, without raising
the revenue, it would be necessary to import
S3j0.UOO 900 worth of foreign merchandise:
and whenever such an excessive amount of
import is demanded. there must come II PEE
%cuniary crisis. He was for raising the tariff
on Injuries. He would not lava heavy i'm
post on coffee or sugar, or any of the nrcr'-
sarie- of lie by which the people would be-
incommoded; but upon fine broadclothS.
French wines, Havana cigars, and such Ike
l~uxuries, he was tor an increase i'll the tariff.
There were many articles which would come
under the free list that could not be raised IN
this country, and the effect Of Il slight III
crease Of the tariff on sugar would not befeIt.
inasmuch as the price Of that article wasnenr-
ly altogether regulated by the abundance or
. H., u, H. ,a.t Inn.anInI Bt