Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1859-04-19
The Candidates for the Legislature,

The Candidates for the Legislature,
We publish in another column call upon MAJ.
James Walker, Col. W. NJ. Sproul, and Jefferson
Kinney, Esq, to consent to become the peoples
candidates for the next Legislature" For some
time past the Democratic managers have been
sndeavoring to bring about this result, and we
should be very glad to see it brought to head
at once. Before Maj. James Walker, Col. VIM.
NJ. sproul, and Mr.. Jefferson Kinney consent to
occupy the position to which they are invited,
we wish to convince them (for we know them
to be reasonable men) that the charges contained
in the communication referred to are utterly gra-
tuitous and not sustained by the facts.
In the Spectator of March Sth, We suggested,
in view of what we knew of the maneuvring
of certain Democrats, that three gentlemen be
selected as Wing candidates for the Legislature
people from all parts OF the county would be in
attendance. We re-publish the paragraph IN
full:
MARCH CoURr.-Our friends will bear in mind
the grand Ratification Meeting which is to be
held at the March Court. We hope that every
man opposed to the election of John Letoher
will make it his business to be in Staunton on the
occasion.
1t has been suggested to Us that it would be we'll
to nominate three gentlemen as candidates Tor
the Legislature at this meeting, and we would
be pleased to see it done. We are the partisans
of no particular mer, but let it be distinctly un-
derstood on all hands that ogEy three are to run.
We presume that any gentleman who may as
pire to the position, will promptly submit his
claims to the decision of such an assemblage or
the people as will be here at the March Court.
No objection being made by the issue OF our
next paper, it will be understood that the peo-
pie will select the candidates for the Legislature
on that occasion.
Here was an invitation to every Wing in the
county to come forward and vote for the man
of his choice. No objection was made either
publicly or privately. Again the attention Of
the people was called to the matter in the "Spee-
tator" of March the 10Th, and by general consent,
no one objecting, the meeting was held at the
March Court. The meeting was one of the larg-
est we have ever seen at the Courthouse, and
it's proceedings were characterized by the utmost
fairness and impartiality. Capt. Rob't. Guy, a
gentleman from the country, was the Chairman,
and DR.. Kennerly, another gentleman from the
country, was the principal Secretary. 1t was
proposed to nominate the three old delegates
without ballot; but the proposition did not
come from StaltRt0R. 1t was made by gentle
man from the country. 1t aoas not sustained by
any gentleman belonging to the t0eon; it acaS
sustained by several gentlemen from the country.
1t was not opposed, that we remember, by any
gentleman from the country; it was vigorously
opposed by several gentleman Of the to1cn. The
alternate proposition, that every Wing present
should vote by ballot for the three men he pre-
ferred was brought forward and sustained by
gentlemen from the toaon, and was opposed only
by one or two gentlemen from the country
These facts are sufficient to refute the ridiculous
notion that there was any wire.working by the
people of the town in behalf of any particular
men. The Wings present adopted the fair and
impartial mode proposed by the town instead OF
the Objectionable plan proposed by the country.
About two hundred and forty votes were cast
with the following result:
Nathaniel Massie 206, j. Marshall McCue 1TS,
Bolivar Christian 172, James Cochran 80, Jas.
Walker AZ, D. N. Van Lear 10, W. O. Brufy II,
John Newton IL, NJ. W. d. Hogshead II, VIM.
NJ. Tate 10. J. Givens Fulton I, s.. B. Finley 7,
Thornton Berry 5, r. L. Doyle 8, J. Marshall
Hanger 5, w. s. Sproul 4, Powell Harrison 8,
F. F. Sterrett 2, Rob't Guy l, NJ. B. Craig l, A.
N. Moore l, Geo. O. Robertson !, - Stuart
l, W. J. Nelson /.
Massie, Christian and McCue having received
the highest number of votes, by so fair ballot
from as large a number Of people as ever select
ed three men as candidates of the party, were
unanimously declared to be the nominees. This
Is the whole history Of the matter, and if any
body felt any interest in it farther than to avoid
the difficulties into which soheming Democrats
were anxious to involve US, We are not aware of
it. If 'great dissatisfaction exists among the
people throughout the county, it must be the
Democratic portion of the people. So far as we
have been able to learn from all parts of the
county, the action of the meeting has given gen.
eral satisfaction, and the candidates will be tri-
umphantly elected over any opposition ticket
that may be induced to take the field.
Court Democrats had been concoctiug schemes
TO produce difficulty. Having signally failed in
that lsudable enterprise, they have been working
ever since to get up a Stree fight" We tell the
Wings of Augusta-we tell the gentlemen who
are called Oh first 10 the columns of the Demo.
cratic paper aud now in this paper-that it is
Democrats who are "Wire-Workng, and not any
clique of Wings in the town Of Staunton. We
tell them that while some Wings and Americans
may have been induced to sign q call upon Maj,
Walker or Col. Sproul from feelings of personal
friendship and without reflection as to its result
Democrats, yes prominent Democrats, have al
so been lingering the paper. Two communica-
tions have appeared in the Democratic paper,
calling upon Wings to come out against their
party. If written by Wings why were they not
brought to the Wing papers The call in this
paper is signed by no less than .fre Democrats,