Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-06-23


SPECTATOR, as it has a much larger clrcula-.
ton than any other paper published here.
Col Withers, Gen. Walker and MAJ. fel-
lott.
On Wednesday last, as per appointment OF
the Executive Committee Of the Conservative
party of Virginia, Col. Robt. j. Withers, NOM
inee of the Conservative party for Governor,
Gen. Jas. A. Walker, nominee for Lieut-Gov-
ernor and Maj. Coleman Yellott of Lexington,
one of the appointed canyassers, addressed the
citizens of this county in the Court House
They made able speeches, and were listened to
for hours with great interest We have not
the space to publish abstracts of their speeches
which would do anything like justice to them.
We can only mention briefly the principal SUBJ
iects which were discussed In the most dlgnl-
fed, able, systematic and logical manner by
Col Withers in his thorough analysis and clear
and satisfactory exposition of the hideous fea-
lures of that monstrous thing miscalled the
Constitution He prefaced his remarks by sta
ting that ia trying to ascertain why the Con-
vention of the Conservative party had selected
him as the honored standard bearer of the
White mans party, he had come to the con-
clusion that it was due to the fact that having
been physician Of twenty years practice ac-
trid bodies the odor arising therefrom was
less offensive to him than to others, and that
he was, therefore, selected to dissect that foul
thing miscalled the Constitution and to expose
its vileness and rottenness. Heyielded to none
10 his devotion to Virginia, and maintained
that she should be ruled in the future, as she
had been in the past, by aclaste men.
In giving the character Of the persons who
composed the Convention which framed the
Constitutions, be classified them as follows,
which he said was in the order Of their respec-
liability:
lst Tbirty-fve Virginia gen
tlemoH.
Ind Twenty-four corr field negroes. -
5rd. 'sCdrpet, boggers, set of lean, lank,
hungry looking cornorants who, leaving their
country for their couutry's good, focked in
numbers to destroy, like the locusts of Egypt,
every green thing in Virginia.
4th. 'ScuH1Udgs," who arc nominauy Viz
giuians, but who know nothing of the charac-
of true Nirglnians. and occupy the same posi-
lion in society that the scaawag cattle do In
the stock market.
The handiwork of such men could not be ex-
pected to be otherwise than wicked and mon>
strous.
Suffrage. In the reforms aud extensions
of the privilege of suffrage heretofore, no
man ever dreamed in his widest imaginings
that that privilege would be conferred upon ne
groes. By this Constitution every negro 81
years old, or who viii say that he is, or can get
some one else to say so, can vote, while twenty
thousand of the best white citizens of the State
are denied the privilege The rule it estab-
fishes is: Restricted Suffrage for wlite men, an
restricted suffrage for negroes.
Registrations Whilst the system of regstra-
ton was proftssedly established to precent fraud
in elections, it was really established for the
purpose of perpetrating fraud. In illustration
be mentioned a case where only Is were allowed
TO vote when there were 116 entitled to vote,
even under the restrictions imposed by the mil
itary bills
If the ll6 had been Radicals, all would have
been allowed to vote
Ballot. The voting by secret ballot was a.
dopted, because it enabled the Radicals to add
to the ballots if sufficient lumber should not
be cast to ensure the success of their party. 1t
was sneaking, mean way Of voting.
1drdtion. The taxes would be increased
fourfold. The tax for the support of free
schools alone would exceed the heaviest tax
ever levied in Virginia to include everything
The greatest tax ever levied in Virginia
amounted to about 81 cents in the 500 value,
whereas this Constitution allows 100 cents in
the 500 value for free schools alone-making
the tax for only one object about Is per cent
greater than the heaviest ever laid embracing
all objects. The taxes under the Constitution,
if adopted, will not be less than three per cent
of the value of the property of the State, as in
West Virginia
For the first time in the history of Govern
ments the taxes will be imposed by those who
will have no taxes to pay. The taxes will af-
feet all property, and will Cypress the poor more
grievously than the rich.
The Mtttttd Systena. In the militia there
will be no distinction of race or color or pre-.
vious condition. The whites will have negroes
TO the right OF them, negroes to the left of
them, negroes in front of them, negroes in the
rear of them, and negro officer waving his
sword of command over their heads. Negroes
to the front, white trash to the rear
The jury No one would be allowed to act
as juryman who would not gulp the iron. clad
oath. The juries would be composed necessa.
riy of negroes, earpet-baggers and scallawags.
and so would the judges and magistrates. Clio
rious system for the administration of justice!
School System The School system would
be totally impracticable, because the taxation
necessiiated by it would ruin any people. In
Augusta county there would be $50 school dis.
tricts, $50 School Trustees, $50 school houses.
and go school teachers. The cost of building