The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-04-17
NO. 2.


7 The Lyochburg Republican has the happy
faculty Of assigning position to its cotempo-
raries 10 advance Of their own declared pur-
poses Whether this arises from mental OBJ.
tuseness in not comT reh ending the purport
of language, or morbid pruriency to inter-
est itself with other peoples business, W are
unable to say. When it states that the Pr
ginian has indicated ! preference" for Gen
Wickham as the Republican candidate for
Governor, it asserts that which nothing that
has appeared in eur columns viii justify, to
use very mild expression. We have not
only not indicated preference for Gen. Wick
ham, but we have said nothing that could by
any possibility be so construed. We may re-
mark, however, if it is any qualification to,
the Republican, that Gen. WickEam would
reflect no discredt upon Virginia, or any
party that might elect him, should he be cho-
sen to preside over. the Commonwealth as its
chief executive officer. He is gentlsnaAaa
in every way worthy the confidence of the
people of his native State, and if the Repub-
lcan party presents a ticket correspond
ing in character with that possessed by him,
there is no. doubt in our mind that it will be
elected True to Virginia in her darkest
hours, and true to Virginia in the opening
dawn of her future prosperity identified with
all her great interests in as large degree as
any man that treads her soii--it would be
difficult matter to convince the people that he
would not be true ia the highest office within
their gift. This much evil venture to say"
accompanied by the disclaimer of any person.
al advocacy of his claims, Or discrimination
against other gentlemen. who present equal
claims to craftsmanship and public confidence.
If the Republican was not more feiieiteus
in its construction Of the language Of Judge
Rlvcs, upon which it commented few days
ago, than its differences from what it notices
10 the TiryIiiai;an, we may readily conclude
that it-as distinctly misrepresented that gen.
tlerIien as it did US. .....,.
En- pdssGnt--we do not believe Judge
Rivcs said what che Republican reported him
as saying, 10 the connection and spirit as rep
resented The Press ofLynchburg, gives an
entirely different version of the matter, aud
from our knowledge of Judge Rives' charac-
ter, apd the well-considered manner in which
he always gives an opinion even in private
we incline to- the conclusion
that the Press is right, and the Republican
wrong. We certainly will await a more ralia-
BILE authority than VIC are disposed to accord
the Republican, from the miscoacepton it
has given on two occasions to paragraphs in
the Viygiaan. We not charge that there
has been manifested wilfui disposition 10
misrcpscsent, but there has been y loosencss,
and want CT legitimacy in its distortions, that
amount to nearly the same thing. ~
Since the above waa in type We have re-
ceiyed another issue Of the l.ynohturg Press.
containing the following statement Of the
facts Of the case which sustaina the impress.
sion that we express above. The Press fur.
ther states, that apart from the efforts Of the.
opposition journals to manufacture party.
capital out Of the matter, there was no feel.
ing cseated by it. The lawyers practicing
in the Federal court thought nothing Of it
The utmost harmony and courtesy have
been observed Between the bar and bench:
There has been no real cause for the yitu-
peration Of these persons. What has been
the alleged cause? 1t seems that in a con-.
versation between counsel and the Judge
during trial, the Judge remarked that
forming two lines of voters at the polls was :,
llItSaI3 CcpocidsiJ WHeu NOdC W PiCvCbe Poi
of the voters from casting their ballots; that
there was no more propriety in forming TWO
lines, according to. color, than two lines ac-
cordipg to rich or poor. Then one of the
counsel said, it may. be done to avoid mob
or riot" This counsel may have used the
words 'disordsr or riot, or the words ''blood-
shed or riot" The Judge in reply simply
reported thi. counsels words, whatever they
we're (for they attracted no special atten-
ton at the time and said, better, eyon,
*..bloodshed or riot" (whatever the words of
counsel wereD than that citizens should be
prevented from casting their votes. Itwss
simply a repetition by the Judge the words
thus put in his. mouth, and ramonstrance
against that or any pretence being used 10
prevent citizens from exercising the right Of
casting their votes 293 a'a} 81