The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-10-27
Politics In Hampton.
HAMPTON, October

lEft4t s DAMRJONs OCtOUeT Afs
To the Editor Of The State Journal: q
The present week has been stirring
one in politics here.
On the 2lst instant General Kemper
held forth deliberately, assisted by Colo
mel Goodwin, Major Douthat, and Judge
Lacy, giving, apparently, good satisfaction
to their political friends, except that Colo
mel Goodwin was rather hard on the
colored people, who will doubtless re-
member his remarks on election day. 3 b
On Thursday, the 24th instant, Hon.
James II. Plat. our worthy representa-
tive in congress. made an elaborate and
very able speech on the political topics of the
day, and made decided impression on his
hearers. To one of the Conservative can
didates, the Hon. r. T. Daniel, he paid
his especial respects, showing up most
effectually that bitter gentleman as a MEM
Der of the legislature, and especially on the
free school question and the oppressive and
uncomfortable oyster law Of the last session.
He showed demonstratively the utter un-
constitntionality Of the latter law and its
peculiar oppressiveness on the large and
humble class Of hard-workers, the tong
men--those who, with long oyster tongs,
fish up the oyster and hand him over to
the use of man.
Had all the tong-oystermen of the tide
water region been present, not tongman
vote of the class would have been given to
the Conservatives in the legislature that
framed that almost infamous act. These
"tongDaen " are an humble, hard-working
class, who are well nigh ruined by the late
oyster law enacted by the late Oonse'ya.
the legislature. a8F
Mr.. Platt discussed other issues, and
ably vndicated the action of the Republi-
can party generally, and he showed himself
public speaker of no mean pretensions.
He showed himself emphaticalIy fine
speaker. sst4 l}5E ag8tszFqsaxs
We note him, in our representative his
tory as the only representative from Vir-
ginia who has ever secured us dollar of
appropriation from the federal government
for national improvements, and SO hold him
high in our appreciation. HHi AZ ~
Atnight Hon. Joseph Segar addressed
large meeting on the issues of the
approaching elections, and being regarded
as having James River and Kanawha
canal on. the brain, he took up that
subject and eloquently discussed it, practi-
cally, as measure likely to scatter seven
or eight millions year to farmers,
uccnanicSs anu laoOTcfS 0IODS The lue oi
the improvement lie, Mr.. Segar, had
never said that Virginia should
give up her principles to get the canal.
What he did say was, that rallying to the
support of General Grant, and putting
ourselves in full political accord with him
and his administration, we would stand a
far better chance of securing aid for the
canal from congress than we would by an
opposite course. But if the state had
really any good principles remaining, such
as those held by the fathers of the consti-
tuition, OF old, and Henry Clay and Dam
lei Webster, Of late, he would not ask
them to give them up on any account. fit
was. the resolutions Of 1913 which were
ever pregnant with dsunion, there was
no necessity for adhering to them.
10 this Elizabeth City--the
natal land of the great Chancellor Wythe,
and the. Barrons, of s'bright particular
naval revolutionary fame the majority
for the Republican ticket will be about
nine hundred scarcely less.
l1 Yours truly, NIP.