Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-14


AND PATRIOTIC SPIRIT OF COUNTY DELEGATES.
The convention of the Conservative party OF
Augusta county to nominate candidates for the
House of Delegates, Attorney for the Common
wealth, Sheriff, County Treasurer, County Sur
| veyor, and Superintendent of the Poor, met at
the Courthouse at II o'clock on Tuesday last.
Maj VIM. M. Tate called the convention to
order, and on motion of Gen. Echols, VIM. A.
Burke was chosen President
Each Township and Ward. on the Saturday
preceding, elected ten delegates to the Conven-
ton, whose names we published in our issue of
Tuesday last. Ofthe eighty delegates thus elect
ed, seventy-six were in attendance in person or
represented by alternates Every Township and
Ward was fully represented, with the exception
of Pastures Township-four delegates from which
failed to attend, probably because they were not
apprised of their election as delegates.
The attendance of so many delegates shows
that they properly appreciated the importance
| of attending the convention that suitable dele
| gates and officers might be nominated, and the
views and wishes of their constituents be proper
| ly represented. We have never seen a county
nominating convention which was superior to
this one. 1t was such as truly represented the
| Intelligence, character and patriotism of this
grand old county, and the spirit manifested and
the wisdom displayed by its members were alike
| creditabe to them and to the county. In a laud-
able. patriotic spirit they determined to nominate
| the best men in their estimation without regard
| to locality, or occupation. By an almost unani
nous vote they put their seal of condemnation
upon the idea of nominating candidates with re-
ference to locality. The idea of considering
whether man lived in the town or country, or
in one part or another of the county. they stamp
ed with the seal of their most emphatic reproba-
ton. In the brief, sentcntious and appropriate
speech of Mr.. Jas. w. Calhoun "a delegate from
the country the true keynote Of the sentiments
of the sensible and patriotic county people was
sounded, when he said that the country people
did not wish to select men with reference to To-
calty occupation, but with reference to brains
qualifications and character. and that it matter
ed not to them if all lived in the CITY, or all in one
house, or all farm. This wise and patriotic
sentiment Of the people of the county was fairly
represented and authoritatively expressed by
formal vote of the convention, and carried into
practical effect in making the nominations This
convention thus set an example which should be
followed by all succeeding Conyentons.
The following candidates for the offices named
respectively, having no opposition, were elected
by reclamation
Capt Jas. Bumgardner, jr., for Attorney for
the Commonwealth; VIM. L. Mowry for Sher-
iff; and Geo. w. Fauber for Superintendent of
the Poor.
The following nominations for County Trea-
surer were made:
Samuel Paul, by Thornton Berry DIR. Cyrus
Alex ander, by VIM. A. Abney and Jno. G.
Slower, by JAS w. Calhoun, the vote upon which
stood-Paul 81, Alexander H. Stover3: the dele
gates from the city not voting. Samuel Paul,
having received majority of the votes cast, was
declared nominated.
The following nominations for County Survey
or were made:
Col. Jas, M Lilley by Thornton Berry, and
M. r. Coalter by J. W. Calhoun. The name of
Jas. IL. Callison was proposed, but he declined
to be candidate, and his name was withdrawn.
The vote between Lilley and Coalter stood as
follows Lilley Al, Coater II. Lilley having
the majority was announced the nominee
The chief interest felt by the delegates was in
reference to the nomination of candidates for the
House of Delegates The question as to how the
vote should be taken, elected considerable dis
cussion, participated in chiefly by Gen. John
Echols and Col. NJ G. Hartman. The latter Of
fered a resolution that but one delegate should
be voted for at time, and that the voting should
be vsvG Uoce. Gen. Echols moved to amend by
substituting three for 'one'' in the resolution
and spoke in favor of his amendment maintain
ing that it would prevent trading that might be
done if only one should be voted for at a time
Col. Hartman replied in an earnest manner and
disclaimed emphatically any purpose to trade or
Qdp thato oil nj Tod
doing SO. In the course of his remarks during
the discussion, Col. Hartman said that some dele
gates from the country thought that the county
should have two delegates and the city one. The
only delegates from tn country who spoke-A
st Clair Turk, David S. Bell and j. W. Calhoun
said that they knew of no such desire on the
part of the country people-they did not con-
slider lines or localities, but qualifications and
character.
After an animated discussion, the vote was Ia
ken the amendment which was adopted by
vote of 40 to 81. The question then being up
on the adoption of the resolution as amended,
Col Hartman offered as substitute for it reso-
luton in blank to designate how many nomi-
nees should be from the town and how many from
the country.
This question tested the wisdom and patriotism
of the Convention, and by vote of 70 to the
substitute was defeated. The author and mover
of the resolution himself voted against it. The
original resolution, as amended by Gen. Echols,
was then adopted.
Nominations for the House of Delegates be-
ing now in ORDER Maj II. NJ. Bell announced
that Alex. B. Lightner had withdrawn as can
ddate for nomination. Then the following nom
nations were made:
A. H. II. Stuart by P. B. Hoge; NJ Hanger by
M. g. Hartman; Absalom Koiner by Thornton
Berry; G. A. Bruce by A G. Christian; Jno.
n. Opie by Chesley Kinney; j. d. Craig by
u. N. Vanlear; j. FL. Skinner by M. w. D.
Hogshead; Jacob Baylor by N. Hill; VIM.
NJ. Tate by j. II. IRVINE; W. T. Rush by A.
Blauth; L. Waddell by Brown Allen and D. S.
Bell by d. n. Vanlear. d. N. Vanlear was
named but declined.
The result of the first ballot was as follows:
Stuart As, Koiner &c. Hanger 81. Opie 81 Craig
H. Baylor A. Bruce II. Rush IL, sVanlear 9,
Skinner 6. Tate8, Waddell 3, Bell l.
Mr.. Stuart having received majority of the
vote was declared nominated. The announce
ment was greeted with much applause.
Before the second ballot was taken, Gen. Ech-
OILS made brief speech in behalf of the claims
of Marshall Hanger, who had discharged so
well and faithfully his representative trust, and
who had so commended himself to the favorable
consideration and confidence of the members
of the House of Delegates that they elected him
Speaker, which honorable position he filed with