The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-23
FOR the Valley Virginian.
Freemen OF Augusta. Vote for
John ,. Cupp. ESQ.

SONH =. CWpp, ESQ.
Mr.. EDITok: An unnecessary county conveu-
tien has met and prescribed for the freemen of
the county ticket for the House Of delegates
of Virginia !; the attempt will be made to either
persuade or oyera we you to support the ticket
to swallow the prescription, whether anodyre.
placebo, or physic. Two years ago the same
farce was enacted;, the convention prescribed,
our noses were held and we had to swallow four
years ago it was the thing, but the pre-
scription was aiiia the form of placebo then,
and we were good children then and took il
kindly. Will you again obey orders, or will
you think and vote once for yourselves? Must
we ever submit to dictation? There was no need
of q county convention and why not! It is
manifestly true that no man, let him be called
Conservative, Republican or Radical, can be
elected from Augusta who would be SO apostate
AZ to endanger or compromise the best Interests
of the state
If you have the moral courage to decline the
potion of Salts, Kino, or Hemlock offered you,
you have an alternative before you in the per-
son Of J ] Cupp, Esq, the Peoples candidate,
who has had the moral courage to announce
himself a candidate, regardless Of a convention,
at the earnest and persistent solicitation Of hun
dreds Of voters Of all parties from every part of
the couaty What are Mr. Cupp's qualifications?
He is gentleman of good, sound, practical sense.
firm, sober, honest and virtuous man, and q gen
tleman whose general integrity is ug1assailable.-
These are prerequisite qualities, but not so pop
ular with some who think t., at cajolery, and
trickery and duplicity are necessary traits In
legislator. He is utterly opposed to- and gno-
rant Of all rings and combinations-the curse OF
all communities and states and no threats, or
no amount of money could induce or bride him
to advocate or vote for any measure that would
doe hor 1v vzsf iyil dial oF cta
from the weahisst and most refined down to-
the most ignorant and unfortunate freedman
On the. stump lie is clear, firm and forcible, and
no fail to understand his position. Mr
Cupp is not q lawyer, nor has he ever been a
gentleman Of leisure. He is mechanic and has
by his energy and industry, worked himself up
from poverty to comparative athuence !; he knows
well how poor an feels if he now enjoys the
sweets of competency. Heis large property
owner both in the county and in the city of
Saunton and if it were even possible to do other
wise he could not but legielate fairly for both.
We must return to first principles. All good
Governments have been founded and administer
ed on principles of lstice, honesty, simplicity.
and good common, tactical sense. About 1880
years ago, Rome was in iHlninent danger from
foes within and enemies without; her citizens in
terror cast about for some good citizen to save
them they selected 'Cineinatus not for his great
learning, but for his virtue, honesty and moral
courage. lie was farmer and owned but four
acres of land, and blowing in one of his lit
tie fields when the committee waited on him and
informed him of b is appointment SIS Dictator Of
Rome !; he hastily put Oh his gown. received the
appointment. and W emit Immediately to the city,
In 16 DAYS he dissent hraled Rome, and immediate
ly resigned, although he had been appoint ed die
tator for 6 months, with absolute control over
the lives liberty, andproperty of all her citizens
Now when some men once get into ofhce, they
are not like Cincnatus, but The trouble IS to get
them out. When they once get o. taste of the
charms and selections ofpublic life, every pro-
eeediug is unfair that does not have for Its end
the keeping of them in Mr. Cupp is not one Of
this kind; he could not be induced to hold office
if he oven surmised that the people did not want
him in.
How does this triumvirate-these nascent
members of the next Legislature--stand on the
TWO great questions which now agitating the
people of the state I mean Relief and the
Funding bill All these said TO be opposed.
to the former and in favor of the latter two ofthem
have been arraigned through the public press of
the county for adjudging these two measure in a
manner mort Calling and oppressive to the peo-
pie Of the state and one Of them is even charged
with having positively voted against every
measure Of relief offered in the last Legislature.
They have made public denial of these
charges. Men are not fit for leg islators who
will deny measures Of relief to the state and its
after having passed through such q
great revolution aud exhaustive war. They are
neither statesmen nor philanthropists. Where
does history record case whore state was |
able to pay all of its liabilities after having gone
through an exhaustive revolution? The very
idea is absard, and the argument preposterous.
As West Virginia has severed herself from
Virginia, the latter must sever herself from West
Virginia's portion of the public debt; she should
o1s e., e s,,sC
form. directly or Indirectly. Even excluding
West Virginia's fair proportion of the public
debt. our debt with compound interest according
to. the Funding bill will be between 30 and 40
millions of dollars; and add to this the increas
ed school tax for the Free school system, must
have been fully developed at the end Of two
years from this time by constitutional provision,
sad our taxes will be insufferable It will re-
uuire two, millions Of dollars annually to pay the
interest alone on the funded public debt, and per-
haps million or two moro to carry the Free
school system when fully developed. Our taxes
will necessarily be three or four times what they
now are, and the people already complain of
their burdens. But what is the remedy. Not
ran udiation for it Is neither fair nor practical
bla. The only remedies are compromise and re-
troncbme.,t. The creditors of the State will
,omnromise on one-half; they had better take |
,ne.half sure. than have the insolvsnt's promise !
for all and his ia. lure to pay any. The agent |
for the ENGLISH holders Of Virginia bonds |
offered to take So per cent, but he was dissuaded
from it with the assurance ehatne woulo get all
No sane or reasonable creditor can expect
20 collect she last dollar from a State ais
membered by great revolution, with ITS re-
naming domain despoiled and It's eltlzens
impoverished or from people who rave
ost their property, who were deprived OF
heir currency, and whose finances have
been depleted by an exhaustive war We
Ire constantly urged to stay in Va, "stay
D, stay, don't leave your native State p
How sweet, yet how delusive. Stay for
What? Stay to endure iasuferable burdens;
md help entail upon your children's chill
lren yoke that will make them curse you,
md the day they were born No, the only
lelp lies in compromise with the creditor,
md reduction or the expenses OF carrying
IN the government to the lowest possible fig
ire. The peoples candidate is in favor of
elisf en- principles of exact justice to all par
les. Il
Let me say word to the mechanics and
aboring men, Will you not support one OF
our own number? Will you not support
me who knows your wants and sympathlzes
With you? Or will you ever be wheedled aud
,ajoled into the support Of men prescribed to
7ou by others, however different their wants
nc, .ympathies be from yours?
+ have heard you complain that as class
on have been deprived ofyour share OF leg
n s..