Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-21
For the Spectator.

EdstOr spectator:
| cannot refrain from publicly ex
| pressing my high appreciation of the nomina
| tions made by the Convention, which assembled
in your city on the 7th inst. The Convention
certainly did itself great credit In the selections
it made, and [ am in hopes its actions will &c
far towards bauishing forever, at least, from
the minds of some, that miserable, II was al
most going to say contemplate )-sIang of ar
ralgning the citizens of the county against those
OF the town. Here, certainly, if ever, was a
free opportunitysof testing the truth of the ex-
istence of this hostile feeling and yet, is it not
strange, that the county having sixty delegates
ont of the eighty, and they fresh from the peo-
pie, out of the numerous candidates which were
before it, and several of them gentlemen, I be-
lieve, engaged 10 agricultural pursuits, selected
two of the delegates out of them, from the city
of Staunton, and those two, Lawyers, of wht 70
some profess to entertain a most holy horror
tell you, sir, this raw-head and bloody bones,
bitter feeling of hostility which, like some dis
eases, comes on periodically, and reaches its
crisis about election times, finds lodgment In
the hearts of but few Of the coed and intelli-
gent citizens of the county. When individuals,
without due consideration of their qualifications,
and loss OF their popularity, are seized with a
great desire to serve the dear people in the ca
pacity of legislators knowing and believing
that their chances of success are slender, when
their claims and qualifications are duly analyzed
the effort, In some cases, is made by their
friends, to ride them into Office upon the old,
and worn out hobby. of Staunton dictatson J;
that no good thing can come out of Nazareth; !;
that to select candidates from the town sof
Staunton Is tantamount, almost, to stopping
the Wheels OF government; that taxation will
be greatly increased the best interests of the
county jeopardized, and that ruin and desolation
will stalk abroad In our land Tbis game, Mr..
Editor, has been played so long and so success
fully, land which, L think, is now played out.
am astonished. that those engaged in it. have
not long since become tired of its workings,
and put their heads together to devise some
better plan for the attainment of these ends
The results of the recent Convention ought
to teach all aspirants for office, especially gen
tlemen from the rural districts, first, that these
lawyers. though villifed and abused, are bard
to beat; and, secondly, that no matter how
high the estimate one may entertain of himself
as to his fitness fer the Office to which he aspires
the people have to pass upon him and their
verdict. however just and proper, is sometimes
peculiarly distastelul to those against whom it
is rendered
But did not intend to say SO much. [ re-
peat, again, my great satisfaction at the selec-
ton OF the three gentlemen, to be our standard
bearers in the next Legislature and I am sure
that large majority of the people will unite
with me In the opinion, that with KEMPER,
WITHERs and DANIEL to guide and direct the
affairs Of the State, and STUART, HANGER and
koINER, to preside over the interests of the
county, everything will be done to allay party
strife and animosity amongst u.s. to develop
our resources ; to encourage immigration; to les
sen our burdens; to frame good and just laws
for the protection of our persons and property,
and to push onward the great cause of educa-
ton; IN short, nothing will be left undone,
which will, in any way, rebound to the peace
and happiness the glory and honor of our good
old Commonwealth.
Augusta has acted nobly. A bright and glo-
rious future. [ trust, is before us. Let us but
be true to ourselves, and the day is not distant
when we will realize, in all its force and beau'y,
those words of Holy Writ, The wilderness and
the solitary place shall be glad for them; and
the desert shall ejoice and blossom as the rose
MIDDLE RIVER