The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-07-04
For the DIspatch.1
: Coming Ii Rather Strong.

|
IFor the DIspatch.l
! Coming Is Rather Strong.
The Conservatives Of the Richmond dis
trict, as well as or the whole State, must bt
very ungrateful if they do not thank you fol
| your able protest against scheme OF select
| ing delegates to q congressional convention
whereby the convention may be packed ir
advance, and the defeat Of the candidate may
be already secured. l certainly thank you
and beg leave to say that your remarks were
in my poor judgment, not only just, bu
wise, In view of the fact that at the last tria
we showed by the election of Dir. Johr
Amber Smith that we had no strength te
lose. 1t ought not to be disguised that in
these declining or at least. demoraliZed days
OF the Republic the Conservative party o.
Virginia has come in for share OF the fear
ful debauchery that prevails everywhere else
On the contrary, our safety, requires that the
fact should be admitted; as also this further
fact that many people have become so dis
gusted with the mode in which political
machinery is worked, and - quite as
much - with the profligacy of some
that secure nominations, that they care
very little about voting, and would not vote
| at all but to keep out Radicals. If TO the
existing causes of this discomfort packed
conventions be added, disgust becomes re-
bellion; and that may result in another rad
| ica victory. If few more Conservatives
think as | do, there certainly will be great
| danger of it. As there are only Two men III
| the distrct-and those n0t'at all likely TO be
| selected / think combine intellect, eX-
| perience, and position enough to make ut
! representatives, | am Indifferent who gets
the nomination, provided be be a man OF
| proper moral and decent political qualtica'
tions. But l will not support man who
gets the nomination at the expense OF FAR
play unless perhaps l may choose to DO so
| on other grounds.
But if | decline to vote the ticket 1T 81. il
seems that | am TO be considered - b0itef
from our organization" and "be treated IN
all RESPECTS as q Radical" Now, that Is
"sctting the coulter too Deep rs we coIn'
try people say, and | refuse to pull. adj
NIT there may be color, but Only color
| then. for such a rule, where an aSpl'
rant is known on some other OCCASION
| TO have meditated bolt, and attempted
| to get a nomination from another source
but as to the people at large the edlct IS ty'
rannical: and as such denounce and defy
it. The Bill of Rights of Tirginia-or is it
old fogysh to quote such antiquities ?-says
that mo free Government or the blessings
of liberty can be preserved to any people
but by firm adherence to justice, modera-
| ton, fr1gality, temperance, ana virtue; anu
| by a frequent recurrence to fundamental
principles" The new lights say: "Neyer
mind that do you obey the orders Of con-
ventiou, possibly packed oEe." say,
suppose the convention offers me man IN
| fairly chosen, or one whom [ know, or be-
| leye on information, to he on whatever
| ground unworthy OF the place: shall l fol-
low the advice OF George Mason, or take
upon me the yoke Of the convention! Shall
I vote for a man who does not set The people
the example of the qualities they are re-
uuircd to cultivate, or shall with "a 1lrln
adherence" to my convictions OF duty dccllne
TO have such man forced on me- IL VIII not
do, Messr>. Editors, to say the case Is not sup
posubIc. You will not say so because you kno"
il as Aupposablc. | do not Fay that there Is or
is not such case IN the district; say no.
thing on that head; but | say that in these
times any day may develop facts not pre-
yior>Iy known, or known to but few, ID re-
gard 10 a man. which will show his unfit
ness. | will not knowingly support such 4
man. will not bea party to The disgrace
and disaster his election implies. And to
attempt to class me Is 4 Rldlc:I Tor SucA re-
fusal, and TO mold me responsible for the de-
feat of the obnoxious Conservative. Is OF the
very essence of tyranny. ALd more: II II
be not the blind folly Of party spirit, 1t Is an
effort to tx oil me the sin of those who sho"
their contempt tor the "yirtuc and lnteli-
gcnce' of the people.
Does any one say it is mE diltT 10 expose
sucn an OneI Then the rule leads 20 vio-
lcuce and litigation; for 1t binds me 10 eE'
pose ut my personal risk every candidate
whose vices disqMlify him for popular ser
vice. Oae Of these fundamental princl-
pIcs" to which the Bill OF Rights refers
is the right of personal security. What
becomes of it when man has TO
attend a convention or an election with
his life in his hand, or pistol in his
pocket. No: tyranny is tyranny; and as
such defy III edict which would bully the
people into a vote they may think they
ought net to give; or brand them as radicals
because they prefer purity and integrity to
the election OF a man who may sell them
and his country the very first opportunity.
What then: You break up all party disci-
pline, they say. Not at all. There are men
Nominate such men fairly, or take the risk.
[ am not an attendant on conventions; DO
not mean to worry and tangle with the ina
chinery of primary elections; shall stay at
home and attend to my business, and let the
politicians make the nominations. If they
want good man they can get him without
me: if they want bad one they will have
him in spite of me. But they can't elect
him without me. And right there is the
point. If the people are honest, firm, and
true, they can control all the politicians
by the best popular curb that has
ever been devised-the popular veto.
When the managers know or suspect
that that will be experienced, they will
be more cautious than they are now in at
tempting to carry men over the heads of the
people, and they will have learned lesson
which will teach them not TO attempt either
to out manGuvre or to intimidate their
equals, whom it is their business to convince
and persuade. CHESTERFIELD.
Our correspondent is prominent gentle
| man, and is entitled to a hearing. 1t i;
worth while to listen to him, even if we dc
not agree with him.
From Cumberland County.
| Editors DiSpdtch,-The wheat crop in thi:
| county is much shorter than was expected
| I,ka tc In oil h,tt 10 n