Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1874-10-26
lCOMMUNICATED.

THE APPROACHING CONTEST w hen a par
to has time proved usage as Il guide 10 success,
it is never safe to depart from wcil-ess;b>hed
custom to pursue an indefinite Course which
has not the advantage Of the principles I'll con-
s!stcnay to save it from either decentralization
or defeat. ! he voters of this District have be-
fore them, two candidates for Congress-, viz
Eppa lluuton, and his opponent, the accepted
candidate of the Republican party. Gcbera!
Hutton wa, the unaulrEous choice oil the CON-
reption, which assembled 10 Alexandria, Tor
the purpose Of selecting candidate Tor the
Conservative party, to represent It's prluc ana
dignity iu the next House OF Representatives.
| presume ne representative ever before re-
crivcd Il more mcrltCd aud spontaneous re-
nominations aud | suppose no recipient of such
an endorsement ever made 81 little effort IN his
own behalf to bring abou such result His
nomination was the candid expression OF the
sincere feeling OF the members OF the conrcn-
ton for the candidate OF their confidence and
admiration, and 30 strong was this icelln@ that
tie ,,r ,babi IT. is that no man Iii The District
could have beaten him before the Convention.
The rulnur of the opposition TO his rc-n0mlna-
ton, but Increased the ardor OF Interest III his
favor; aud after the Convention re assembled
IN the evening of the same day Of It's organlza
lion, Il motion was Immediately made to uouli-
nae him by acclamation and without opposition,
il was unanimously carried The frieuds Ut his
opponent had seats in this convention as they
had in the convection Of two years before, but
they were not In this Instance near So numcr-
Gus or Influential. The ouy circumstance that
prevented Gen. Uuntons present opponent
from getting the nomination OF the COnocrVa-
tive Convention for Congress. was SIMPLY be-
cause he Ill! not g votes enough To produce
such result He has made, what he ianclcs
bad treatment, an excuse Tor placing his name
In opposition to the nominee OF the regular
Conservative party, and bases his chance tor
term in Congress on the sole expectation OF
getting the ucgro vote with enough Of dsaii3ct-
ed Conservatives to give him majority in the
approachiny contest. Thu, Mr.. llunton's opro-
uent has placed himself outside oil the party 10
the convcnton Of which. had he received the
| nomination, lie would have felt himself eutltlcd
to every Conservative vote OF the District. 1t
was not the personal action Of Alr. Huntou that
gave him tic nomination. but the action OF the
Conservative Convention; but 1t was the per.
soual action OF lis opponent that placed hun
in antaguuism TO. his party aud It's usage. he
has not only arraycl himself in coutunaclOns
aud partizau opposition to the CUSTOMS Of the
party Will which he has acted since the war,
but in personal opposition to Mr.. Huuton, and
| is therefore. not doing as he would wish to be
done BY But Gen. Hunton's opponents cleo,
ton is urged on the plea Of influence with the
administration Virginia needs Influence with
the great Conservative party Of the North aud
Northwest, and not with the administration OF
the Black Republican party Ii Influence with
the present administration is our aim, let Us all
reluuish principles and save all contest By turn,
ing at once black republicans But this is not
what the people Of this District either need or
want. They need Il man to unite his efforts
with the Democrats Of the North in order to
break down black republican power and ~
hueucc for evil, thereby giving them back their
ancient feelings OF pride and security. j,