The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-10-28
U. S. Senator.


Prominent among those who have Been rner-
toned as candidates to succeed Hon. J.W. john
ston i'll the U. S. Senate from Virginia, is Mr..
John Goode, Jr., of Norfolk. He is the favor
lite among q large number Of the untamed Fot-
spurs OF Eastern Virginia, and regarded os a fit
representative of the Conservative party of the
Commonwealth. Mr.. Goode is a person we
have never seen. We have, however, heard
much of him, and read some few CT his high
sounding speeches delivered on gala days, and
ornamented with the gilt-edge flash of the
sophomore statesman. We hive never encoun-
tered an elevated idea in connection with his
name or sayings, and therefore must confess to
u prejudice against his pretensons to Senatori-
al honors.
Apart from the evident superficalty of Mr..
Goodies intellections, there is one fact in his
history, that arrays against him the sympathy Of
all fair minded men, whether of the Conserva-
tive oil Republican party, and repulse his aspi-
rations as an insult to the intelligence of the
State.
! One year ago Mr.. Goode was a candidate for
Congress against Hon. J. II. Platt, in the Nor
folk district. He was fairly defeated by the
popular vote, but by the manipulation of the
ballot-boXes, the nformality of returns, and
systematic cheating in general was awarded,
by the Board of State canvassers. the certificate
OF election. Mr.. Goode knows as well as he
knows that he has an existence, that if he takes
his seat in Congress, it will be against the ex-
pressed will of the people Of his district-he
knows that he will, by so doing, be abetting
and aiding in fraud-that he will be compoun-
ding with ballet-box suffers and political BUM
mers. He knows MS well as he is acquainted
with any known fact, that James Fl. Platt is
entitled to the seat, Mr.. Goode will claim, and
that if he accepts the salary attached to the
position he will thus wrongfully assume, it will
be in violation of law and public morality.
! The question will then come up, should he
take his seat in Congress, will the Conservative
party of Virginia render him its support for
| the u S. Senate, and by such action endorse
the outrage that has been committed in his
election certificate, upon the fairly expressed
will of the people he will presume torepresent?
1t is true, the history of that party in Virginia
is not such as to warrant us in coming to any
other conclusion than that he will be Its favorite
When we remember the stealing and breaking
of ballot-boXes, and destruction of ballots in
the Mayoralty election in Richmond, some
years ago, by which a good conservative was
sworn in office whom the people had declared at
the ballot-boX was not their choice-when we
remember the frauds, and violence, that wres-
ted from the people the control of Petersburg,
and invested it with Conservative bummers
when we consider the nomination and election
of Congressman in the Richmond District, and
the more recent display OF political morality in
the selection of candidate for State Senate
in Richmond city-when these things are
brought to mind we confess that the election of
Mr. Goode, to the U. S. Senate, will not sur
prise us.
While we do not regard Senator Johnston as
an eminent statesman, we think the common
verdict of the people of the State will accord
him integrity and honesty, and far beyond the
reach of corrupt entanglements such as those
towhch Mr.. Goode will owe his seat in Congress.
It would be far better for the fair fame of the
Old Commonwealth that the people should re-
tain Mr.. Johnston in the position he occupies,
than that they should stultify themselves by
the election of Goode, who will hold his seat
in the Lower House by a series of as unblush-
ing frauds as ever disgraced the political annals
of Gothom in the Hush and glory OF Twee1ism.