Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-11-05
;MtAe Mat4httatat.
FRIDAY MORNING, NOV. 5, 1875.

FRIDAY MORNING. NOV. 5, 1875.
From all the information that I can
gather I think very large vote will be
cast for Hon. A. FL. III. Stuart, and MANY
seem very sanguine of his election. Ii
should be remembered, however, that this
is done through ma instrumentality of this
heightened and honorable gentleman. but
in the face OF his earnest protest to the con-
trary, which was recently published in all
the papers of this city. The people Of the
county seem determined to elect him
whether he will serve them OF not.
The true friends of Mr.. Stuart are san
guine that even ifeelected he will refuse to
serve.-Stdnmton Letter IN Richmond Dis
patch.
The above appeared in the Richmond
Dispatch and is likely to convey an er
roneous impression about the means by
which one nominee of the Conservative
party Of Augusta was defeated by even so
small a majority as two votes. 1t was
caused by no Spontaneous uprising of
the people of the county for Mr.. Stuart, as
is shown from the fact that he only re-
ceived 594 votes outside of Staunton. w lille
Mr.. Opie, the nominee, received 665; but it
was accomplished by the desertion of Mai.
VIM. M. Tate, Chairman of the County
Committee, and his active efforts supple
mented by a Radical vote, which was
actively canvassed for in the interest of
Mr.. Stuart by prominent Radical politici-
ans and Stuart Conservatives too. When
this was going on Mr.. Stuart published
letter, in which, after a mention of his SER
vices, which might be conceded to his self
esteem, he said that not having received
the nomination he was not candidate.
But there he stopped and the canvass by
{ lis friends went on in and out of the news
papers SO actively that it could not have
escaped his sight:n it did his hearing. At
a sign from him at almost any time the
efforts of his Conservative friends could
have been put an end to , but no such sign
was given and the result has been that
enough votes were diverted from the regu-
lar ticket, with the aid of the Radical
votes, to elect him by tho majority. His
election is due to the vote of the colored
men, who were furnished with tickets and
distributed them among those Of their own
color. In the second ward of Staunton,
where the colored vote is largest, Mr..
Hanger, who was on both the regular and
s'oidH tickets, received only 1911 votes,
While Mr.. Stuart got 230, The cause of
his election was so patent that the ssValley
Virginian,'' which had seized upon a Con-
sentative (Mr.. Seawright) as its favorite
candidate; as the s'noblest Roman OF them
ALL and had made Il decided failure
of him, is unable to forego the triumph of
saying that tive have no personal gratif-
cation to express at the election OF defeat
of any one of the candidates, but, viewing
the II after fire m political standpoint, and
considering the Importance and controlling
part enacted by the Republicans, we have
every reason for Congratulations
And now to some agreeable con-
trasts to Mr.. Stuart's conduct. When
Major Koiner, whose name was defeated
before the Convention, found his friends
were running him on the old ticket lie
made personal efforts at the election to pre-
vent their voting for him. When Mr.. Jno.
N. Opie was defeated for the nomination a
year ago, by only four votes Ia less number
than Mr.. Stuart was defeated by, he ac-
cepted the situation, and aceat to soofk
for the nominees.
The lesson the Conservative party las to
learn from this election is that if they
would keep control in their own hands
they must turn out to support their nomi-
nees. When the final result was announc-
ed yesterday, there were an hundred men
III Staunton who had not voted, and who
would have voted for Opie, but it was too
late. The Radical vote is weak nsthe
county, but when the Conservatives are
too apathetic to turn out, and the vote is
small, it is not hard for them to ''enact the
controlling part