The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-12-30
Court Day Public Speaking Hon. A. H H.
Stuart and Capt Jno N. 0pie, Candidates
for the Legislature.

for the Legislature.
We announced last week that Hon. A. FL.
II. Stuart would address the people of Au-
gusta on Monday, the 9th, Court-day. In con
sequence of the pressure of business i'll the
Court, Judge Hendren found it not consistent
with his official duty to adjourn proceedings
to allow the people to use the Court House.
The necessity was thus forced upon Mr.. Stuart,
in order to redeem his promise to the public, of
addressing them from the steps of the Court
House. A large number of the citizens OF the
county had assembled to hear what he had to
say, and for over an hour he commanded the
earnest attention of his hearers. We give be-
low synopsis Of his remarks, and, also, the
substance, III the main, Of what Capt. Jno. N.
Opie had to say:
MIR. sTUART's REMARKS.
Mr.. Stuart said he appeared before the peo-
pie to discharge a duty which he ought to have
performed six months ago. Before the war it
was the custom for every representative at the
close of his term, to appear before the constit-
uent body, to give an account of his steward
ship. But since the war it has not been OBJ
served. He had felt last spring, that It was
his duty to explain to the people what he had
done in his representative capacity, but had
been restrained from doing SO by the apparent
apathy of the peoplein regard to public affairs.
| He thought the custom was founded ia wisdom
and he hoped the people, in future, would re-
quire it to. be adhered to- 1t was due to the
people to heas from the lips Of their representa-
| tives what tffefr course had been, and it was
Just to the representative that he should have
opportunity Of explaining his conduct, so as to
prevent Misrepresentation and nlisunderstand-
| ing. Discussion is tile best means Of diffusing
correct information among the people, and Of
enablin@ them to judge of the capacity and con-
duct of their public servants.
! After adverting to his disappointment in not
getting the use Of the Court House, Mr.. S. said
| l.e could not undertake, under the circumstan-
ces OF discomfort, both to himself and his audi
ence, by Which he was surrounded, to make
such a speech us he had intended to make if
they had been comfortably seated in the G. FL.
He would content himself with CHANGING at some
Of the more prominent subjects which were be-
| fore the last legislature,
| But before doing so it might be proper to ad-
vert to some other facts which were necessary
| to right understanding of his course.
| He said that more than 30 years had elapsed
since he was called by the people of Augusta
| to represent them. He had served them for
| three years--olle as the colleague of Gen. Ken
ton Harper and two years as the colleague Of
VIM. Kinney, Esq.
1t was difficult for the people of the present
day, in the full fruiton of the benefits Of rail-
roads, turnpikes. &C., to understand the condi-
ton of things that then existed. Stanton was
then sleepy village Of 2000 inhabitants, with
out trade or activity. All the agricultural pro-
duets Of the county were wagoned to Rich
r1ond orScottsville. It took a fortnight to make
the trip to Richmond and back, and five days
to and from Scottsville. The exposure ilciaen-
tai to these trips was often fatal to tie health
and morals al the young.
lie mentioned his own experience in going
to the Legislature in the stage. 1t was flti-
sung journey Of three days attended with
cost Of sl7.
lie stated that he and his colleagues were
charged at that early day with the duty Of try,
ing to do something TO increase the facilities OF
getting to market and promote the interests of
the county. They had / bored hard to get a
railroad, but could not succeed, but they were
Fortunate enough to obtain large appropriations
for the Valley Turnpike to Winchester and
s259. 900 for the construction of the Statnton
and Parkersburg road They also obtained APP
NJ opriations of about $4,000 to enlarge and
remodel the Isunatic Hospital and the enact
.meut Of a law establishing the d. D. & B. In
stitution at stanton with a large approEria-
ton to commence the buildings. These inn
provements ;tgfa the, large expenditures Of pub 4
lie Money I'D al YnportssilJ impetus TO the
prosperity OF ST unfotl anu proved OF vast ad
vantage to the county.
Mr.. Stuart then adyerted to his election to
Coneless, and subseqnentappointme by that
great and good nian, President FILLMORE, as
oife-f his constitutional RI
became the asseciaee 81 NJ bster, Everett, Cor
win, Crttenden, Graham and others. lie said
he had endeavored to discharge his duty as
head of the Department of the I;.teror faith
fully. In looking over his official action in the
Cabinet, he could recall but one act which any
one could deem Of q questionable character,
and that was that he had reposed full faith and
trlst i'm the honor and faith of Virginia Re-
cent events, ana the conduct of some of our
public men rendered it doubtful whether he
was ri~ht in doing so. His apology was in the
fact that he had been educated in the belief
that the name Of Virginia was the synonym of
everything chat was lefty in patriotism and no
BILE and upright in action. and hence he might
have been over-confdent in the honesty Of her
people.
The circumstance were these: About 1872
Virginia was engaged in the noble work Of e
1ectino the magnificent equestrian statue to
Washino ton and his compatriOts, which now
adorns the capital grounds at Richmond. Sac
was also engaged in q system Of internal inn
movements, including the extension OF our
railroad which had then been built as far as
charlottesville 70 effect these objects she
needed money andyas there happened to be
$500. 900 of Indian Annuity funds on hand, in
the Interior Department for Investment, dl-
rected il to be loaned to the State OF Virginia.
Every dollar Of that sum was paid over to Vir-
oinia. and | took her bonds for it. That debt
IS still unpaid 1t belongs to the poor indians,
and vet there are men calling themselves Viz
einians, who wonld cheat the poor Indians out
of it, by regulating the bonds
MIR, Stuart referred to these facts to show that
he was somewhat instrumental in contracting
some of the public debt, and therefore felt more
than ordinary soicita,tle about its payment.
The speaker thenreferred to. his election to-
the last Legislature aud the feeling Of gloom
and despondoncy which prevailed among menu
beers, and over the whole State. in regard to the
public debt. Many were ready to surrenderin
despair, but after 9tisne better feeling began
to prevail. He was placed at the head OF the
Finance Committees and it became his duty to
devise some measures OF relief. He knew that the
agricultural community and hehlers of real es-
tate could bear no s.ssrestax sis object, there
fore, was to raise TIE monies that were abso-
lutely necessary from other sources. The Com
mttee thought Injuries like whiskey and to-
bacco should be taxed-that the tax Oh mer-
chants should be re-aTranged SOFAS to make it
uniform, and that rAfsroad, turnpike, telegraph.
express. transportation and stage companies
should bear their share of the burthen.
He then explained that the tax for retailing
tobacco was liked atS5; proper taxes were inn
nosed on the enumerated companies and two