Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-09-08

mics, so he said, that he might save his
friends. In 1872 he parallel bubble about
getting $50, O00, 900 from the Us. Govern
ment for Virginia to pay her
debt. Of course, nothing of the sort was
done, but he did the next thing to it; he
put his hand in the U. S. Treasury, took
out $4,000 salary grab, and put it in his
pocket Such a record was too offensive
to pursue (cries Of ''go on, ''give it to
him''), but enough, he thought, had been
told, TO show that John T. Harris was not
the man to be chosen us the representative
of the Conservative party of this district.
(Cheers.)
THE VOTE
The vote was then taken between John
7. Harris and Judge VIM. j. Robertson.
All the Augusta delegates, voted for Har-
ris excebt A. 3. Lightner, f. Vincent, w.
F.Smith, and A. A. Sproul. The Staun-
ton delegates voted for Robertson. The
total vote stood Harris 10310. Robertson
1895. The total Conservative vote of the
District is 1915. aud 1868. is a majority.
A Committee was then appointed to no.
tify Judge Harris Of his nomination, and
he very soon appeared in the court room.
SPEECH OF MIR. HARRIs-A MANTLE OF
OBLIVION WANTED.
Mr.. Harris said no language was ade-
quate to express his gratitude at the COM
pliment that had been paid to him. The
contest had not been a political one, for
then it would have been a contest of ideas,
it had been a contest personal to himself
which affected him, his wife and his chill
dren. They could not imagine his graft
tude that the people had endorsed his
course and his character. The convention
knew him, and no man could look him in
the face and say "John 7. Harris ever
wronged me.' It is in human nature to
differ and he might have differed with
some OF those before him, but if he did, it
was because he loved country more than
himself. He had not heard the proceed
ings OF the convention, but If any man had
;tspersed him he now drew over it the man
tie Of oblivion. Il any man had done it he
would say to him as Uncle Tooy said to
he fly, go poor devil; there is room
nough in the world for thee and me-
lUproarious applause.)
A yoice.-How about your name being
IN the Wells ticket?
| Judge Harris-You better retire my
| riend or talk about something else! Gen.
| iemen did not know what you were do
| lng in the convention, but I heard that they
oil y, tI,o
! [ had beaten the Robertson horse q to one
| Great applause.)
A voice-How about your name being
ON the Wells ticket
Cries OF 'sPut him out"
Judge Harris.-Let MIN alone ! People
well raised don't talk that way. This has
been contest between the people on ont
side and the politicians on the other an(
the people have won it. They say Harris il
an electioneerer,' but never set my foot il
Augusta, Goochland, OF Highland to speal
until after the election Of the delegates by
| the primary meetings. The politicians hav
made many attacks On me but Pm like thu
man skinning the cells, if they can stand i
I can. Great laughter and applause.) Il
| has been objected in the papers that
| couldn't unite the Democratic party in the
| district at the Presidential election. Yol
| will find that every Harris man is Til
| den and Hendricks man, and now, if al
/ the dissatisfied men are Tilden and Hen
bricks men and will vote the ticket yol
will find the party united. There is in the
4! INDICATOR a statement about nv telling
| the editor Of the Enquirer in the cloal
| room Of the House that I intended tx
withdraw from public life and not run this
| time, which is about as near the truth as
| anything have seen in that paper for foul
weeks back, Qaughter.) l thought would
retire and wrote card foy: publication in
the papers so stating and sent it to my son
to be published, but heard of this move
ment against me and telegraphed my wife
to suppress it. Mr.. Harris here read a
letter to his son enclosing card to his son
for publication which he said he had mailed
him on the 18th of June and which he sup
pressed by telegraph on hearing of the
movement mi the district against him. There
was no movement to oppose his re-nomi-
nation until the 9th Of July when confer
ence of some gentlemen was held in Char
lottesvile with view to getting another
representative. Mr.. Harris should have
dated his letter up or, better yet, he should
have dated it back, for it was well under
stood at the State Conservative Conven-
ton in Richmond, May 30th, that he was a
candidate for denomination in his district |
If they had only waited a few days you see,
I would have given them clear track.
daughter and applause.)
MIR. Harris concluded with an appeal to
the party to support Tilden and Hendricks
and the convention adjourned, sine die,
lsritll tGthron ohoo,.r foA IInr,,it, u