Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-09-01
THE CONGRESSIONAL PRIMARIES.

THE PRIMARIES IN sTAUNTON AND TIKI
COUNTY-THE NEWS FROM ELSEWHERE
ACTIVITY OF THE CANDIDATES
FRIENDs-JOHN T. IN THE SADDLE
COLLAPSE IN THE SECOND WARD--HAR-
RIs SECURES A MAJORITY IN THE CON-
vENTIoN ON THE FIRST BALLOT,
&C., Sc &c.
The past week has been quite All exciting
one in Augusta county politics. ! Mon
day morning the enthusiasm Of the friends
of the candidates was fully aroused, and
when the voters from Beverley Manor COM
menced arriving in Staunton. their voting
place, Saturday morning, everything was
at white heat. Wagons had been kept
busy all through the country to carry vo-
tiers to the primary precincts, and on every
road in the county one could see vehicle
laden with jolly and noisy crowd of tie
soyereigns on their way to exercise their
high party privilege. Hon. John T. Harris
had been to Staunton, and had consulta-
tious with his friends and received assur-
ance that he had dead sure thing of it
here, with regard to both wards, and had
engaged men to work for him. Captain
Bumg ardner had been IN town all week,
but on the morning Of the primary had un-
luckily left for Waynesboro, to which alb
sence may be attributed the loss of Beverly
Manor district, as his personal presence
among the voters would in all probability
have secured it. Thursday night Judge
Harris had been again among his friends
on his way from Bath, where he had
achieved a victory, getting the delegate on.
His news was so encouraging and so strong
the impression made on the big Drum Ma
jor's mind, that he Immediately promised
the judge to carry every township in the
district and some in Dinwiddie and South
ampton, for him.
FIRST GUN.
The first district heard from was Bever-
ley Manor, whose voters met in the Court
House, at O'Clock. For hours before the
meeting the canvassing was busy as a bee
hive. Canvassers on both sides were en-
gagged, not only persuading the voters, but
changing voters who had already promised
their suffrages Just before the meeting,
one of the prominent Harris men showed
resolution that he proposed to offer, in
structing whatever delegates were chosen
to vote for Bumgardner as long as there
was a chance, and then to vote for Harris
This proposition was for many and various
reasons positively rejected by the friends
Of the, little Augusta game cock, and was
then torn up by the proposer. The meet
ing was very full, containing 200 voters,
IL JnJ 10,
with white persons from Staunton, and
the other with negroes. Col. NJ. G.. Har-
man presided, and the candidates were
VIM. A. Burnett and Meade F. White, for
the opposition delegates, and VIM. II. Pey-
ton and E. G: Fulcher, for the Harris dele
gates. The vote was taken by division, in
stead of ballot, and resulted in 100 for
Harris, and SO for the opposition. The re-
suit was greeted with loud applause by the
negroes in the gallery, and mQdrate de-
gree Of cheering by the Conservative SUP
porters of Mr.. Harris. Messrs. Jno. N.
Opie and Chas. Palmer were chosen al
ternates.
THE DEUCE TO PAY.
The friends of Judge Harris in Staun-
ton received the news of the Beverly Man
or meeting as a sure precursor of victory
and were jubilant. The Second Ward they
had counted sure but their hopes now
encompassed the First Ward too. At 5
o'clock everybody came to the front and
both primaries were unusually large. In
the second Ward at the Market House the
boys stood by quietly and let Mr.. Charles
Grattan. Chairman and Mr.. W. Ii. FL.
Lynn, Secretary, both pronounced Harris
men be elected and then the vote was ia
ken by division. DR.. A. M. Fauntleroy
and Capt. A. FL. FuItz were the opposition
candidates for delegates, Messrs. Arista
Hoge and Jos. FL. Earman the Harris del
egates. The word was given and the
crowd ran two to one over to the Fauntle-
roy side. The general impression made
among the Harris men was that the world
had come to an end. The Drum Majors
girth contracted twenty seven inches, at
one fell swoop and he stood looking at the
disaster in such a dazed sort of way that it
was thought DR.. Baldwin would have to
be sent for The Chairman and Secretary
ei If SO soon am done for,
I wonder what was begun for"
The vote stood ITO for the opposition to
SIS for Harris. Thos. Shumate and VIM.
A. Burke was chosen alternates.
In the first Ward Gen. Echols presided
and the vote was taken by ballot Hon
A. B. Cochran and r. W. Burke were the
opposition candidates and P. N. Powell
and Capt. Geo. G. Jackson the Harris can
didates, and the vote was liz for the oppo-
sition to 60 for Harris. Messrs. John
Echols and Thos. J. crowder were, chosen
Alternates.
THE OTHER PRECINTS.
At the Middlebrook (Riverheads) prima.
nv, the neighborhood in which Capt. Bum.
gardner was reared, the opposition carried
it by 100 to 40, electing w. F. Smith and
A. A. Sproul delegates and John ID. Lllley
and Preston B. Hogshead alternates. The
Bumgardner boys put up flag at Greenville
to mark the result of this work.
At Churchville, (Pastures) the oppos-
ton carried it by 56 to 80, eiecting A. B.
Lightner and E. Vincent delegates.
At Mt. Scion, North River) the Harris
men carried it by So to 10, electing Samuel
A. East and James A. Hamrick delegates
and VIM. Hiser and W. G. Hedrick alter
mates.
At Waynesboro, South River) the Har
ris men carried it by 81 to "A, electing c
Benton Koiner and VIM. M. Bush dele
gates and Ed. M. Brown and John Ballard
Smith alternates.
At New Hope Middle River the Har
ris men carried it by S6 to SO, electing Jno
II. Crawford and VIM. Patterson dele
gates, and David Beard and Thos. Burke