The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-02-03
Explained.

"Hot MI. iopcHkcf Atrr uiStFiDulcu Tic
ll'nors of che Chairmansliips of the various
Committees, and apportioncd tie bulk Of them
to the South and West, giving the South the
lions share, it caused comment and sugges-
ton. 1t was even intimatcd that the Speaker
was laying out a eampaiy IN in his own behalf,
as q candidate beforc the national Democratic
Convention for Presidential honors; and there
was general concurrence in the opinion that at
least a Western man was to have the help oil
the powerful leverage OF a Speakership in the
contest for that nomination. Mr. Kerr, in a
recent letter to Mr.. J. II. Reall, of Philacel-
phia, explains the whole matter. Governor
Hendricks, of Indiana, is the favored gentle
man, as will be seen from the following ex-
tract from Speaker Kerr's letter. After mod
estly referring to the pleasure it afforded him
Of reading an article presenting his own name
for the Democratic Presidential nomination,
he says:
"Isut have only time now to thank you
for your very kind reference to me In that ar
ticle, and say that 1t is not my desire in any
degree whatever that my name shall be used
in connection with the National ticket OF this
year. The Indiana Democracy will present to
our next National Convention another OF her
sons as candidate for the Presdency-Gov-
ernor Hendricks, in whose advocacy for that
high place will stand with them in hearty CO.
operation. Ny Judgment is that our friends
this year cannot do better. il so well, than to
nominate Governor Hendricks"
1t is plain from this explanation that the pres
ent organization of the Democratic party is to
be used to promote the nomination of Uend-
ricks, and this explains the designation of A
number of the Chairmcn Of Committees. 1t is
a well known fact in Virginia that Mr.. Randall
was the favorite with several of the Congress
men from this State for the speakership, and
that his views OH the currency question were
more in concurrence with those OF the leadin Q
Virgiana politicians of the Democratic faith
Yet they voted for Kerr. 1t was part OF the
programme that Kerr should have the manage
ment of the campaign for Hendricks, and the
essential step to make his services efficient was
to promote him to the speakership. So we may
reasonably consider that Hendricks will 90 into
the Democratic National Convention vita the
support of the West and South, sufficient to
secure his nomination but for the intervention
Of the two-thirds rule. Whether he can attract
to him from the Middle and Eastern States
enough odds and ends to constitute the
necessary two-thrds is the point. The lines
have been pretty well drawn between the
Southern and Western, and the Eastern par
ties of the Unien.
The letter-of Mr.. Kerr did explain why it
was that Randall was sacrificed by his South
ern admirers on account Of his brilliant NANCY
ering in the last Congress, and why it was
that Cox and Woods were thrust aside for a
Western man as Chairman of the Committee on
Ways and Means. Hendricks did it all, and for
this reason Mr.. Hendricks will be remembered
ia the National Convention by these gentle
men and their friends.
As Mr. Hendricks is now brought forward as
the man for the Democratic nomination for
President, we append an extract from an
article in the Chicago Tribune, to show
what manner of politician he is, in relation to
great public questions:
':Hendricks has no fixed opinions for the pub
lie ear. When he is with Union men his opin-
ions are Union; when he is with Confederates
he is as good Il Confetl. as any other fire eater.
When he is with hard-money men he is in favor
OF honesG money! Wlleh ne IS WIFI fag-nohey
men he fondles the rag baby. Which of the two
he is really in favor OF no one can say. for the
reason that he has not courage enough himself
to tell. lie trims himself to every passing
breeze. He absorbs other people 5 opinions like
sponge, and he floats with the popular current
that seems to him to be the strongest. Ifthese
be qualifications for the Presidency from the
Democratic Confederate standpoint, then Gov
crnor Hendricks is the most available maa the
CONTEMPORARIES can select. lie entirely fills the
bill, and he can straddle the distance between
the two wings of the Democratic Confederate
par y, if it were as far us from heaven to earth"