The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-04-20
THE IMMAcuLATEs

IdE IMMACuAAANA
CONCLAvE OF THE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
FARCE IN ONE ACT-THE CONSERVATIVE
MAaNATEs AGAIN DEFY THE PEOPLE
PARTING THE SHEEP AND GOA1s-AN EN-
| TIRElY NEW AND ORIGINAL INVENTION
] GOTTEN UP FOR THE OCCASIONAL HRIMA'
i RY ELECTION DETERMINED UPON ETC,
| ETC. ETC, ETC.
For two weeks Fast there has been card
published in both the Spectator and Flndica
tor, signed by Gen. John Echos and W. A.
i Burke, calling upon the Conservative voters OF
the city of Staunton. to meet in the Court
/ House on Saturday evening at five O'Clock.
The rlaIntve appeals Of the Fsndicator through
its columns, and by large hand-bills and cir
cuIars, posted and scattered broadcast over
the city. together with the card above refer
red to, all of which promised a free show and
no little fun, succeeded in drawing together
about two hundred and twenty-five persons.
in need of Il little Saturday evening diversion.
One half of the voters at the meeting had been
! drawn thitlier by idle curiosity, while the oth-
cr half came with their various axes and
hatchets to grind.
ORGANIZATION.
Mr.. W. A. Burke called the meeting to Or
der, and upon his motion Mr.. Charles Grattan
took the chair, with the Conservative editors
present as Secretaries. Mr.. Grattan explain
ed that the object of the meeting was to de-
termne whether or not q primary election for
| 10,
so determined, to appoint the necessary COM
mittees.
MR. NELSON offered a resolution declaring
TT ineXpedent and unnecessary for the Con-
SENTATIVE party to make nominations for the
approaching election, and moved that the
meeting adjourn sine de- Seconded by Mr..
G, C. jackson.
MR.. EDWARD ECHOLS
offorod substitute to Mr. Nelson's resolution.
approving the primary election, and providing
for the appointment Of committee OF ten,
five from each ward, whose duty it should be
to call a meeting for the purpose of nomlna-
ting Conservative ticket.
COL. NJ. g. HARTMAN.
in support of Mr.. Nelson's resolution, said
that it was plain to every ore who had taken
the trouble to consult the sentiment Of the
voters Of the city. that 20 successful opposition
could be made to the present mayor. Whilst
he, himself, yielded to no one III deviation to
the interests Of his party. and had never cast a
vote against it,stll he regarded it as ali accom-
plshed fact that the people would return the
present incumbent to the mayoralty, and fully
recognizing This condition Of affairs, he thought
that the conservatives would do themselves
great injustice did they attempt to draw the
line, and then be defeated, 1t would demon
alize and disintegrate the party. ard rendcrt in
cffectual for the national contest. There was
no occasion for the introduction of politics into
the municipal election, audit was certainly in
expetlient, in view of the fact that success
full party organization could te made.
Mr.. Nelson said that he had talked with
great many voters in the last few days, and
from what he could learn, felt confident that
it would be useless to attempt to organize the
party with any hope Of success.
Mr.. Hudson then offered a resolution, that
the city offices be declared noil-poltical 1t
fell stillborn as the chair refused to entertain
it. for the reason that he did rot deem it ger
main to the question, and called for the vote
OH Mr.. Echols' substitute. In so doing lis
speakership launched into practice, an entirely
NEW AND ORIGINAL
addition to parliamentary law. which, for the
beauty of lbs design, aud its neral applicable
ty, deserves to be embodied in the next edition
of the 'sYoung d. batcr,'' or some other equally
Instructive work, and lavshly disseminated
throughout all well regulated country debating
societies, as the sine qua non of voting eX-
ccllel:ce. Tlle process was at once unique and
significant, and consisted of discharging the
sovcreigns who happened to agree with the
chair, by. the right door Of the Court House,
whilst those opposed, were told to depart from
it by the left. At zach door two tellers were
to stand, whose duty it should be to tally the
elected ones, and pronounce proper sentence
against those WHO should fall under his majes-
nifty was granted for the exercise of this bene-
fcent measure, and while the chair was yet
smiling at the prospective revolution which its
universal adoption would create in all legis-
htivc bodies,
COL ]. H. SKINNER
took the floor. He said that since the Con-
servatiye party seemed to have no champion
in the house, he would volunteer as its coln-
sel,and in doing so,he expected no fec or reward.
He had been applied to On various occasions to
allow his name to be used in connection with
the mayoralty, but had uniformly refused.
Neither was he an aspirant for the position OF
councilman, nor would he accept it if rendered
him. He didn't see why any man would want
the position, but lie regarded it as matter of
vital Importance that every municipal office
should be filed bya Conservative. 1t wasn't
necessary for the party to go outside OF its
ranks for suitable men. The Conservatives
pay, maybe, nneteen-twenteths Of the taxes,
and they should administer the affairs Of the
city. The town had been ground down with
taxes, and we are now paying Sl.00 OH the
SlC0 city tax, and only 50 cents on the 500
State tax. The opportunity to properly fill these
offices occurs only once in two years now,
thanks to tie council that had the charter
amended SO as to make the elections biennial.
a voice.-It wasn't the present council that
hDtl tho charter. On nn,nntlel