Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-04-21

PARTY FOR The CAMfAlGN L AlI0h
MEETING --DIvERsITY OF OPINION
SPEECH BY COL. JAMES II. SKINNER
CENTRAL COMMITTEE APPOINTED.
&C., &C., sc.
One of the largest Conservative meetings
that has assembled for consultation in
Staunton, met in the Court House Saturday
afternoon. The body of the Court room
was full and there were many whites in the
gallery. Mr. VIM. A. Burke, Superinten-
dent of the I'd Ward, who with Gen. Echols
Superintendent of the LIST Ward, had is
sued call for the meeting, explained it's
object to decide whether the party should
run party ticket or not at the municipal
election, and called Mr.. Chas. Grattan to
the chair. Mr.. Grattan on assuming the du-
ties of Chairman said the meeting would
decide, first whether party ticket should
be run. and, in that event whether a tick
ct should be nominated by primary elec::
ton or convention.
Mr.. VIM J. Nelson said there were diff
ferent opinions as to the expediency OF
running party ticket, and offered the
following resolutions;
"Resolved, AS the sense of this meeting,
that it is unnecessary and lneXpedlenC Ior
the Conservative party in the city OF
Staunton to hold a convention or primary
election for the nomination Of candidates
for the offices to be filled at the coming
municipal eIection-therefore
s'Resolued, That this meeting do now ad-
journ sine de-"
These resolutions were seconded by
Capt. Geo. G.. Jackson.
Mr.. Ed. Echols then offered the follow
ing resolution as substitute for Mr.. Mel
sons:
ssResolved, That committee of ten
members of the Conservative party, five
from each Ward, be appointed, who shall
be the central committee OF the city OF
Stauntbn, and who shall take all necessa-
ny steps to promote the success of the Con-
sentative party in the approaching mum,
cipal election, and who shall be empowered
to provide for the holding of a primary
election in each Ward to enable the Con-
servatiye voters to select suitable ConSer-
yative candidates to be voted for to fill the
various city offices which are to be filled
at the said election
Col. M. G.. Hartman said that, as one
who had been Conservative superlnten-
dent of one Of the city wards, and feeling
very deep interest in the success Of the
party, he wished to say few words, even
though some of his friends might say he
didn't live here. Just on the eve of a
, Presidential election he thought a defeat
in the city would injure the party. A Con-
sentative Council had elected a Republi-
can Meyor and it was said that we could
not beat him and the attempt would re-
suit to our damage. He thought it i'm
portant not to be defeated in advance of
the Presidential election, there were some
Offices here worth $1,000 which the Demo
Gratis proposed to handle after the Presi-
Dental election. If we are defeated we
give ourselves a black eye without any
cause 1t was his deliberate judgment
that no party ticket could succeed at the
election. If, however, a nomination was
made he would not bolt it, He never boil
ted a nomination..
Mr.. W. A. Hudson offered the following
resolution
stResolued. That the municipal Offices Of
the city of Staunton should not be regar-
ded as political offices, and that party IS
sues should not be brought to bear upon
1.-THE election Of municipal officers. y
The.Chairman declined to entertain it
.on the ground that it was not gormain to
the question.
REMARKS OF COL. ]. II. SKINNER.
Col. James III. Skinner said that if the
Conservative party in the city of Staunton
could find no better advocate than himself;
if she was obliged to sue here. in her own
halls IN fornlG pdape9'as, unable to secure
counsel, he volunteered to offer his humble
services in her behalf. He had no other
interest in the mater than any other mem
Der Of the party. He had been appealed to
by number Of Conservative citizens to
become candidate for the position Of
Mayor and therefore felt it proper to dis
embarrass himself Of the supposition of in
terested motives by announcing that under
no possible circumstances could he consent
to be a candidate for that position or for
any position in the city government or
council. Nor could he see why persons in
the city council were now displaying such
ayidity to get themselves ra-eleeted to a
position that had no compensation attach
ed. AS for himself, he now performed, in
various positions, as much service for the
public as perhaps any other man in the
city and did not find such work so agrea-
BILE as to seek reelection to those posi-
tions.
He regarded it as
A MATTER OF THE LARGEST IMPORTANCE
that the City Council and all the Offices
of the city should be filled by the Con-
;servative taxpayers. Did any gentleman
here propose to inject Radical element
into the city government? Did any gentle
man here propose to put Radicals in the
City Council? Haven't the Conservatives
of Staunton enough intelligence to fill the
city Offices, and is it possible they haye to
look to Radicals for aid in filling themf
IF Conservatives ought to be chosen to
these offices, then by whom should they be
selected--by majority or minority of
the partyY Ought men to be elected who
are not the choice Of the majority, but are
the choice of the minority who expect aid
from elsewhere? What are the resources
of the city and what are the taxes2 If it
is proper to select representatives to the
Legislature from the county, with its over
whelming Conservative majority, by a
nominating convention, why is it improper
to select representative in the City Legis-
lature by primary election? Our city
taxes are heavier than our State taxes.
The former are $1.00 in the $4,000, while
the latter are only so cents in the $1O0--
the former just twice as large. Isn't it OF
the very largest Importance that the men
who handle our revenues and disburse our