The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-07
GARDEN SEEDS AND SEEDS OF D1scoRD.

THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINATING CONVENTION
THE SMALL BUBBLES PUNCTURED-THE
PROGRAMME CARRIED OUT AND THE DE-
MONUMENT TRAGIC-H ARRIS AHEAD
THE WIRES sNAPPED-DIS COM Future
AMONG THE FAITHFUL-THEY REFUSE TO
MAKE THE NOMINATION UNANIMOUS.
Friday last was the day appointed for the
convention to meet in Staunton for the plr-
pose Of nominating Democratic candidate for
Congress, in this, the It'll Congressional Dis
trict. The majority of the delegates arrived
on Thursday evening, accompanied by the usl-
al number of lookers-on, manipulators and
bummers. On Thursday night the band sere-
naded at the hotels and speeches were made
by B. johnson Barbour and Others.
Friday morning little caucusses could be
seen assembled on the various corners. These
were composed of antiHarris men, who were
endeavoring to coacoct some plan by which
the great Acknowledgment should be re-
tired to the shades Of private life, and ''any
other man to beat Harris,n cnsconsed in his
political shoes. There were large rings and
small rings, rings within rings, and rings sur
rounding rings, rings OF sounding brass, and
rings rs noiseless rs the widening circles calls-
ed by the pebble fall. Combination, clique and
faction, quarter horse, cnrb-stoner, and tom
tit, clasped hands in fond fraternity, and uni
ting OH the old platform Of antagonism to the
wishes OF the people, and subscrviency to their
own petty sptes and the interests Of a few sore
head politicians, prepared to defy the ex-
.n1 Lar wis ME W foir
or foul, the defeat of the man whom the rep
rescntatves of over two-thirds of the voters of
the district, had been instructed to support.
When y O'Clock, the hour for meeting, had
arrived, the Court House was jammed to its
capacity. r. W. T. Duke, of Albemarle. as
Chairman of the Executive Committee, called
the meeting, and Immediately Jno. d. Penny
hacker, of Rockingham jumped to his feet and
placed in nomination for Temporary chairman,
the namc Of r. W. Burke, OF Staunton, and was
proceeding to deliver an appropriate eulogy
upon the parliamentary talents OF that pom
derous politician, when z. B. Borst, of Page,
interrupted by nominating Judge Leake,
of Goochland, for the position. This Mr.. Pen
nybaker considered an unwarrantable breach
of dccorum, and had again thrown himself in
to classic attitude for the purpose Of giving
vent to his outraged feelings, when cries of
question: question: 'Pennybacker!' ''Pen-
nybacker!'' cut short his rounded periods and
threw the delberative body into chaos of
confusion. In vain did Col. Duke shout ''or-
der % ''order!'' vain his appeals to 'sDemo-
Gratis" ''Virgina GeEtlemen," and all tie pet
names known to the vocabulary, for fierce and
fiercer grew the contending factions and loud
and louder came the opposing cries, while Pen
nybacker CRASHED his teeth and howled, then
jumped upon the railing of the bar,and clcnch-
ed his fists and shouts Of loud defiance poured
on those around him.
ellis brow was bent-his eyes were glazed
He raised his arm and fercely raised:
And sternly shook his hand on high
but his furious denunciation was lost in the
wild tumult, and order was only restored from
sheer exhaustion. 1t was then that the ques-
ton was put, which resulted in the election of
Lcake by vote of 0.445 to 4,G36.
On taking the chair Judge Leake made brief
address in which he endeavored to forestall the
TRADE of abuse Which he knew would be heap
ed upon Harris, by counseling harmony and
warning the members of the convention against
the impolicy of ventilating the candidates for
the nomination, as their utteranccs might be
used against the party in the approaching con-
test.
The committees on credentials and perma-
nent organization were then appointed and re-
tired to make their report.
After waiting about an hour for the return Of
the committees, a member moved that recess
of one hour be taken. which was lost by de-
cided vote. Mr.. Mines then moved for a
one member assigning as a reason for voting
'no,' that. ':yol are all comparatively sober
now, and in twenty-five minutes you would be
drunk
| And now came the most important work of
the convention, that OF lifting the veil of OBJ
scnrity from the Hcrculean proportions of Mr..
Hammer Hiner, of Highland county, gentle
man, who, for the past thirty years, perhaps,
has been squandering his fragrance on the I'M
appreciative rocks of his mountain home. But
| the tide which was to bear the future states
man into public prominence, which was to
draw this modern Cincinnatus from the retire
ment of his bucolic pursuits into the whirlpool
of political life, and role the stone from the
sepulchrc OF his obscurity, had at length ar
rived and he was prepared to take it at its flow.
In utter disregard of the moral taught by the
fable of the ambitious frog, he inflated himself
to alarming dimensions and in voice hoarse
with suppressed indignation and liberal admix,
ture of Bumgardner, appealed from that
cheer.'' Now as the chair had rendered no de-
! cision. which had not been in accordance with
a decided expression of opinion by the conven-
ton, it stood aghast at this sudden and en-
phatic impeachment Of its impartiality, and
overwhelmed by the cnormity Of the charge,
was preparing to vacatc-without defence, when
in response to cries of sIIncr 'Hiner =; that
noble specimen rushed madly to the front an6
launched forth into fierce philippe, amid the
terrific yelling of the multitude. During the
brief interval in which the crowd had been
overawed by his attitude, he was heard tt
say that s'an Ak was hanging over the doomed
head of this people," and when 'sthis peo
ple," alarmed at the proximity of the formula.
Bile weapon, looked around for veriication o.
his words, they smiled with complacency al
the groundlesness of their apprehension, and
the wonderful effects brought about by half pint