The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1876-03-09
The State Executiye committee.

The State Executive Commit ttee.
We do not wish to have any controversy
with the TThis as to the shortcomings Of the
State Executive Committee. We are ready
and willing, not to say DESTROYS, to let the
pas. be the past. Certainly in the allusion
which we made to that committee few days
since we did not suppose ourselves to DC
"without justifying excuse" Candor re-
quires us to say that we had reference to the
course of the Wing itself In 1874 ard 1870,
aud to its recent efforts to unsest nominee
of the Conservative party in this senatorial
district. II we have done it injustice, there
fore, the public will now know how little or
how much foundation there was for our re-
marks. 1t Is but proper that we should let
the Whig speak for itself. 1t says:
seas to the course Of the Wing, we, tndi.
yidually, the editors, are personally and
solely responsible for Its political course, AID
for every word in its editorial columns. Its
proprietors, heretofore and now, confiding
in our Judgment, have never -inserfered in
the least degree with the perfect freedom OF
action that we have and shall ever main
tain" q. y.sa& .rsa. .-aats
That seems to fix the responsibility for the
conduct of the Wing. 1t relieves the pro-
prietors Of all blame. Our neighber con.
tinues in sclf.defence: ~. >..4
1--WE have no apology to offer for our
course 10 that canvass The Walker canvass].
We did as we had perfect right to do, OPP
sNp Of O.
sentative, ADD we utterly deny that there
was the slightest obligation imposed upon
us by virtue Of our connection with the
Executive Committee to keep silent pending
the canvass for the congressional nomination.
We offered no factious opposition to GOV
error Walker, nor penned line not in bar
mony with that party discipline that we pave
persistently maintained should be rigldiy
enforced"
We will say nothing ourselves on This
point. But we offer the following editorial
which appeared in the Wing of October ~
1874, rs evidence that that paper then con-
fcssed that it had been guilty of what many
NAV have regarded So criminal silence" The
WHO of that date said:
THE METROPOLITAN DIsrRIcr.-The good
people Of this district certainly have hard
luck. With the modesty characteristic OF
tue tribe. two carpet. baggers Walker and
Bnrgesl bave thrust themselves or been
fostcd on the district and however distaste-
full they may be to the decent people OF town
and country, there seems no escape from the
one or the other. Many, no doubt, IN despair
ofaeffectipg any public good by making
choice bet ~een them, will consult their own
self.rcsptc, by ahs.aning from the polls.
This is painful alternative, and yet 1t
is the one to which a sense OF 0otn
duty and self.re,pect will constrain
us. We have taken no part Ia the cam
yass-for we could not support can
did ate, irr%gularly nominated, in whom we
had no copfidcrce; and we subdued our.
selves 10 q course of silence partly IN defer
ence to dissenting friends, and partly from
the apprehension that the appearance OF dis.
cord at the centre might prove detrimental
to the Conservative cause ia other parts OF
the State. We never made greater or more
painful sacrifice for that cause even when we
ate dirt In go
We say this now, when too late TO reacn
the couatry, simply by way OF excuse loI
what many may have regarded as Grammar
silence.
In all kinduess let us say what we think
about this matter. If the editor of the Why
cannot control its.columns he ought not to be
the chairman of the Executive Committee
II he can control its columns, and yet pub
fishes such articles. editorials and communi
cations, as appeared in that paper in 1874
concerning Governor WALKER, and in lS7t
and 1876 concerning General JoHNsoN-b etf
regular nominees of the Conservative
party,-;hen he ought not TO be the chair
man of the State Executive Committee
And IL be is so circumstanced that be is no
responsible for the course of the Wing ON
day or one month and is responsible for it
course the next day or the next month, thu
leaving the public in doubt as to whether b.
is or is not controlling Its columns, then b
certainly ought not to be the chairman of tn
State Executive Committee.
Finally, no newspaper editor ought t.
hold the position in question. Every edito
ought to be free to expose the blunders G
the leaders Of the party, and to write sucl
editorials as the one last above quoted fron
the Who.