Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-07-28
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FRIDAY MORNING, JULY %. 1876
Local.,
RATIFICATION IN AUGUSTA.


RATIFICATION IN AUGUSTA.
IMMENSE MEETING OF THE COUNTY PEO-
| PLE-INsIDE HISTORY OF THE ST. LOUIS
DRESSES BY S. v. sOUTHALL, OF Abe
| MARIE; NJ G. HARTMAN, OF AUGUSTA;
JOHN PAUL, OF ROCKINGHAM; JNo. T.
HARRIS, OF ROCKINGHAM; JNO. ECHoLs,
| OF AUGUSTA; AND JAMES Il. SKINNER,
OF AUGUsTA-RATIFICAT REsoLU-
TIONs-THE NEW COUNTY COMMITTEE
A GOOD SELECTION.
&C., &C., sc.
The meeting at the Courthouse on Mon
day, to ratify the nomination of Tildeh
and Hendricks, was one of the largest ever
held in Augusta. The building was Dense
| ly crowded, and before the meeting was
over Mr.. J. E. A. Gibbs, of Rockbridge,
was deputized by the large crowd outside
to come in and make application that they
adjourn into the open air, or that some
speakers be sent outside, so that everybody
might hear something of what was going
on. large number of ladies had come to
town, but no provisions had been made for
their accommodation, and the building was
therefore filled exclusively with men.
THE ORGANIZATION.
The meeting was organized by the cleo
ticn of VIM. F. Smith. of Greenyille,
Chairman, and committee consisting of
Col. James H. Skinner, Chairman, A. M.
Bowman, A. A. Sproul, A. B. Lightner
and J. Davis Craig, was appointed to pre-
sent to it resolutions expressing its views
concerning the Presidential nominations.
, INSIDE HISTORY OF THE ST. LOUIS CON-
CONVENTION.
In the absence of the committee, Gen.
Echols introduced to the audience Mr.. S.
V.Southall, of Albemarle-one of the del
egates from this District to the St. Louis
Convention: Mr.. Southall said that he
came to give an account of the part he had
taken as the representative of this people,
in the nomination Of the Great Reformer,
Samuel J. Tilden. [Applause.] While at
the st. Louis Convention. he had express
ed to Col. Hartman, his colleague, his de-
sire to do so, and now before proceeding to
give his account he wished to say THAT
there was no member of that Convention
who displayed more zeal or more nerve than
COL Hartman. He believed that Col Har-
man, like himself, had but one object, and
| that was to secure the most available man
a strong man, honest and capable. This
was very difficult matter. The state
ments made to the delegates were numer-
Gus and conflicting, and they had to draw
their conclusions amid great perplexity-a
perplexity which he himself experienced.
Indeed, he had never been called upon to
decide question about viii CHI there was
| so much doubt.
PREFERENCES.
When he left home his preference for
President was the Senator from Delaware
| (Bayard, whose kindly acts to the South
had endeared him to the hearts of it's peo-
| pie, Applause, but he did not consider him.
available. His preference for candidate:
was Gen. Hancock, for he thought that the
nomination of a meritorious soldier at Gin
cinnati should be met by similar one at
| st. Louis. He discovered, however, that
such nomination would result against the
Democratic candidate. It would be said
| by the Republicans that Hancock's bust
ness was war; he had been trained q sols-
| der at the expense of the country, and
| that no patriotic impulse had carried him
to the battlefield. While, on the other
hand, it would be said that Hayes had been
successful lawyer, who by industry had
| n q h11fv ,Io
the war came, had with patriotic impulse
closed his Office and rallied to the defence
of his countfy-a comparison in which the
Democratic candidate would have suffer
ed. Also, the nomination of Hancock.
while it was first thought would have put.
the bloody shirt out of sight. would have
been mistake even in that view. The.
| two soldiers in the field would have reviv-
ed all the recollections of the war, which
the Southern and patriotic peopIeof both
sections are anxious should be obliterated,
and the bloody shirt would have been
kept flying from the battlements during
the struggle, by the politicians Of the Re-
publican party. Putting Thurman out of.
the question, who had been beaten first by
Allen, who was in turn beaten by Hayes.
the field was narrowed down to
TILDEN IN THE EAST OR HENDRICKS IN
| THE WEST.
Before leaving home, he had been i'm
pressed with the idea that there was di-
vision in New York on Tilden, which
would jeopardize the State if he was NOM
mated, but when he got to st. Louis he
found that so far from the opposition to
Tilden in New York being an element Of
weakness, it was rather. an element OF
strength. Many persons from New York
appeared before the Virginia delegation to
state their objections to Tilden one Of
the chief Of them, Gen. Slocum, objected
to him on the ground that he had very
| lately given Office to men who had but
recently Joined the Democracy. 1t was
charged, too, that Tilden was seeking to
build up personal party, but the Virgin
FANS soon saw that the personal party was
a Reform party. 1t was complained that
Tilden did not recognize the rule of the
spoils belonging to the victors, but it ap-
peared on the other hand that he substitu-
ted for it Jeferson's rule that man must
be honest, capable and faithful. The Vir-
'ginians were satisfied THAT Tilden meant
reform, and also that on this issue he
would carry his own State. If he had car
'ried it in 1873 on the mere promise, he
would surely carry itnow, when his pledges
had been fulfilled. After Tilden was Sc
lected,
THE QUESTION OF THE vICE-PREsIDENCY
came up. 1t was plain that Hendricks was
the favorite of the Western people, partic-
| ularlu of Indiana and Illinois He WAC