Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-05-12
THE GAME OF BRAG.

Perhaps the thing most blown to pieces
by the overwhelming primary election Fri
day was the bluff game that has been tried
by the Radicals and their friends ever since
the commencement of the campaign. From
the first step in it they have harped on their
pet word 'impossibility." When in an
swer to the ominous grumbling of the peo-
pie at the way into which city affairs had
drifted, it was proposed to hold a public
meeting to ascertain there views on the
subject, the word was sent around that it
was impossible; that BICKLE had too
much influence inside of our party
that KER had too many friends who
wouldn't agree to it, that PATTERsON's
friends didn't want it, and yet, when the
day came the largest primary meeting ev-
er assembled in Staunton was present at
the Court House. After primary was
determined on, ratification meeting was
desided to be proper and there was anoth-
er cry; there were too many dissatisfied
men at the first meeting they said (only So
to 1O4) and they wouldn't come. But
when the meeting was held it was one of
the largest and most respectable ever held
here. Then when the primary election
was to be held the cry became terrific; in
deed so sure were the Independents that
there would be no vote that they became
exultant over it's defeat in advance. sMr.
BICK LIE" said they lean keep more Con-
serv atives from the polls than the party
can get there" So certain were they
that on the very day, one of the indepen-
dent candidates said, ''Oh, this election is
nothing, it will turn out mere squib .
They named long and, as it proved, bo-
gus list of respectable men who were OPP
posed to it and wouldn't be there. And
yet such an enthusiastic election, such a
tremendous vote at primary here was
never seen. And now the primary is
over they are falling back on the 25th OF
May with the same brag and buster.
The fact is, the whole foundation our op-
ponents rest on is the activity with
which they have done their talking-a talk
ing that owing to the action of Conserva-
tive councilmen has been done by men in
official position, and the deception thereby
occasioned has been natural. Suppose you
were to go to any town in Virginia and
find a Radical Mayor going about blowing
about his determination to carry the cleo
ton; an Independent Treasurer saying
that he intended to carry the city, a Clerk
of the Hastings Court repudiating the
Conservative party, a Radical Consta-
BILE Dragging over coming victory,
and several members of the Coun
Gil repudiating the support of the Con-
sentative party. You would conclude
at once that the Conservatives could not
carry the city wouldn't you? Well that
is just the way that some Of the best mean
ing men in Staunton have been deceived.
Taking little active interest in politics.
they have heard and seen these things dai
ly for so long a time that they had begun
to think the city government as something
that could not be gotten rid of and sort
of apathy had taken the place of the usual
interest the Conservatives feel in their
party The Conservative storm of Friday
cleared away the hazy political atmos
phere which proved to be only the mias
matte exhalation of the Office holders, and
showed that the pure Conservative oxygen
is still the air that the white people of
Staunton are determined to breathe. We
are not to have any more yellow fever ami
ague men going about shaking with the
chllls of indecision and vacillation. No
Conservative in Staunton wants any Radi-
cal doctor now to patch him up, even if
ne is SO liberal as to give him his medicine
for nothing.