Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-06-12
from the Baltimorean.
Hon. John Letcher,
AN INTERESTING SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.

AN INTERESTING SKETCH OF HIS LIFE
It is scarcely too much to say that the
name Of no living man is more widely
or more favorably known amongst the
people of Virginia than that of this dis
tinguished gentleman. Admired fol
his personal qualities, honored for pub
lie services. his strongest hold on the
popular affections arise, after all, from
those sterling moral qualities and vir
tues, which, to the credit of human ma
ture be it said, constitute the surest
means of winning lasting regard and
esteem Like many of the noblest men
our country has produced, his origin
was humble, and without the ADVENT
tious aids of birth or fortune he has raised
himself by his own energy and solid
worth to an enviable elevation. He
Rockbridge county, Va, within 800
on the Goth of March, 1913. From the
ace of fifteen, during the time he was
attending an English school, he worked
at the carpenters trade. under his faith
er, mornings and Saturdays, and
made himself quite good workman
There was no time for idling on the part
of a boy who thus laid down his books
only to handle the saw or the plane
and to this early training may doubt
less in q good degree be ascribed his
subsequent indefatigable application
and capacity for unremitting labor. He
afterwards attended Washington Col
lege and Randolph Macon for several
sessions, but did not, we blieve, com
plete the college course.
He commenced the study of law in
the fall of 1885 with the late Hon. VIM.
Taylor, and having obtained license to
practice in May. 1889, settled in Lexing-
ton. Whilst thus engaged in his legal
studies, and ever since, he has taken an
active part in politics as speaker, and
was contributor to the columns of the
Richmond IVA Enquirer" during the
editorship of the venerable Thomas
Ritchie, and also to those of the Fincas-
tie Democrat" and other Democratic
papers. The depth of his political
convictions and the ardor of his nature
made him, from the first, an active,
jealous, and uncompremising adherent
of his party, and soon brought him into
notice as one of its most promising
champions. From the outset of his ca
reer until now he has been o Democrat
without fear and without reproach. In
1887 he established the "Valley Star"
and edited it until December, 1910, when
he retired frem the editorial chair with
view of removing to HarrisOnburg,
Va. This purpose, however, was aban-
doned, and he remained in Lexington.
His editorial labors during the cam
paign of 1910 were marked by the bold
ness, zeal and energy of man who can
Idle but not surrender" The charac-
ter and spirit of his political sentiments
and efforts cannot be better illustrated
than by his own words. In his saluta-
tory address to the patrons of the 'Star," !"
on the oath of April, 1889, he thus de
fines his principles and sets forth the
object which he should hold in view in
the conduct of that paper:
"The report and resolutions of 1913 and
'99 are the text book of our political
faith. We believe that the powers of
the Federal and State Governments are
therein correctly defined, and that due
observance of the recommendations of
that report will effectually prevent the
governments from clashing with each
other. Hence, we are strict construc-
tionists, utterly opposed to the doctrine
of implication, which, if carried to the
extent desired by its advocates, would
overthrow the Constitution. The ex-
ercise of all doubtful powers is danger
ous-tends necessarily to weaken the
bonds that bind us together. \
1--WE are Virginian-i,atuse ct IN cute
are devotedly attached to the land of our
birth, and held ourselves prepared at all
times to go forth in the defence of the
Old Dominion.
"We are then the decided and Tn
compromising advocates of a liberal sys-
tenn of education.
"Mr. Jefferson has said that 'igno-
rance and bigotry, like other insanities,
are incapable of self-government,' and
in this opinion he is sustained by Mon
tesquieu and Sidney, and indeed all
others who have written extensively
upon free government. If, then, SO
great importance is attached to it by the
statesmen of our own and other nations
if it be the handmade of freedom essen
TALLY necessary to the preservation Of
our free institutions if education tends
to make men virtuous citizens, surely
the subject has been too long neglected.
Schools should be established through.
out the Commonwealth door en-
trance should be thrown open to ALL
Let the veil Of ignorance be rent from
top to bottom-let the genial ray o1
knowledge shine upon every cottage
Then may we hope that our Govern
ment will be permanent-that it will
strengthen on from age to age.'"
How faithfully he fulfilled his promi
ses by an able, untiring advocacy o.
Democratic principles, and by ardent
and effective zeal in pressing upon the
public, the claims of the great causes O.
education and internal Improvement, il
amply attested by every number of the
, paper issued under his auspices, and is
still freshly and gratefully remembered
by those who sy1npathized with him il
all his noble efforts. Not content with
the influential position of editor, ht
traversed the Valley of Virginia from
Winchester to Christiansburg, address
ing large masses of people in Frederick
Page, Rockingham, Shenandoah, Au-
gusta, and Botetourt counties, winning
the applause and commendation of th1
people wherever he went.
For three wears after that nariod Mr.