Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-05-22
Meeting of Farmers Of Augusta County.
ADOPTION OF PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTION

ADOPTION OF PREAMBLE AND REsoLuTloN@'
In accordance with the announcement pre-
viously published, a meeting of portion OF the
farmers of this county was held at Il cioch'
NJ, last Saturday in the Court Of Appears ROOM
in the Courthouse building.
On motion of Col Samuel A. East, N.Y. morn
ton Berry was called to the chair, anu the Eoi-
tors of the city papers requested to act as Sec
retaries.
Col. East briefly explained the object OF the
meeting, when, on motion, the CHAIR appointed
q committee OF five to prepare resolutlons lor
the consideration of the meeting, consisting OF
the following: Geo. Seawright, S. Brown Allen,
Col. H, J. Williams, Capt. E. A. Fulcher, and
Robert S. Harnsberger.
After a brief retirement, the committee made
their report which was read by the chairman
of the committee, but it could not be heard
well as his weak voice was drowned by the
strong voice of the auctioneer, E. M. Cushing,
who was crying the sale of property in the
Court house yard just under the windows OF
the room occupied by the meeting.
VIM. II. Peyton moved the adoption of the
report as whole. Capt. Vincent moved that the
report be read again as many could not hear 1t
sufficiently well to vote Understandings.
Mr. Washington Shuey' moved that the pre-
amble and each resolution be voted upon sepa-
rately. This motion was adopted.
At the request of the chairman OF the meet
ing, the preamble and resolutions were reau ny
Mr.. S. Brown Allen, and were adopted seriaViii'
The 5th and It'll resolutions gave rise TO some
division and discussion, and were eXplaiheu a'
some length by the chairman OF the coiiihii''ee
Capt C. E. Koner requested the chairman oi
the committee to explain the scheme OF hon.
I'M. T. Hunter endorsed by the 9Th resolution.
NJ md a T.iOhtnnr
some others desired an explanation of the pur-
noses of the 9TH resolution.
Want of space prevents us from reporting
these explanations, which seemed to satisfy
those who called for them.
The preamble and resolutions as adopted are
as follows:
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS.
After several years of almost unexampled de-
preston in all departments of business, except
in the business OF shaving and extortlOn, the
popular heart begins to be cheered by signs OF
u return of prosperity to the country at large
This revival from our languishing condition
would in no wise be due to any powers OF self
re-cuperatron, exerting themselves among us
at home, but would be due to causes accidental,
extraneous and operating from abroad Inc
embarrassments in our State affairs are SO
weighty, and the complications SO intricate,
that we may not possibly realize all that tnese
signs promise. We speak soberly and truly
we think when we say that it will require the
utmost vigilance and the most earnest efforts
share of these promised benefits. We think ii
would be culpable remissness, If our people
snond dr. rest satisfied With the Visions, however
bright, that are looming up over the land me
fruit SO fair to look upon may turn out to be
like the dead sea fruit that may fall TO ashes
upon our lips. Virginiais in atruly deplorable
condition. Our State laws need revision ano
Improvement, and the practice OF the law w
grown into an enormous abuse, calls loudly FOL
reformation. The most fruitful source OF eX
listing evils, beyond all question, is the frag
mentary, unsyStematic series OF laws on gu
statute book inaccessible to the great body of tn
people, often irreconcilable or unintellible re
quiring a vast outlay OF money to md out wher
they are, what they are, and TO have them prop
erly interpreted. Add TO this, maladmlnlstra
ton, perhaps necessary concom1tant OF ever.
system of human laws, and we see IN TINS alon
enough to weigh down and paralyze the ener
gies Of any people. The people ought to de
mand a re-codification of the laws, by the han.
of some master of the English language. 9TH
style and wording of the acts in the Code OF ISL
might be model, who should leave out all tn
trash the slipshod system of pleading included
and make all general laws Interchangeable for
definite time to be specified and a.. fixed
sound learning in the legal profession woult
set about and carry through this work Of much
to the gratitude of the country, by restoring thu
law to its pristine dignity as a science and thu
practice of the law to its place as one OF thu
most honorable of professions. The State deb
seems to be no nearer re- ad justment than it wa
in 1874, when Governor Kemper pronounced
the Funding bill a disastrous blunder. The same
discrimination exists between the two classes
of bondholders and the taX-receivable coupons
paw nearly all the revenues of the government
The government is, in consequence, without re
sources, and the alternative is presented o
downright reputation or an indefinite in
ginia has ceased to be Virginia interest at all
Thousands of acres of the most valuable mine
parties outside of the State, who have BIAS
furnaces, rolling mills machine shops, an(
work shops Of their own that they thus keel
supplied. They find they can mine iron in Wiz
ginia and get it North cheaper than they cal
get it in Pennsylvania or on lake Champlain
These Northern railroads offer them all needed
facilities Under this system the vast resource!
OF Virginia are not going to help to build her up
might as well be set down to the credit of othe
States Then if the farmers should suffer then
to place a representative railroad man In tn
GubernatOrial chair, he would be in poS1t1o
where he could do the work effectualiy for thei
slavery and ultimate degradation. These rail
road owners in Virginia are as much alien t
her interests as if they lived in Holland. Hav
we nothing to fear from the influence Of foreig
goId and foreign nenas IN Shaping IN our Sta!
way, must they not manipulate the State GOV
eminent? So far we have eudeavored to vie
the bright side of the picture: The other sid
has darker shades, and is the one perhaps
which we ought to look upon, but we forbear.-
Contenting ourselves with the foregoing brie
review of the situation as it appears to us from
our standpoint we, the farmers of Augu sta. il
general meeting assembled, do resolve as fol
lows:
LIST. That in this crisis of their fate, as the.
value their liberties, it is nighttime that tn
the vast interests, peculiarly their own, bu
which in point of fact, when properly, viewed
are no less the interests Of all other classes, s.
and State governmental policy.
End. That what the farmers want is not s.
interests, as the let-aione policy, they havin,
provedthemselves fully capable of attending t
their private and domestic affairs, in whicl
for the clogs and distractions impeding thei
progress at every step, and the misrule from
cape.
3rd. That, as farmers, we will assert our right
to falr share OF representation IN the Genera
Assembly, whatever that share may be, ant
will see to it that, SO far depends upon us, NJ
man representing the railroad interest in thi
State, or any ring or combination whatever
shall fill the office of Governor.
4th. That we claim to be conservative in tn
true sense OF that term but that, as farmers, "
pendent action, according freely the same RICH
to all others; determined hereafter to entrus
our dearest interests to the exclusive keep1n
of no other class whatever.
9Th. That we approve and endorse the schem
proposed by Hon. r. NJ. Z. Hunter for a system
ofreal estate banks, means of relief to al
cverburthened and oppressed people, and a
Sf feb means cans untarnished the homo
9th. That the prosperity of the State de
n1dnds. and every principle of equity and jus
nc. .lee ana reason, entities her to solution
own self-preseryation.
9TH. That we are the uncompromising oppo
~
policy or any movement that promises to Sc
cure permanent and fair read ustment of tn
puonc liabilities, in which our creditors ma
al rare alike and for the redemption of whic
the state should pledge in good faith her taxa
bic resources beyond what is necessary to a
economic administration of her own govern
ment.
stn. Ihat we believe these resolutions to &C
Ecog1 WIN Inc interests and sympathy of tn
agricultural, mechanical, and iaboring CLASSES
mnH -, I1 rd os;g elections, both gubel
between the advocates and opposers of the po
icy herein defined.
9Th That we respectfully ask the co-operatio
OF farmers, meehanics, merchants and the Ia
boring classes, whose interests are all involved
throughout the entire State in Securing thes
much needed reforms by the selection Of DELE
gates to the August convention who are of an
ffom the Taxpayers of the Commonwealth,
Gu motion, the papers throughout the Stat
were requested to publish the proceedings {
this Meeting.
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GEN. EcHoLs'S AGGRESSIVE publish on til
a nf no o6n irob n add