Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-10-12
TILE TWO TICKETS.

The boarding House caucus lew weeks
ago is now fairly before the people with a
modifcation-Mr. J. N. Vanlear being
substituted for Mr.. s. Brown Allen, who
declined the honor. The gentlemen COM
posing it are Messrs. Geo. Seawright. for
the Senate, J. Davis Craig, II. ]. Williams
and J. n. Vanlear for the House. The
public record of these gentlemen is brief,
the first two named being the only ones
who have been before the people of Angus
ia for public office. In 1875 the Conserva-
tive County Convention nominated for the
legislature A. b. Cochran for the Senate,
Marshall Hanger, J. Davis Craig and John
n. Opie, for the House. Two weeks be-
fore the election the "Valley Virginian''
the Republican organ, brought out the
names Of Messrs. Geo. A. Bruce. Geo.
Seawright and W. T. Rush, with which to
beat the regular ticket. Two of the gen.
tlemen took no notice of it, but the third.
Mr.. Seawright, appeared in the next issue
OF the "Virginian,' Oct. 2Sth, 1875, four
days before the election, announcing his
willingness to serve if elected. The 'Vir-
ginian'' endorsed him as the modest Ro-
man of them ALL and said no Republican
would refuse to vote for him, which proved
to be fact, for while he was beaten. he
rece ived the Republican vote wherever it
was informed Of his candidacy. He was
one of the Com mittee which prepared the
resolutions of the Adjusters' meeting of
May 10Th, and in his card of last Thursday
published in the ''Valley Virginian" ac-
cepting the call to become a candidate,
says: he adheres to the platform of that
meeting which is broader than that of
the State Convention.' His position on
the one third set aside by the Funding Bill
is that sit is problematical to say the least
whether West Virginia does really owe
one dollar of the State debt" and that the
fixing it on her by that bill was in effect
publishing a Legislative libel against her,
He falls into the common error that the
Funding Bill was passed on the estimate
by Gov. Walker Of the resources of the
State, whereas it is matter of record that
it was passed upon the report by the State
officers of the assessment of 1870 and Gov.
called attention to this official estimate of
the assets of Virginia-Can representa-
tive acknowledgements others who is
not informed himself ? Mr.. Seawright is
equally at sea in his quotations from Eng
ish precedent. He will not find in all the
history of that country where she has re-
pudiated or ''forcibly adjusted" a contract
though her people have been taxed to a de-
gree of which the people of Virginia have
never dreamed, and so good was her credit
from this fact that in the Pelham case,
the very course Mr.. Seawright cites. she
was enabled to borrow money at per
cent. to pay off debt bearing per cent.
How happy would Virginia be to-day if
the teachings of her leaders and the spirit
of her whole people so impressed the world
with her integrity that she could borrow
enough money at per cent. to pay off her
whole debt bearing six per cent. If she
were to change her constitution tomorrow
so as to enable her to borrow, is it probable
that after the spirit shown by many of her
leaders in the last six months she would
obtain hearing in any money market
in the world ? Mr.. Seawright closes by
stating as his position that he "would repeal
the funding bill and arrest its operations
as to the twenty millions of funded bonds,
then havea settlement with W. Virginia as
the constitution requires" Now that MI.
Seawright has but one compe titor for the
Senate, and that one familiar enough with
State affairs to see where retrenchment is
practicable, and earnest enough to makelt
who is business man enough to accept any
new terms that may be offered by the cred
itors, and too much of a business man to
attempt to force any on them, he will
be left at home by a large majority. Meth
er his views, his information on the matter
at issue, nor his experience entities him to
the votes Of the people of Aug usta.
Hon. J. DAVIS Craig, the next gentle
man on the ticket, gives no platform. His
legislative record of enc term is not one to
commend him to the people who have to
pay the taxes. He first voted against and
then for the Mofett Register, and is the
author of a dog tax. which makes 1t
Hightes on dogs and heavier On property.
In his public speeches since this canvass
commenced be has announced that he Ia
wors the repeal of the Funding Blll-an
Empossibility in law. and Which ought to
he one in morals.
Col. III. J. Williams, who ia man that
has won his own fortune, and who was d
brave soldier daring the WAL says in ias;s
card that he considers himself ''incompe-
tent to serve in the position, but in view
of the long list of petitioners he cannot
refuse them. The Colonel says he will use
bis best efforts for a ''fair and equitable re-
adjustment of the State liabilities equali-
zation OF taxation, eretrenchment, and
is opposed TO increasing the taxes. The
Colonel is popular with his neighbors, but
outside of the Greenville district we are
afraid the people Will agree with him in
considering him ''ineollpetent" to deal
with the grave subjects now Before them,
ON the principle that q new. hatla OF an
apprentiee is bad hand to put On a Job
already much bungled.
J. N, Vanaear is well known gentle
man in the county, and deservedly popu-
Ian, whose experience in public life con-
sists Of several years as d alagistrate. His
platform as given in the F'Yirginian, :"
where the platform of all the :At33jnster
candidates have exclusively appeared, -
simply that, 1.-THE question Of the State
debt mast be settled . and BIZ stands upon
the platform of readjustment.
AS will be seen elsewhere, a ticket l.af
been left in the field by the withdrawal os
q number OF candidates upGR which the
opponents Of The Adjuster's ticket can