The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-09-27
COURT DAY AND CANDIDATES.

OPENING OF THE CONTEST-sovERETGNS
HARANGUED-THE SENATORIAL ASPIR-
ANTS START THE BALL-SHARP SHOOT
ING ON THE SIlIEMIsH LINE-THE VA
RIoUs MEN AND PLATFORMS SPEECHEs
BY ABSALOM KOINER, ]. H. McCUE, J. II.
SKINNER, S. BROWN ALLEN AND A.
BLAUTH-''THE COMBAT THICXENS-
ON YE BRAVES"
1t was thought that on last Monday, Court
day, there would be an immense outpouring
of the soverigns. From the hilltop and val
ley, from the mountain side and plain The
sturdy yeomanry of Augusta were expected
to grayitate towards the hub, aud by con-
sequence, that large and increasing band OF
patriots who are willing to sacrifice every
personal consideration on the altar Of q
bleeding country, prepared themselves for a
rich harvest, and DR.. Moffett's ''debt pay
ers,'' INDUCED the livelest anticipations of
copious and oft repeated demands for re-
| freshments. Mr.. Absalom Koiner had an
nounced his intention Of giving lesson on
enlightenment, and this Of itself was sup
posed to be a magnet of irresistible attract
| iveness. Strange to say, however, there
| was a distressing lack Of appreciation OF the
good things in store for the people, and with
| an obstinacy born Of a desire for rest and
| determination to attend to their own affairs,
| those whose individual business did not re-
| quire their presence in the city, remained at
home. What their probable fate will be it
is impossible to predict. When men will
! fully and knowingly refuse to be enlighten-.
ed and prefer following pillow all day long
| to hearing words of wisdom from perspiring
politicians, there's screw loose somewhere
| in the moral organism, and society as now
constituted needs s'retrenchnseM and re-
,fo,m.'' Here were half dozen legislative
asplrants ready. willing, anxious, agonizing
to tell the populaee what they should do and
how they should do; how they should vote
and whom they should vote for ready, at
sacrifice to which history affords no parallel,
to inform the poor, benighted people what
their duty was and how they should per-
form 1t willing to poor forth their honied
utterances like gushing waters agonizing
to lift the responsibilities and burdens from
the shoulders OF the people and bear them
on their own, all for six dollars per day.
And they, the supplemented, ignorant, un-
grateful people, forgetting the great debt
they owe to the politicians, vainly arrogat-
| ing to themselves the right to read and think,
and even, in their presu mption, imagining
that they are capable of voting intelligently
without being told, refused to abandon the
vulgar and debasing EN- ployment of the
farm and the workshop to listen to the song
of their salvation. Such condition of af-
fairs is indeed distressing to contemplate
and we ''cannot cover the montrous bulk Of
such insratitude with any size of words.''
And then too, Judge Hendren, as if to add
to the discontinue of the self sacrificing
patriots, actually refused to adjourn his
court so that the court room might be used
| for oratorical purposes. Such hlgh-handed
| disregard of the dearest interests of society
deserves the severest apprehension and for
the good of that society we ask il the great
| we'll -springs of information are to be choked
| by the humdrum affairs of justice? IT the
| CONFUSING anecdote. incisive sarcasm, flow
of eloquence and enhancing pereration, are
to remain unheard, that the dry monotony
of court affairs may receive attention ? ii SO,
| dark despair is lowering, like vulture, over
the destipes of the commonwealth.
THE BALM MOTION.
| When it was ascertained that the court
room could not be obtained, Mr.. Koiner de-:
termined to deliver his speech from the steps
OF the Court House. Promptly at ono o'clock
he commenced to crowd of some fifty loun-
gers. who, for want OF better employment
were seated around on the railing OF the
yard. There was only one thing in Mr..
Koiner's speech of an hour and a half that
impressed us as containing any thing new,
that was that he was in favor Of 'sre-arrang-
ing' the debit He secuted the idea of re-
adjustment as akin to reputation, but was
firmly convinced that our escape from the
difficulties that sorropnd us is in ''rc-ar-
| ranging" Hitherto, he had held to the
opinion that no REIMBURSEMENT was feasible
at this time, but since the PRONUNCIATION of
the Conservative platform which declares for
REIMBURSEMENT, he had concluded that relief
could only come with Encouragement
On the subject of his own invaluable servi-
ces whilst in the legislature, he grew elo-
quent and dwelt with great fervour on the
economical measures he had championed
and lost. Among other things he said that
government was necessary evil, and in the
light of legislative records in Virginia, his
assertion will go sounding down the ages
uncontradicted. In summing up his position
he declared in favor Of satisfactory 'sar
rangment," bat denounced forcible adjust
ment.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Koincr's remarks
cries were made for-"McCue AlcCue -
''Skinner! Skinner?' Both gentlemen
mounted the steps and for moment or two
stood blandly smiling at each other. Col.
Skinner sat down and
JUDGE J. II. M'CUE
took the stand. After paying his addresses
to Mr.. Koiner rather sharply, he stated that
he stood squarely on the platform of the con-
ventlon. He had always opposed the funding
bill, but since it had been declared legal,
thought the only way to get rid Of it was BY
revolution or adjustment. If under the
platform adopted in Richmond a satisfac-
tory settlement could not be obtained, he
was in favor Of calling new convention and
flaming new platform. Judge McCue
spoke only about twenty minutes and in
that time managed to have his position as
clearly understood as If he had taken as
many hours. lie seemed to comprehend
that crowds like speeches brief and to the
point.
COL. JAS. H. SKINNER
followed Judge McCue in speech Of about
an hours length, in which after. some pleas
ant and witty illusions to the addresses of
the gentlemen who had preceded him, he
announced his candidacy for the Senate, and
boldly and manfully advocated an increase
of taxation if necessary. In the course of
his remarks he expressed his approval of the
course pursued by President Hayes, and
said that in the hands of Providence. he