The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-06-14
The Augusta Farmers Meeting.

The VALLEY VIaGINIAN of last week, complains,
ana not without some cause, that the proceed
lngS OF the meeting of Augusta County farmers,
held i'll Stanton last Saturday week. a full re-
port OF which was published in the Staunton pa
Pers. was not copied by the papers throughout
the State as requested by the meeting. And not
only thls but that rome OF the papers of the State
except the Vir9inia Patron and Staunton papers.
1--WE beleve) complied with the request. Now
there must be something wrong. The voice OF
our farmers is power in the land, and the farm
ers OF Augusta, are known to be men OF worth,
is the fact that the officers and most prominent
actors IN the meeting were men of the highest
standing, known not only in Augusta, but
on the part OF the press OF the State. that is
ally so quick to respond to every call and move
ment OF the farmers?
We cannot speak for the press at large but can
simply explain our inacton, and the motives
which prompted it. We read the proceedings in
give to long list of resolutions. We gave it this
particular attention, because from the names we
saw and the announcement at the beginning that
seventy-fve farmers of Augusta were In atten-
dance. we expected something very substantial
and definite. When we had finished the proceed
done this time; when we got through about half
column of the preamble, we looked up to see il
we had not made mistake, and was reading the
for gubernatorial honors. When the preamble
was at length finished. we felt confident, the VAL
Hartman had delivered fine speech against the
city Of Baltimore, and the B. s o. Railroad.
Tnen came the resolutions in their order. till
on multiplicity Of subjects, and closed with the
modest request, tsat the papers throughout the
State. publish the proceedings in full Stripped
OF their profuse verbiage. they were about as fol
lows: LIST. That farmers ought to attend to their
interests better. End. That they do not need any
resolutions were drawn up in the interest of some
candidate that wanted to array the farmers of Au-
gusta against the nomination Of Gen. Malone for
Governor. and that the author would like to rep
resent the farmers in the next legislature 4th
That they were conservative, but would vote for
any one they pleased 5th That MI NJ
pressed by Sc
The conclusion we formed as to the origin and
object OF the meeting, was that it was got up by
some scheming politicians, who sought to make
tools OF the farmers of Augusta. by having them
endorse certain men and measures, and commit
themselves against certain other men and meas.
ures, and thus array strong hold in the Valley
IN favor OF some particular scheme and man, at
tne approaching gubernatorial convention.
We may do all the parties an injustice; but
really me immense quantity OF gas and the little
clans and SO little like farmers, that we could
come to no other conclusion. We cannot ace
what particular occasion there was for this great
outbur5t OF eloQuence, from tongues hitherto so
mute There was no legislature or congress- to
memorialize; there We're no acts of the executive
TO anticipate and mould there was no body that
could near their voice, upon whom it could have
the least effect, and their views and opinions
were but those that are daily discussed all over
me State: Then what could they have meant?-
Noth1ng That we can conceive, but as we have
said the scheming OF willy politicians to gain the
power that they knew rested with the Valley
GUST, in favor OF the candidate in whose interests
the meeting was called, and for whom the lengthy
preamble and resolutions had been previously
II we have rightly interpreted the meeting. we
think the press OF the State has shown commen-
SO snugly caught the farmers Of Augusta.-Pied.
mont &eios.