The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-09-13
A Plain Duty.

Two months ago. those who contended for
REIMBURSEMENT of the public debt, were de-
nounced as "rcpudiators. They had de-
clared against the injustice of the Funding
Bill; against the wrong of the legislation
necessary consequence of the Funding
discriminating against certain class
OF creditors; against the bad faith implied by
failure to pay the stipulated interest-and
expressed the belief that justice to the cred
itors and the State demanded a readiust-
ment, SO as to place the liabilities within
the reach OF the revenues, without an in
crease OF taxation. Because they did this,
they were denounced as regulators.
At this time, there is not paper scarcely
in the State that does not favor readjnst-
ment of some kind or another. Those who
denounced REIMBURSEMENT as reputation are
taking position substantially where the re-
adjusters first stood. and say they were
always for that kind of adjustment. The
expectation was that the ring managers and
caucus manipulators would bring the organi-
cation into play, and compel all to'submit to
its iron rulc-that epithets and denuncia-
tions would drive the people into the traces,
and force them to submit. This was not the
case, however. The people determined for
once to take action for themselves, and no
sooner than this determination was felt
than the chronic politicians and curbstone
patriots began to think they had made q
mistake, and seek to ease themselves down
by saying they were only opposed to COM
pulsory REIMBURSEMENT There can be no
reimbursement without compulsion, more or
less. Every change implies this, in modi-
fed sense. There was no other compulsion
| thought Of by the people.
The original readjusters should stand by
each other, and those who sympathized
with them, and resent the leadership and
overtures of those who denounced them as
regulators" There was not the first par
] ticle Of excuse to accuse the people of Au-
gusta OF sentiment of reputation. There
is nothing in their past history, either public
or private, to justify such charge. There
was nothing in their declarations at any
time that sustained such an allegation. 1t
was entirely gratuitous, and made in the
hope and expectation that they would cover
before it and submissively obey the mandate
of the professional caucus managers. They
would be untrue to themselves did they not
stand together and teach these insolent ira
ducers lesson they will not soon forget.
| Tur IN .w.STRAws CONVENTION nnder-
stand that there convention held in room
of the boarding house Of Mr.. W. B. Hyde, on last
drawing straws) of the following candidates for
the Legislature: Geo. Seawright. for the Senate /;
| Tor the House Of Delegates. The platform Of
principles on which the nominations were made
VAS Peaceahs .rsadgstment' il possible but
ored to get report OF the action of this body but
were unable to procure anything like full re-
port OF their proceedings.
N. B.-The latest news is that number Of the
most influential members "bolted" and would
not readjust worth cent.-Spectator.
The above notice has reference to con-
sultation that took place in Stanton on
Saturday last, and comparison of views be-
tween twenty or thirty gentlemen from
various parts of the county. The object
was to get some expression of preference as
to various gentlemen who had been men,
toned as suitable persons to represent Au-
gusta county in the next General Assembly
of Virginia. There was no "Copvention -
held, or anything that pretended to be a
" Conventions" there were no 'straws ~
drawn, no nominations made, no "plat-
FORM spoken of or acted upon, no "bolt-
ing,' nor indeed was there anything to
''bolt " from. The purpose of the consulta-
ton was to take the first step to concentrate
the votes of the friends OF fair and honor
able readiustment Of the State debt, and to
sustain the action of the Farmers at their
: May meeting in this county.
We presume no one will question the right
of intelligent farmers and gentlemen from
the county to meet together and compare
opinions on questions of public policy and
the most proper means to be adopted to
carry out the views entertained. No one
can with p:opriety dispute that the gentle
men whose names were mentioned in con-
nectlon with legislative position are in full
sympathy with the purposes heretofore de-
clared, nor, with fairness, will their capacity
to understand the wants Of the State be de-
MED. Mr.. Seawright is one OF the first men
in the county in every respect-a finished
scholar, progressive thinker, we'll read in
the law, and practical, successful business
man and farmer. He is one of the kind Of
men who by all means the people want, be-
cause he does not seek or desire the position
in connection with which his name has been
mentioned. Mr.. Craig is one of our most
intelligent farmers, has represented the
county creditably in the Legislature, and is
| alive to the wants Of the State and the neces-
sites of the farming interest. Col. Will
liams is in all respects a self-made mana
successful mechanic and farmer, splendid
soldier, and live, thorough-going business
man, who has the strong common sense now
demanded by the State. His life has been a
: succession OF triumphs over difficulties-fronl
the poor, unlettered apprentice to the mas
ter mechanic, the intelligent and successful
farmer, and the brilliant and daring soldier.
Mr.. Allen is young man of liberal educa-
ton and fine intelligence student of books
and current history, as we'll of men and
things, and is destined to be one of Angus
IS most useful sons.
We make this allusion to these gentlemen
because it is proper to do so in view of the
rather fippant reference to them in the
paragraph we have quoted We do not know
that they will all consent to the use of their
names for the positions designated. They
may or may not, but whatever the fact in
relation to that, it is but proper that the
suggestion of their names should receive a
respectful consideration. They are all gen
tlemen of the highest merit and respecta-
bllity, and it is due to the sentiment they
represent, as well as to their intelligence
and character, that any attempt to ridicule
them or the cause they have espoused, should
receive a fitting rebuke from the people of
Augusta county.
The gentlemen, too, who met in consulta-
ton and suggested the names of Messrs,