The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-06-27
District Convention.

tits stated.by a Valley contemporary, and
confirmed by inquiry here of one who is sup
posed 10 be in authority, that a Convention
of the Conservative party in this district will
be held in Stanton the LIST Of August, to
nominate candidate for Congress, and also
that the primary meetings to appoint dele
gates will be held on lie 27th Of July. We
ere thus formally instructed that the tina
cline" is to be again invoked to frrstra,e
the VIII CT the people. and the rule Of the
ring politicians to be perpetuated. Colonei
Duke, of Albemalle, Captain W. i. Burke.
OF Augusta, and Colonel Mann Splitter, OF
Page, are the gentlemen Who have been
delegated to tell the people what they must
do, and we pesume their mandate will be
obeyed.
1t is little surprising that their is such
unchallenged subservienee to the commands
of the caucus, when it is remembered what
that method Of directing public affairs has
accomplished. All the ills which Virginia
now endures can be properly traced to the
despotism OF the caucus. The people have
allowed the few scheming politicians to take
from them the management Of their own
affairs; and by the arbitrary use of the
caucus machinery to dsire them into the
support of any insidious measure the selfish
purposes of the ring leaders may desire.
The oppressive and unjust road law which
operates in Virginia, as well as the uncon-
stitutional restriction Of the right of suffrage,
are the fruits Of this caucus system. The
present financial complications, which are
so pressing down upon the taxpayers and
prostrating the material interests of the
Commonwealth, are the result Of machine
politics. The people have permitted the pol
iticians to wrest from them the very safe
guards of their own rights and liberties
through the arbitrary machinery now in
voked to determine who shall represent
them in Congress. We feel no great So
icltude as to the particular person that
may be selected to serve in the 10th Con-
gress from this District. But we do not
know better time than in the coming cleo
ton, for the people to exercise their legal
and constitutional right to determine that
lquestion at the ballot-boX, and not tolerate
the Intervention of caucus gotten up for
selfish and sinister purposes.
We have not only seen and realized the
great evils Of this system in our State affairs,
but we have had very recent significant
illustration of its wicked results in the Con-
gress of the country, in the organization of
the filthy and disgusting proceedings of the
Potter investigating committee. The prima-
ry purpose in that was revolution" so de-
clared by parties privy to the secret springs
that were working, and but for the indignant
protest that went up from every portion of
the country, the disavowal of that purpose
would never have been made. A resolution |
declaring that there was no purpose to as
sail the title Of the President, was twice
voted down by the very men who enacted |
the Potter resolution, and the final declara-
ton that the tenure of the President was in
Violable was the result of popular protest
against the wicked and devilish plot that
the caucus politicians had concocted.
We mention this fact to impress upon the
people of Virginia the danger of surrender
Ing their rights to the control of the few
trading politicians. who care more fer their
own selfish ends and the interest Of parti-
zan schemes, than for the good of the
country. 1t is time for them 20 become
awakened to the great wrongs which they
are made to suffer, because of caucus dicta-
ton and devisements, and to entera solemn
protest against the further infections of
machine politics.