The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-08-01
RESPONSE OF MR.. HAYES.
Boilers.

[From the Richmond Dispatch of July 30th.]
The vote in the Highland county meeting
on the question of sending delegates to the
Stanton Convention was As for and 55
against sending them. This result indicates
that Harris will carry the county at the No
vember election. 1t was unwise, however,
for the true Conservatives to remain in a
meeting which discussed such question:.
The mere fact thai such question was pro-
posed for decision was evidence enough that
the proposers intended to bolt and the
adoption of the resolution does not relieve
the Conservatives of that county of the duty
of sending delegates to the Staunton Con-
vention. The people Of Charlottesville pur-
sued the proper course last Saturday. They
elected delegates, though they desire that
the Staunton Convention shall make no
nomination. We take it for granted that
they mean to support the nominee of the
Convention in case it shall decide to name
a candidate.
AS of Highland county, so we say of all
the counties-they ought to send de legates
to the congressional conventions. The Con-
servatives of Rockingham ought to hold
meetings and send delegates to THE Staun-
ton Convention. That Convention was
called in a formal and regular manner, ac-
cording to the mode prescribed in the plan
vention held in this city several years ago,
and the call ought to be considered as bind
ing upon every true Conservative. We do
not by any means question the right of the
Re-adjusters, or the RepudiaJors, or the
Greenbackers, or the Republicans, to refuse
to participate in the proceedings of con-
vention of the Conservative party. 1t is
their right to refuse. But we insist upon it
that their refusal binds no Conservative, and
that the Conservatives of every county in
every congressional district ought to hold
meetings or primary elections, and send
delegates to the several congressional con-
veations. The men who declare that they
will not send dele. ates do in effect declare
that they have severed their connection
with the Conservative party, and are no
longer willing to be governed by It's rules
or to train with its soldiers. They announce
themselves as boilers. They mean to say
that they do not intend to vote Tor the
nominee unless he be q Re adj ulster, or Re-
pudiator, or whatever other kind of repre- |
sentative these boilers desire to have. They
indicate their purpose to run candidate of
their own faction, or party if they prefer the
word, against the candidate of the Conser-
vative party. If action Of that sort does
not constitute boiling, then there is no such |
thing as boiling. And if it be said that a
meeting of boilers can bind the Conserva-
tives of the county, we ask, in the name of
common sense, why the action of the regu-
lar organization of the Conservative party
is not still more binding? There can be no
successful plea made in behalf of the men
who would ruin and destroy the Conserva-
tive party in order to advance their own
personal fortunes. Let them pursue their
own course. Let them go their ways. They
are no longer Conservatives. They shou Id
not go into meeting OF Conservatives. 1t
is an outrage upon the Conservative party
for men to take part in Conservative
meeting and then, by vote, declare that
they are bolters-that is to say, not Con-
atall, but members of some other
party.
We repeat then, that the true Conserva-
tives in every county in Virginia ought to
hold meetings and send delegates to the
conventions, in the respective
districts. If there are but one hundred in
a county, they are the only Conservatives,
and the only people in the county who have
a right to take part in a Conservative
meeting. They have an undoubted right to
send those delegates. Nay, it is thsir duty
to send them.
By refusing they partake Of the guilt OF
the destroyers Of the Conservative party.