Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-10-01

.s<9 $50 h
but no Nevberry came. The press
of the.city spread our paucity OF
names each morning before the pub
lie, and there was no Newberry there
lie did not deign to come in hearing
distance. He stayed away in cOm-
pany with the Funders, at the head
of whom stood his brother Senator,
Bradley i. Johnston. He simply
would not have anything to do with
us, So if you wish me to forsake
Richmond to vote for Newberry, |
cannot do it. | cannot trust him
even to readjust his own Funding
Bill. When ever we are readjusting
l shall oppose the putting of Funders
OH guard.
Now as to Governor NcMulIin,
with whom | wish to deal kindly,
| remember that I was in the Abing>
don Caucus" Make what you
please of that. I care not who knows
it. 1t was called to defeat McMullin A.,
why? Because while lie professed to
be for readjustment, he wished to do
all the readjusting himself, would
no; allow the Readjusters to name
their own leader, would not 90 into
conference or consultation with them.
He claimed the right divine to lead
our hosts whether we wished him or
not. In that caucus we determined,
as | understand it, to favor a conven>
ton Of the Conservative party. We
believed we could control it. | so
believed and | so declared. Up to
that time the FunderS had declared
we wished a scrub race. In more
than one issue of the Ns,Cs thereaf-
ter, ! said if the District Committee
would call the Convention, the BriS-
tol Meas would sustain it. | meant
what | said. | was chairman of my
county committee Of the COnServa-
tive party, 1t seems to me sir that
| was bound to walk out into disgrace,
and acknowledge my own dishonor of
| had not abided the action Of that
Convention. Il seemed to me then
and does now, it was our own Child
| had asked the people to respond to
the call of the District Committee
by sending delegates to it. found
Gov. McMullin fighting these efforts
on our part. He went everywhere
over the district. aud appealed to the
people not to listen to rs, not to re-
spond to the call. He denounced
the convention in advance, He
broke up the meeting in Scott. He
prevented action in Russell. He said
he would beat our man or, if failed to
beat him, would cripple him for life.
l grant oa if the Convention had
nominated a funder, l could not have
advocated his election. But [ said
they had nominated Greenbacker
and a Readjuster. The convention
declined to take any action at all on
the platform. l regretted that
But We had appealed to Caesar,
against McMullin. Richmond was
nominated. | had failed of my
man and my friend, but it gave us a
man who was in sympathy with us. -
To have refused him would have been
to let go the principle and lose my
man-both. 1t certainly seemed this
way to me, and does yet. Then [
saw that our friends proposed no new
was left to choose be-
tween Newberry, McMullin and Rich
mond. Newberry had caused all this
trouble about the principles. Nc
Mullin had caused all this trouble
about our man. | chose Richmond,
and though [ lost my man, [ saved
my principles, and thought saved
my integrity, for after all there is to
me a question of honor in all this
matter.
Now, [ have been forced to say all
his. have tried to keep from saying
t. l have wished silence on these
points. I do not blame one of my old
friends for seeing otherwise. They may
De right and L wrong. But, as refuse
o go back on my principles, shall
yer refuse to go back on my friends.
4 for this matter OF conscience and
Judgment on my part they shall
moose to burn me at the stake of pub
ic opinion, 1 shall consent to die or
o into the Punishment of perfectly
,rivate life before l shall ever appeal
o my old enemies to save me.
I. C. FOWLER.