Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1879-12-16

Am aold Line WIN GO ON Hon. Rennstt
Rayner for Vice President

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RICHMOND, VA, Dee. 10, 1879.
Mr.. EDITOR: The Virginia friends
OF Judge Kenneth Rayner, at present
Solicitor of the Treasury, at Washing
ton, are talking him up with great
earnestness as an available candidate
for the Vice-P Presidency on the Repub-.
lican ticket in 1880. They say that bis
great personal popularity in North
Carolina would enable him to carry
that State beyond peradventure, with
the chances greatly in his favor of
securing the electoral vote of Virginia.
While my individual preferences are.
for Hon. Horace Maynard, it yet be-
comes my duty, as a party man, to ex1
anime into the availability Of Judge
Rayner, for it will behoove US next
year to make a ticket which will COM
mand the party's strength, even ifIiu
does not secure accessions from the
opposition. Mr.. Rayner's friends point
with pride to the ante-bellum days
when he so ably represented one of thu
North Carolina Districts for four sue;
cessive terms in Congress. AS a de-
batter he took rank with the foremost
men CT his day; even Henry Clay not
forgetting to allude to him. as his
"brilliant'youn friend from the old
N,rth State" And then, too,T he
came within two votes of being elected
to the United States Senate from his
native State, the presidency of his
friends in standing by his fortunes
preventing an election for nearly two
months. In 1856, dissatisfied portion
Of the Wing party held convention
in New York city and nominated
Commodore Stockton, OF New jersey.
for President, and Judge. Rayner for
Vice President. But the true pride of
the old Wing party was so thoroughly
instilled within those gentlemen
that they declined to lead the
bolt, land heartily supported the regular
| Wing nominee, Mr.. fillmore In that
campaign Judge Rayner took the
stump in Philadelphia. He also made
| speeches IN otner Northern cities, but
it was in the former city that he rem.
dered the most brilliant service on the
stump. Old Wings of that city are
wont to recount Rayner's brilliant
efforts in that campaign, and they de-
clare that had he gone to Philadelphia
a week earlier, Pennsylvania would
/ have been saved, as Mr. Buchanan
carried the State by only email ma
jority of 700.
The Catholics of the entire country
would feel most kindly to the candI-
dacy of Judge Rayner, for when he
was scarcely twenty two years old, he
lifted his voice in Constitu
tional Convention in North Car
oIina in favor of the adoption
removing all restrictions from The
| Catholics, and thus enabling them te
hold offices of profit and trust ia tina
State. That was one Of the ablest
efforts of his life, and called forth the
warmest Communications from Chic
| Justice CASTOR, and other NORTH
4. Carolina statesmen. Of that day
| Although sixty-five years of age, Mr.
Rayner has lost none of his ancient
| vigor, and is one of the most foFcIbl;
writers and speakers in the country
His opinions as Solicitor Of the Treas
ury are commended for their ability
and terseness, and he has at all times
aided Secretary Sherman's ef
forts to guard the Treasury agains
undeserving claimants. He is &
profound lawyer, and his services
as a Judge, of the Alabama Claims
Com mission merited and received tht
warmest commentator from the Sec
rotary of State, Hon. Hamilton Fish
and others of the ablest lawyers in the
country. Southern Republicans have
their Horace Maynard, and other COCO
material from which to select Vice
| Presidential candidate, but it would be
/ difficult for them to find man who
would enthuse the masses more effect
ually than would our old leader, Ken
meth Rayner. address you this com
munication, as yours is the most inf1u
entail Republican paper in the South
l. Az Faithfully yours,
OLD LINE WIG