The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-23
A Faithful Portrait.

About one brief year ago Dr. s. H. Moffett /,
was the subject of liberal comment by tho
Funder press of Virginia, and his installations
on the subject of the public debt the occasion
of some tart paragraphs. About every moon
the Doctor took fresh position, induced so to
do, some were illiberal enough to charge in Or
der to "hedge" on his bell punch, and save
that bantling from the doom which seemed to
impend over it, and which finally SWAMP ped if.
The same gentleman, as one of the factotums
of the Rockingham Register, has been devoting
his time to resurrecting editorials written by
the senior editor of the VIRGINIAN half gen.
Grafton age, forgetfll of his own inconsistencies
and the tergiversations Of which he has been
guilty The difference between the Doctor anil
ourself is this-we have changed our party re-
lations since 1866, openly renowned the views
we then held, and given our reasons therefor.
He does not acknowledge to have changed but
exhibits record of twisting, lodging, squirm-
and vascillation, that argue the absence of all
conviction and justifes the harshest Judgment
upon the sincerity Of his motives.
The Richmond Dispatch of September Goth,
1S79 which now has nothing but fulsome eu-
logy for the Doctor, draws the following faith
full portraiture of him as a public man.
DIR. Moffett, we learn from the Staunton VALLEY
VIRGINIAN, is a candidate for the Legislature from
Rockingham county the side OF the vindictive ag-
tatorS We confess that we had at time the hopo
that he would join the party of the Commonwealth
which favors the debt settlement We did think that
he would have the wisdom and independence to imi-
tate the patriotic example of the Rockingham Regis
ter, and go for the maintenance of the debt settle
ment of last winter We were justified in hoping
for this because his conversation last winter wax
almost tantamount to pledge that he would oppose
never felt that he could be trusted implicitly We
were panied to be compelled to put little trust in
him. Therefore, while we have been disappointed,
we can say most sincerely that our disappointment
has not been great.
1t is plain now that Malone had him by the
bilious and his hold upon him was too strong to be
shaken off. We know him well. He has much IA
ciliy Of DISCOURSE and is quite fertile in expediens
and manPuverfng. With little more backbone he
would be more useful man. and are sure,
happier one. We have never known 50 clever man,
mentally speaking, who was so much dfstrusted as
Dr. Mofett On the question to the public debt he
has been uncertain that his most intimate friends
never knew where to put him. and at last he mas IL
Illustrated that fatality which almost always falls to
the lot of such undecided men as himself He has
come out on the wrong side. We fear that is ever
to be his fate. He is a popular man. and Rocking
ham Is to be pftied in the oft-repeated danger she
has of sending representative in the Doctor, who
Is 50 little to be trusted. The doubt that has long
continued about hi opinions has caused his friends
to drift from side to side in stating his views until
of his mind. His extreme indecision Is such he has
been suspected time and again of abSenting himself
from the halls of legislation to avoid VOTE He
manned away long time winter, it was sus-
pected, to avoid VOTE and made his appearance
soon after the question had been settled We rather
suspect public opinion did the Doctor injustice for
he was absent under the plea of ill-health, and
would not by any means say that 1t was affected.
But he has doubt himself discovered that his
peculiarties naturally rise to suspicious of his
motives frequently.
The feeling towards DR.. Moffett is unquestionably
kind, with all the doubts that attend upon him. He
has been in the habit of holding with the hare and
running with the hounds. He has coquetted with
the ag1tatorS and ripped with the repudators and in
the midst Of his strange capers has been employing
his most artful methods to induce the Legislature
to adopt his SsMoffetJ punch register So he went
for revenue while covertly helping those who de-
sired to defeat revenue, assisted them while
ertly pushing his s'Mofett register by which he
hoped to make few thousands of dollars. e.,
with the Moffett patent. And such was the kindness
towards the Doctor that the Legislature adopted his
patent Notwithstanding what we think 10 be bet
ter patent was brought into competition with his,
and would have prevailed but for the personal eff
forts of the silvertongued representative Of Rock
1ngham county. That same competing register has
obtained some advantages of the Doctor in of
the Southern States, and the contest between the
two is still going
Dr. Moffett has certainly confused his friends very
much, and occaSoned no little trouble. We should
be much concerned about the matter but that we
have had great deal of experience, and know that
men like the Doctor have their day, and that they
capable of doing great deal Of harm.