National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1880-02-10
THE VIRGINIA SITUATION.
R1cHMnNn. Fnhrnnrv Z. 1888

THE VIRGINIA SITUATION.
RICHMOND, February 7, 1880.
To he Editor Of The National Republican:
SIR; In your editorial headed "rho Nir'
ginia outlook, d" edition ofthe 9th inst, you say
| that
From tholatest adviceS that como up from Virginia
the danger that the real sentiment ofthe state may
be misrcprcsaned ut Chicago. This apprehension is
based upon the action of the Federal oilce-holdors
| at Richmond, who seem inspired with the purpose
of overcoming the sentiment Of tho rank and Tile or
the party with the engine of official power. AZ the
meeting of the State Committee all the Internal
Revenue Collectors and all the Collectors Of Gus
toms present were there In the interest of Secretary
SHERMAN, and 1t is Opprchendcd that they may,
through the agency of official patronage, secure
delegation from that State TO the Chicago Conven-
ton in his interest IL Is well known, nevertheless
that such delegation will In no fair degree repre-
| sent the known sentiment and wishes OF the l'c-
| publican masses, and we 6ppreheud none know
| the fact better than those who are now confront
| ing public sentiment in this behalf.
have no idea that you wish to do injustice
to any one and that your article was based
| upon information which you regarded as rcli'
able. The facts are that the committee met
with closed dOors-no outsiders admitted.
Seventeen members out Of twenty-sevou were
| present in person. OF this number nine were
not Federal otlice.hoders, and Of the eight
| that WERE not one, except Colonel BRADY,
was Collector of Internal Revenue, and not
one Collector of Customs. Ofthe twcnty.throe
/ members present In person aud by proxy, the
| representation was twelve nou'Federal office.
holders to eleven Federal otlice-holders. At
| the conference of Republicans in the city, held
on tho same night in the United States court
room, of the ten speakers who addressed the
large meeting. three were Federal otilce-hold-
| ers and seven were not.
During the session Of tho committee once
| only was any reference made to the Presi-
dental nomination, and then in q jocular
manner. Every one seemed to be actuated by
| q desire to work for tho good Of the whole
party, aud to thoroughly reorganizo it for tho
1 fall campaign-sO organized that It's full
strength would be thrown for the nominee Of
| the Chicago convention SO far as | could
judge, am of the opinion that tho leading
| Republicans here at the meeting of the COM
mitteo were in favor of not instructing our
| delegates to the National Convention; but not
because they have notdividcd and decided per-
sonal preferences as to who shall BIO the nominee
but because of the condition of the Republican
party in this State--preferring rather to select
good delegates, true and tried, and trust to
| their wisdom and discretion. No man can
certainly Say how many tenths, or any tenths
at all, of the Republicans Of Virginia are for
this, that or the other candidate for nomina-
ton. They are trying to close up their ranks
on tho nominee Very truly yours.
ARTHUR A. SPITZER,
Sec'y Rep. Elk. Com. of Virginia.
We give the above entire, not because it
corrects any misstatements that we have
been betrayed into under false information,
but for the reason that common courtesy
counsels us to the act. We cannot discover
wherein the statements of Mr.. SPITZER es-
tablish any different condition Of things in
which lie cites as the basis of q difference
if any exists. The information furnished
us is regarded as perfectly reliable, and il
is in effect that the Federal office-holders
at Richmond and elsewhere are actively
engaged in manipulating delegates in the
interest of Secretary SHERMAN, who is
their chief officer. Whether this be a just
allegation or not, we will not assume to
decide Our correspondent neither admits
nor denies it emphatically. We re-
greet that he does not deny posi-
lively that the Federal office-holder!
present were favorable to the np
pointment of SHERMAN delegates-for i
would afford us pleasure to make such al
, announcement. We desire to accept il, a
that would exonerate the Administration
{ from the charge of openly violating its owl
arbitrary and stringent rules of Civil
Service While we do not admire thos
rules we insist that they shall be as rigdl,
enforced against the head of Department
MS against clerk who serves the Govern
ment under him, and we do so in the inter
est of consistency and common justice. i
the people of Virginia desire to be repre-
scented in Chicago in the interest of Sec
rotary SHERMAN, that is all right. w
have no word to utter against that, for 1t
their right and privilege, All We ask
, that the people shall be truthfully an
, faithfully represented, and that, too, with
q out any infraction Of the rules of Civ
Service which have been laid down by thi
! Administration as the guide of its official
f in their political action. We applaud an
: honest effort on the part of Virginia Repul
, licans "to close up their ranks on til
nominee" whoever he may be. We al
heartily in accord with them in such Il
A effort