The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-08-26
The Charlottesville Convention

of the State Central Committee from the
District. constituting the Congressional
Committee, stated the object of the Con-
venton to be to consider the expediency
of nominating candidate for Congress-"
All the counties were represented except
Highland and Page, which, under the ap-
portionment designated by the Committee,
were entitled to delegates. The entire
delegation was composed of 13l delegates,
apportioned as follows: Albemarle AS;
Augusta 26; Bath 2; Fluvanna IA; Gooch-
land 16; Greene 4 :; Highland l; Page 4;
Rockingham 10; Shenandoah 6.
From the reports of the proceedings we
have seen in the Charlottesville Chronicle
and Staunton indicator. and from dele
gates who were present. it seems the object
OF some of the delegates was not so much
to consider the expediepcy of nominating
Republican candidate for Congress in this
district, as to devise ways and means to
elect Capt. John Paul, the Democatic Re
adjusters' nominee, over Judge Allen, the
Democratic Funder nominee. 1t was appa-
rent that a decided majority of the dele
gates were favorable to straight Republic
can nomination. but by the modern inven-
ton of fillibustering, degree of confusion
was effected, that prevented for time this
object being accomplished. After a contin-
uous session, lasting from II a. m. of We'd
nesday to 3o'clock a. NJ, Thursday, during
u,hi al tnJ
to break up the Convention, or prevent the
majority from exercising it's rightful and
legitimate authority, nomination was eff
fected. This end was reached after num-
Der of delegates had left and an arbitrary an
nouncement by two chairmen that the
Convention stood adjourned, in defiance Of
the will of the majority of the representa-
| tives of the district. A clear case Of bribe-
| ry was exposed. in which a delegate from
Rockingham, DR.. W. j. Points, offered $35
for the thirty votes of Goochland and Flu
wanna. the object of which was to defeat a
Republican nomination, and aid in the
election of the Democratic Re-adjusters'
nominee. This disreputable transaction
was performed by a person., the said DR..
Points, who went to the Convention after
he had pledged his vote to Paul, and de-
clared that he would not support the Re-
publican nominee, should a nomination be
ton, under such circumstances, with the
proxy of Shenandoah county and the prox-
les OF three or four delegates from Rock
ingham, in his pocket, nothing better than
the attempt to bride a delegate could have
been expected from him. The excuse, as we
have been informed, for such procedure,
was the alleged use Of money on the part
of those favoring a Republican nomination,
upon Republican platform, in the inter-
est OF the Republican party. When this al
legation was confronted with the request
that the parties furnishing the money
should be designated, the surmise was Of
| fered that the Funder Democrats of Char
lottesvlle had supplied it
We know nothing of the transactions, the
sHrmses, or the methods, further than we
have seen in the papers, and heard from
| delegates. The writer of this was not
present, although delegate chosen. for the
reason that he did not care to participate in
| the proceedings of a body and sustain line
| of policy, which, if adopted, would result in
his own nomination, for it was conceded by
those who opposed and those who supported
the policy of nominating, if it were carried
out, he would be the choice of the COnven-
| ton. We did not want the nomination, for
the simple reason that our present duties are
more congenial to our taste, education and
aspirations, and in attending to sthem we
have to perform more labor than one man
ought to undertake. But we had stated,
notwithstanding a constitutional aversion to
becoming candidate for popular suffrage,
and conviction that we can be of more
service to the party in the calling which
has been the study of our life, than in any
other position, that if the nomination were
to be rendered us by the Convention, in order
to perfect Republican organization and carry
out policy we believe to be essential to the
best interests of the party, now and here
after, whether successful in this contest or
not. we would accent.
This conclusion was reached after mature
| reflection and a stubborn conflict between
our inclination and sense of duty to our
self and duty to the party. But it presup-
posed that the Convention was called and
| assembled in good faith to consider the
expediency of a nomination." and that the
usage of such bodies would be observed in
| the submission of the minority to the will
of the majority, and the result receive the
earnest support of those who had partici
| pated in the deliberations of the Conven-
| ton. But it seems that it was not to
consider the eXpediency of 4 nomination"
| and to abide the decision of a majority of
the delegates, but to defeat nomination
under any circumstances, and falling in
that, to break up the Convention, in the
hope, doubtless, of advancing the interests
of the Democratic Re-adiuster nominee in
this District. Delegates in the Convention,
who went there ostensibly to consider the
expediency of making nomination, de-
clared, after they found they could not de-
feat a nomination by legitimate methods,
|
that they would not support the nominee,
were one presented.
| We did not understand that there was
objection urged to the person whom a ma
| jority of the delegates had determined to
nominate, without any solicitation or desire
| for such recognition from him. except in
| the case of two of the delegates-Dr. Points
and DR.. Michewho urged some imaginary
| objections, of which we had never heard,
and about which we do not care fig. The
| objection of others was to any nomination
| at all The general Judgment in and out of
the District. so far as we have any means of
knowing. was that larger Rep ublican
| vote, and larger support from the opposite
party, would be given to US than to any other
Republican in the District. 1t was this as
surance which caused us to give reluctant
consent to accepting the nomination, should