The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-10-28
Last Saturday Night.

District, was announced to speak in thu
Opera House last Saturday night. He is ;
colored man of respectable and reputable
character. and from what we have heard O.
| him-fOr we have not met him-is fail
and just man. He was accompanied by
Messrs. Geo. W. Fisher and A B. Parker
OF Charlottesville, two colored men of tai
ent and political note in their county. There
was no disposition to treat these strangers
personally, with disrespect on the part Of
the colored Republicans of Stanton. But
believing the candidacy of MIR. Moseley
was designed to aid the Bourbon Dem.
ocratic faction of this district, and in
that to damage the Republican party,
they did not attend to hear the speakers
The fact that the arrangements for the
speaking and the management OF the pro
ceedings seemed to be directed by the DEM
ocratic Bourbons who are the peculiar
champions of the white mans party"
convinced the colored Republicans OF
Staunton that it was not respect for Nose
ley, but hatred to the Republican party,
that was at the bottom of it. 1t was a
scheme to divide the Republicans, and thus
weaken and demoralize their forces. and
with that the colored people determined to
have nothing to do. Only about eight or
ten coiored persons were present at first,
and about forty or fifty OF the Bourbon
faction. We did not learn the line of re-
mark of either of them, except the opinion
was expressed that Mr.. Parker made agood
speech, and showed unusual information
and ability for one of his opportunities. Mr..
Mosely was courteous. modest and cOnser-
vative in what he said, and uttered no word
to give offence. Mr.. Aaron Shoveler pre-
sided, and Henry L. Williams, colored,' re-
piled to Mr.. Parker.
While the meeting in the Opera House
was being held at cost Of $25 for rent,
between 300 and 400 Republicans were
assembled in the Club room in the
speeches were made. and resolution Of
tered by Mr.. F. Il. Ware, unanimously
adopted, and communicated to Mr.. MOseley,
respectfully requesting him to withdraw
from the field as candidate, in the inter-
est of harmony and the Republican party.
While the two meetings were in session,
message from prominent Funder Demo
crat was sent to the leader Of the colOred
ban ], who was in the other meeting, offer
ing SIS if the band would come to the OPP
era House and play three tunes. The re-
spouse was returned that the proposition
would not be accepted if the amount was
increased to 800.
The game that is attempted to be played
with Moseley as the figure-head, by the
Bourbons, is too transparent. Only few
days ago they scattered a circular through
the streets of Stanton, calling upon all
white men to vote against Hon. John Paul.
because the Harrisonburg Post, edited by
colored man, had declared for Mr.. Paul for
Congress. So repulslve was the exercise OF
the indubitable right of the Post editor TO
support his own townsman, that these same
Bourbons, who encouraged and f1attered
Moseley, mot that they intended to vote for
him but to strengthen themselves by dividing
the Republicans,) appealed to race preju
dices to impair the chances OF one of their
own race, and carry out their difficult and
now hopeless scheme of perpetuating their
power in the State and this district. The
colored people cannot be misled and de-
luded by such pretense and blind. They
understand their interests and rights as
we'll as their political enemies can tell them,
and it will not be long before Moseley too
will see into the little game that is being
attempted. 1t will certainly fail, and ought
to fail.
The relentless abuse. denunciation, and
villifcation of the Republican candidate for
President and party in this contest, by the
Bourbon faction, has had the effect'to drive
from them all who have been controlled by
conservative influences. Republicans are
and they are just as liable to resent insult
and repel aggression, as other people.
They would be less than men were they to
cooperate in any political movement with
those who had used SANDER and misrepre-
sentation and hate and malice as their
weapons Of political warfare; who have found
no epithet too vile and no SANDER too mon
strous to hurl at the Republican party and
Republican candidates. Republicans owe
it to themselves to- appeal to all honorable
and legitimate means to vindicate them
selves from these reckless assaults. and
break the power of the faction which resorts
to them. And this they mean to do, and
no transparent device or designing strategy
will in the least arrest their purpose or
modify their resolve.
COURT DAY.-Last Monday was county
court day. A very large number of the citi-
zens of the county were in the city, and poll
tics seemed to be the uppermost subject in the
minds of most of them The Courthouse.
during the political discussion, was crowded
to its utmost capacity-the galleries with
colored people and the lower floor with whites
At least one-third of the whites were republi-
cans. We have never seen as full an attend
ance, at any time, at political debate, of re-
Large numbers who had not heard political
speech for years were present and remained in
the courthouse until the discussion was con-
cluded. The formidable array of republican
strength and the ardent pleasure they ex-
perienced in hearing the cause they believe in
maintained by one Of their own countymen,
was surprise to the Bourbons. It indicated
a determined purpose to push things" and
stubbornly contest every inch of ground from
now until the close of the day on the I'd Nov.
We have never known such an earnest and
fixed purpase on the part of the republicans to
do their full duty and exhaust all honorable
means to increase the vote of the county The
malignant meanness of the Bourbon fac
ton of the democracy, and the yituperation
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