Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-01-16
VIRGINIA POLITICS.
THE ELECTION OF JUDaEs-wHAT THE
PRESS SAYS.

adJuster caucus. Col. Robt. Johnston has
been elected Judge of Rockingham, Geo.
r.. Calvert. reelected in Shenandoah and
James T. Patton, in Rockbridge.
THE ELECTION OF COUNTY JUDGES.
The election of County Judges seems to
be creating considerable difficulty in. the
Readjuster camp as well as at the outposs.
A turbulent meeting of the party was held
at Alexandria and divisions have occurred
elsewhere. Taking men from other eoun-
ties is also creating row. Edmund g.
Waddlll of Hanover was elected county
Judge of Henrico. The Dispatch" speak
ing of one of the caucuses says:
This was one of the stormiest caucuses
the ReadjusterS have yet had. At times
it seemed that f0me of the Hon. mem
bers" would come to close quarters. The
trouble originated in motion OF Mr.. HID
dleberger to reconsider the nomination OF
Mr.. Shumate as judge for Fauquier coun-
ty. He said that Mr.. Shumate was not
properly qualified for the position, and
would have to cope with one Of the ablest
bars in the State. In the course OF his re-
marks, stating what judge ought to be,
he declared that had he been present he
would not have voted for Mr.. Mays as
Judge of BQtetourt. His language was
construed by some of the members as re-
| Aecting upon them, and then followed a
very spicy debate. Mr.. Riddleberger made
as he always does, very gallant tight. but
| it was Intellectual. His motion went down
before Overwhelming numbers and re-
sources
OF another caucus the "State' says:
There was considerable talk around the
Capitol this morning over the contest for
Judge of Mecklenburg county in the Read
justers' caucus. Henry Wood (present in
cumbent) was first nominated by a vote OF
"a to 80 for William TOwnes, Jr. But the
friends of the latter demanded reconsid-
Grafton, and after a bitter fight TONNES
was declared nominated. In this contest
Ross Hamilton and the other col0red Re-
publicans vol the day, or rather the night.
1t is stated on very good authority that If
TONNES had not been nominated the Re-
publicans would have bolted, and this
would have been the last caucus in which
they would have participated. In this in
stance the majority had to come down to
the minority. Wood was Gen. Mah0ne's
man, and his defeat is the first actual kick
against the 0ne-man power.
1t has been noticed that the nomination
of judge for Albermarle, though nong
the first that came in order, has been
often postponed. At last, on Monday
night the caucus nominated o. w. Purvis.
On Tuesday morning when the election
came on the following protest, signed by
the Republican senator and the Concerva-
tive and Readjuster delegates from Albe-
marie was read in the House:
'sWhereas the name of o. w. Purvis
having been presented to the General As
sembly as judge for the county of Albe-
marie, the undersigned, comprising the
entire delegation from said county, and
representing all shades of politically opinion,
most earnestly protest against such an in
dignity as his election implies being offer
ed to our county and the people whom we
represent. v
Purvls, from his early manhood, has been
regarded as dishonest, corrupt, fraudu-
lent aud untruthful man, and under no
circumstances could he be elected to any
office in the gift OF the people Of Allie
marie.
E. W. EARLY,
r. T. W. DUKE.
:. THOMAS l.. NICHE"
Mr.. Duke, of Aibemarle, then offered
the following resolution:
Whereas the name Of o. W. Purvis has
been presented o the Legislature of Viz
| ginia as suitable person Tor county judge
OF the county of Albem .rle, and 1t has
been stated upon the floor Of the House OF
Delegates that he is not a tit person TO
hold said Office, an office which, in adj
dition to the ordinary duties devOlved
upon the judge, has imposed upon it the
| high trust of faithfully disbursing each
year the sum of some thirty or forty thous-
and dollars of trust funds belonging to
that muniicent charity known as the
ssMiller Manual Labor School," for the
faithful disbursement of which no security
can be required; and whereas, in the
opinion of this House, no person shall be
i elected to this most important position OF
! honor and trust whose integrity is not
above suspicion, and, on the other hand,
no citizen should be condemned without
hearing; therefore belt
Resolved by the House of Delegates 1.-THE
Senate concurring), That The joint order
for the election Of Judge of the county of
] Albemarle be postponed until Monday, the
18th day Of February next.
| I'd. That a committee, consisting of
three members on the part OF the House
and two on the part of the Senate, be ap-
pointed to inquire into the facts in regard
| to the moral fitness of the said Purvis for
| the high and responsible Office to which he
| aspires; that said committee have power
| to send for persons and papers and that
| they also have power to appoint a sub
| committee to visit the county OF Abe
| marie and take testimony, such testimony
| to be reduced to writing and reported to
tho committee, said committee shall, so
soon as q full examination has been made,
make report and return the evidence
taken. s..
| This resolution was adopted. In the SEN
ate Mr.. Early, in protesting against the
election of o. W. Purvis as county judge
| of Albemarle, stated that he had a paper
largely signed by members of all parties,
| denouncing him as corrupt. untruthful
| and fraudulent man. Mr.. Early said that
| the people did not ask for Funder or for
| the present incumbent, but they did ask
| for decent man.
| Mr.. Paul, as usual, the spokesman of his
party on these occasions, warmly defended
| Purvis, the caucus nominee.
| Mr.. Early stated that if the Readjusters
| chose to force this man on the people
| they could do so, but he wanted the mat
| ter placed on record that they had done so
| in defiance of the almost unanimous voice
of the people and in defiance of public
decency.
When the House joint resolution post
pOning the election was received, Mr.. Paul
offered to strike out February 10Th and in
sert January 18th. 1t was defeated and
then on motion of Mr.. Fulkerson the cleo
ton was postponed until January 2Srd.
WHAT THE PAPERS SAY
We conclude that this provision of our
State Constitution [the prepayment of the
| canitation taxi is good and Salutary one,
infiicting no wrong upon any person, do
| ing no violence to the right of any citizen.
but merely requiring him to do his duty to
his State, for the protection she affords
him, before seeking voice in the manage
| mont nf her affairs and thereby reaching