The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-09-02
Communicated.


HARRIsoNBURG, VA,
August %, 1880
MAI. s. M. YoST-
Senior Editor 9th ValIey VirgintGn
S1R-In your issue of the Goth inst, lind two ar
tlces; local on your third page, and the other
an editorial your second pago touching the late
Republican Convention at Charlottesville which re-
uuire notice at my hands, Panied as was by their
perusal and painful 1t is to to enter the news
paper with matter personal to myself, which pain
Is intensified by the reflection, that one, between
whom and myself there has existed almost llfe-
time of friendship and confidence has contessedly
upon mere hearsay, suffered himself to do me a
great wrong, and under the influence or personal
cast publicly an 1mputation upon
e,wholly unjusted by any facts In the case, yet1
must make answer to these articles, ana give all
emphatic denial to the charges they contain against
me, and also demand that you give this, my defense
and to your charges, the same vehicle OF &C
your readers, that you have chosen for your
attack upon me.
First. There was re-adjuster wing to the con-
vention. There was portion of the convention op-
posed to the nomination of a Republican candidate
for Congress, or to the endorsementby the conVen-
ton of either of the Democratic nominees; but In
favor of no nomination, with individual Republicans
left free to vote for either Allen Paul, as they
might PREFER not at all, II they deemed that the
best policy. They were In favor of neither playing
John Pauls fiddle, Aliens fiddle, at least as q
party.
Second. There was no arbitrary adjournment of
the convention. motion was made, not at oclook,
but at near 3o'cock Thursday morning, by an advo-
cate of northumberland seconded by another adyo-
cate of the same policy, that the convention adj
journ. Some recollect the time of adjournment, by
this motion, to have been to the call of the same au
thorty that originally convened the convention. 9th
ers, and among them the Permanent Chairman, re-
member 1t las motion to adjourn sine die ThereWas
Secretaryin place after O'Clock and hence no re-
was regularly put by the chair, and carried by an
almost unanimous voice. And thus and then the
Permanent Chairman declared the convention ad-
journed
Third I, DR.. Points, did not either publicly or
qriuately acknowledge that attempted to bride
delegates vote, for the sum of $35, or any other
sum, and for the simple reason that had not done
50. 1 stated that was aware that bribery was at
tempted both sides, and that was equally aware
that effected by the advocates of nomination,
but not effected by the opponents to nomination,
am aware of the sources of the money on both
sides, at least 1 credibly informed of their
sources. But deny that ever had any converse
ton with the party 1t is alleged bribed attempt
ed to bribe Chisholm Of Louisa, pretending to rep
resent by proxy the cout1eS Of Goochland and Flu
wanna, in regard to his vote, until after the Perma
nent Chairman was elected, and he, Chisholm, had
addressed me note, Il suppose regarding me as
leader Of the opposition to nomination. in which
he 1ntimated follows: that had made sono
statement to him, in answer to which he had prom
ised me his votes. at once sought him, ne was
pointed out to me, as could not recognize him,
and he acknowledged that was not the person who
had conferred with him, but said that he had agreed
with person to vote for my resolution holding 1t to
| be ineXped1ent TO make nomination, put that
was not the person. He then said that all he want
ed was know, that If he stood up to his contract
he would be to get the S35, agreed to be paid
| him. 1 told him that did not have the money, or
even it's control, had had it, but that had
been informed that he had offered to sell himself
the support of my resolution for $780, and that was
sure that II he stood up to his sale, from what
knew Of the parties who were supposed to have the
money, he would get 1t. In passing mere Will say,
| that was aware Of the fact that Chisholm had,
| early In the day, sought an interview with MIR.
Lewis and requested his advice to his action up
on the question of nomination. And that when Mr..
| Lewis had given him the views which 1mpeled him
| to oppose nomination., Cnlsholm haa re-
| sponded, "those are my sentiments, and the
sentiments Of those represent had also good rea-
believe that theRepublicans of Goochland and
| FIuvanna were opposed to a nomination. had also
| been informed that Chisholm had afterwards been
| convinced In favor of nomination, and had after
that made offer to oppose nomination If he was
given $780, but finally agreed to take $780, After my
statement to him, he expressed himself satisfied,
| made any such Acknowledgement your paper
charges me with, or used any language that could
fairly or truthfully be so construed and deny that
there were any ground 1of any Sucn acKnoWleuSe-
ment on my part.
Fourth. deny that either my wing of the conven-
ton or myself, guilty of any diatory acts,
| which were not fully warranted by usual and uni
yersally accepted parliamentary practice We used
all the parliamentary tactics at hand TO delay inc
contamination Of what we earnestly deemed would
be fatal to Republican interest In the District II dis
order there was it was kept up by the majority We
stood on the floor of the convention, nomnally 40 In
opposition nomination, to II in favor of nomt
nation. With this showtng If the II were properly
and fairly constituted body, why 1t that for
moro than fifteen hours mere minority were en-
abled successfully to combat nomination, until
finally the advocates of nomination, great ma
1or1ty, nearly to one, gave up the contest, and
adjourned the convention confess that during the
whole time, knowing our comparative numerical
for the previous question: would defeat u.s. and most
probably bring on nomination. 1 was surprised al
the delay on the part of our opponent. And often
suspected that there rotten spot at the Of
this apparent great majority Developments since
the prove to me tn t
lest the secret work which had manufactured this
apparent majority should be developed, and they
should be driven in confusion from the Convention
From these developments now assert and 1t Is sus
ceptible of proof that the Chisholm proxies from
| Goochland and Fluvanna Goth probably, the las
| false
Charlottesvillea the house of prominent advocate
| of nomination, who up to the night previous tc
| the convention, had been earnest opponent to
nomination, but who between the arrival of the
train from staunton on that day, and 7 o'clock Of
that evening had been convinced by some arguments
and thus converted to the support OF nomination.
also assert and it is also susceptible of proof tina
three forged and false proxies romAlbemarle count!
| were used in favor of nomination. I am alst
aware that there were really five votes from Angus
ia county which were opposed to d nomination
whilst the solid vote of the county was always cas-
by the Chairman of the Delegation for nomination
Now deduct these 38 false votes from the II IN favo
of nomination, and we have only 80 for a nomina
ton. Add the three Albemarle votes, and the fv
Augusta votes, eight In all, to the 40 opposed to
nomination. which will increase that vote to 4S. Thu
we have fair status of the real votes in the con
vention 4S against nomination to 80 for nomi
ton These facts existed at that time, were know
- | by some of wing, could have been proved thel
there, and hence the timidity of this great ar
parent majority land the final victory Of the m1nor
q | ty by the surrender Of the majority.
n A word now, as to the charge that went to tn
convention pledged to Paul, and determined not t
abide by the action of the convention, In the even
a nomination made. In a conversation wit
h you two days prior to the convention, when yo
were beseeching me to submit to the nomination of
: Republican candidate in this District, told yo
l. there had been no more common understanding
the world, than that in the rank and file of our pal
ty, everywhere in the District that 1t was 1neXped
: emit to make nomination in this District, and tina
e that understanding had been arrived at, as muc
J., | from the expression and influence from you, a
:, | from any other source. That after that commo
understanding, and many others had pledged oul
selves to the support of Paul. and possibly other
l. had pledged themselves to the support of the NOM
!, nee of the other wing of the Democracy That nov
Icould not see how the action of latter day, atel
l thought convention, could relieve these persona
eel pledges. But that should go to the convention
light against nomination, and If defeated, do th
best could. On the floor of the convention, and
private conversation with of your eadingfrienG
in the convention, said plainly that If the CONVEX
ton, against my Judgment, against the force
plain reason, and the stern logic of undeniable fac
- and figures, made nomination, could only say
the nominee, sat the command of the convention,
It unjust give you my vote, but beyond this you Cal
ssnot command my services, my time or my talents
le Thus stood then, thus stand now propose to
If still what have been since 1856, Republican, u
w compromising, and always ready to do, serve an
sacrifice for the best interests of the party But
cannot willingly yield my Judgment as to those be
1