The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-01
Gen. wickham's Letter.

fitil OcH. "chudm Ill the campaign OF 1851
nd that of 1881, up to the time of the
4ynchburg Convention. to lay his views
'efore our readers, would intimate that we
ndorse all he says, did we not state where
n we disagree with him. His terse and
rigorous reference to the campaign of 1880 |
will be recognized by all who are acquainted |
with the facts of the case as Just and prop
sr. Had the Republicans Of Virginia been
heartily sustained by the authorities of the
National Republican party outside Of the
State, and the treachery and deception of
few selfish members of the party in
the State rebuked as became their conduct, ,
the electoral vote Of Virginia would have
been given to the Chicago nominees for
President and Vice President, and that
without any compromise Of a single princi-
pie or interest of the party.
K Hal dissension not, been sown in our ranks
since that time, and the whole strength OF
the party been concentrated upon its recog-
ni2ed principles. in perfecting and main
tanning organization and presenting accept
able candidates for State offices, our
chance for success in the approaching cleo
ton would have been better than they have
ever been before, IL not sufficiently fayora-
BILE to assure victory, so u isnasea
From whatever cause. the fact remains
that the party was divided at the Lynch
burg Convention. Two separate convoca-
tions of delegates assembled, neither OF
them having a majority OF the regularly
appointed and certified delegates, and con-
sequently no nominees were, presented for
the support of the party. One of these
conventions endorsed the Re-adiuster tick
ct, and the other announced it inexpedient
to nominate candidates for State offices,
and at the same time declared the principles
of the party to be; The sanctity of con-
tracts, State and National; the binding
force of the decisions of the Courts the
essential necessity of fostering the public
school system the removal OF the consti-
tutional restriction upon the ballot. placed
of the spirit and intent of the 18th amend
ment to the National Constitution and the
solemn pledge of the people Of Virginia in re-
Stunning their relai ions to the National Gov
eminent and representation in the halls of
Congress the sponging out of the barbar-
GUS whipping-post law and the mobilization
of the criminal statutes, so as to place it be-
yond the reach of partizan justices to effect
disfranchsement for trivial or trumped up
offences. re,rr
These were the declarations at Lynch
burg of the only body which had any SEM
blance of authority to speak for the Repnb-
lican party of virginia. All that could be
done was done to place the party before the
country in harmony with the principles of
the National Republican party. No candi-
dates were presented to the people to re-
fleet these principles. The platform of
neither of the other parties, which had
held conventions and nominated candi-
dates for State offices, conformed to the
views of Republicans of conviction on the
debt question. Both of them had, in effect,
pandered to a sentiment of reputation and
public debauchery, and neither had the
courage to appeal to the higher nature OF
the people in behalf of honest dealing with
the debt question. The Re-adiusters, how
ever, did declare for the repeal of the nm
The Conservative Democratic party did
nothing of the kind, but left it to be "a
tionally inferred that, if successful, its pol
icy would be to retain the capitation tax
restriction upon the ballot, the whipping
post law and the petty larceny statutes
Each of these conventions nominated tick.
| cts, composed in most part, Of able and
| highly respected conference.-the Re-adjus-
tiers presenting w. E. Cameron, JnO. F.
Lewis and Frank Blair; the Conservative
Democrats. Jne, W. Daniel, James Barbour
and w. P. Mckinney.
We come now to the point where We dis.
sent from Gen. Wickham. He announces
his intention to support the Conservative
Democratic ticket, for the reason chat no
Republican should touch any party tainted
with repudiatian.''
The Convention that nominated the
ticket VIII ieh be proposes to support. was
practically controlled by Re-adjusters, and
the platform adopted is even more obnoxious
than that of the Re-adtusters, 10 that it ell.
deavors to deceive the public by high-sognd
ing terms about State honor, while it en-
| phaticaliy declares against making proper
provisions for maintaining that sentiment.
! Had high purpose been declared to meet
the obligations of the State as they stand,
| the convention would have dissolved into
two factions and failed in the nomination
of ticket. 70 reconcile the repqdiating
element, the putatiNe author Of the Bar
| bour Rill-a measure denounced as uncon-
stitutional by some of the very men who
participated as delegates in the convention,
and vetoed by the present Democratic
Governor, of that wing, because it was, in
his estimation, unconstitutional-was NOM
mated for Lieutenant Governor. This gen.
tlemen has never re canted his views of the
debt question or of the bill which bears his
name-and only accepted the nomination
because the Conservative Desperate party
had come down, or Up, to his standard of
the States duty to her creditors. Not only
is Mr.. Barbour Re-adjuster, as to the
States debt, of the most extreme type, but
one of his fayorite theories. as editor of the
Richmond Enquirer, shortly after the close
of the war. was to re-adjust private debts
in accordance with the losses sustained by
the war. In fact the Convention that
nominated the ticket which Gen. Wiekbam
announces his intention to support, was
controlled by the Re-adjuster element In it,
represented by Mr.. Barbour and DR.. Moffett,
the latter of whom voted in the Legislature
for the Riddleberger Bid.
The quotation Of a remark made by Mr..
Blair, the Re-adiuster candidate f0s &ttOr-
ney General, about the application of the
measure of re-adjustment in Virginia to
the national debt, is offensive enough, but
not more so than the revolutionary decla-
rations of Maj. Daniel as to the financial
policy of the government. At ibis date we
give significance to neither, and haze not
the least apprehension that either OF these
gentlemen will ever sgain, in the light of
experience since these ,reRarks were made.
= L.