Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-08-31
Politics In Virginia.
LETTER FROM GENERAL wICKHAM-
HIS VIEWS en- THE POLITICAL STU
ALTON IN VIRGINIA.

Virginia republican, has addressed the
folio wing letter to the editor of the
D. bt Payer, Richmond, uHder date Of
Hanover county, Virginia, Aug. "a:
"Dear Sir: Responding 10 your re.
guest that l should give you for publca-
lion in your paper my views in regard
to the present situation Of political at.
fairs IN Virginia:
1.-The prospects Of the republican
party Of Virginia were never SO bright
before az on The eve of the last presi.
dental election, lis steadfast course,
its strict adhesion to principle, had ele-
waited it in the oplnisn Of our people;
but the attack made upon it by parties
claiming to be authorized by the nation
al republican electoral ticket in favor Of
the readjuster-Hancock ticket democrat
lied our voters, certainly,in my opinion,
10 an extent Of loss to the republican
ticket Of more than IL, 430 votes, which
would have given the State to Garfield
and Arthur.
Though beaten IN that election, YET
the honesty and earnestnsss OF par =
pose exhibited by the great body OF the
OF Virginia in resisting the
oyertures and threats of thes men and
the miserable tools in Virginia that
entered into their schemes, wen still
further for our party here the respect
and esteem Of cur opponents aad OF the
whole people Of Flrsinla, and we could
have gone iatO the CANVASS for State
officers this autumn with an almost
certainty of success al not ths msaus
resorted 10 by the reRdjuster party TO
break down the republican organzstio ion
in this State resulted in such division
OF the party at IL nchburg as 10 show
those who wer. laboring for the success
of repubhcanism in Virginia that il
a republican ticket took the field the
limo of the candidates and canvassers
would have 10 bs devoted to bringing
back to the party those who had bssn
deluded Into desertion, Instead OF to the
effort 10 win recruits aud supper s's
from the ranks OF those who had bcen
opposed 10 them. And had the repub
lcan party presented an undivided front
as il would have done but fer the trsach-
cry OF some of its members and the
weakness of others. / am confident that
victory would have this time rewarded
our efforts.
"As it is, the republican party fluids
itself without candidates IN the field ieT
the State officers, and Its members are
free, wthot any forfeiture Of allegiance
to the party, to cast their votes accord
Ing to their individual preferences, or to
abstain altogether from voting Tor any
oil the candidates for Governor, Lieut.
Governor or encouragement.
But in my judgement no republican
can vote for any Of The readiustsr cam
didates without abandoning one OF the
most vitally impor tant principles OF th'
republican par ty-one on which the
party has built on a rock the asan'
donneut Of, or even fslts-ing GIL which
BY the national republican party would
be followed by the instant overthrow OF
the party in the Usited States. refer
to the honest, Undertaking support q
governmental obligations and cleait.
"In the language Of President Gar
field, No republican should touch any
party tainted with reputation That
Que Of the parties nOH seeking the sup
port of Tie people of Virinia Is tainted
with reputation | do not think thai
any one conversant with the history o.
the debt of Virginia can question. The
call their process 'readjustnent, and
some of them elimination
But the naked fact stands open that
they propose to strike of irsm tho in
debledness Of the State, aud to refuse
to pay either principal or interest o
SONS tea or twelve millions of the debt
Of the State, lin addition 10 what has
been assigned TO West virginia. which
stands to her debt on her Own books,
which has been recognized as correct
by her Stale officers, aud which has been
sustained by her highest court, and 6l
the suprsne Court OF the United States
itself. A debt which. in the langusg
of the platform Of the republican party
of Virginia, adopted by the rspubli eau
convention at Lynchburg, on Angus
70. 1881, was created for constructing
her internal Improvements aud chart
table institutions, which, psrmcaIins
every quarter Of the STATE, bring benefits
Of far greater valao than their cost 10 Ih'
whole OF Virginia.
1T this is net reputation of the very
worst kind, what Is it,
Suppose they succeed in these effort
against tho credit of Virginia, will II
not have demoralizing effect on thc
tone ofthe whole country, en- tbs sane
lty of governmental obligations? Will
it not unsctlle the public mind on them
viii it not encourgs assault upon anC
indeed ca langer the credit Of the United
States government itselfi
Their candidate for Attorney-Gea
oral has declared no longer than a yea
ago. for vigorous application of re
adjustment principles 10 the national
debt Their chief leader has, on The
floor of The United States Senate, said
Il am not democrat; l am not a re-
publican; am a readjuster.' TheiI
-. L.. IN, ann diat,nrtive nrincinle