Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-06-24
PRESIDENT GARFIELD AND THE VIR'
GINA REPUBLICANS.

REPORT OF THE CONVERSATION THAT
TOOK PLACE.
A representation from the Republican
party of Virginia, headed by Gen. W. q.
Wickham, the Chairman of its Executive
Committee, visited President Garfield last
Monday. The story of the interview is
thus told on the information of one of the
delegation furnished the Associated Press:
The delegation consisted Of Gen. w. G.
Wickham, Chairman, Arthur A. Splitter,
John Callahan, l.. Bib, colored, Repre-
sentative Joseph Jorgenson, J. +. Work,
j. W. Cochran, colored, r. T. Tancill,
colored, q. c. Tompk ns, j. F. Wilson,
Lynchburg, J. W. Poindexter, colored, o.
II. Russell. w. H. Lester. colored, Geo.
S. Arnold, colored. and Albert Bsna+tt.
Upon arriving at the White House. tie
delegation was introduced Individually 10
the President by Represent ttive D. zen
dorf, of the Second district, who said:
Mr.. President This is the Executive
Committee of the Republican party of
Virginia member from each district in
the state of affairs in their several dis.
tricts, and to confer with you regarding
the situation in Virginia.
General Wickham then stepped forward
and said:
This. Mr.. President, is the executive
committee of the Republican party of the
State of Virginia, who have been charged
since April, 1880, with the management of
the affairs of the Republican party of that
State. No truer or more devoted Repub-
licans breathe in any other State of the
Union than are these men. They are
deeply interested, not only in the success
of the national republican party, but are
especially interested in placing the Repub-
lican party IN Virginia on solid footing.
They distrust entirely the movement now
on foot by the Readjusters in Virginia,
having learned from the experience of
1859. when, under the false name of the
true republican party, the same men who
are engaged in this movement executed a
political movement which resulted in al
most extinguishing the Republican party
of the State. They have come to ask your
publican party permanently in Virginia,
and believe that with square fight on
principles they can carry the State officers,
or failing in that, through the State Or
ganiZatiOn, make such Roadway in many
of the counties as to give to the Republi-
cans controlling power in the Legisla-
ture which would enable them to remove
from the statute books many of the laws
of which complaint is made as operating
unjustly upon all classes of people. These
gentlemen are from every quarter of the
State, and are thoroughly acquainted with
the tone of the Repu blicans in the State.
TO fhx,fyp in
to show you the condition of affairs.
The President said, IN reply, that he
would first state two general propositions.
The first was that he had been Republic
can all his life, had never voted the Wing
or Democratic ticket; that he could have
voted, but never did, until the birth of the
Republican party; that he had been con-
sistent Republican ever since, and that
therefore he would not do anything in op-
position to the best interests of the Repub-
lican party. The second proposition was,
that he was positively and emphatically
opposed to any party or people whose be-
lief would initiate against public faith
and credit.
He went on to say that it was for them.
the Republicans of Virginia, living in
Tirginia-he not being resident of that
state, and therefore unable to understand
these things as they did-it was for them
to decide whether this movement was of
the character indicated. that is, whether
the Readjuster movement was tainted
with Repudiatio If it was, they ought
not to support it.
He was followed by J. W. Poindexter.
of Louisa county, a colored man, who pro-
ceeded to show in terse manner the feel
ings and ideas of his people in Virginia in
regard to the situation. He stated that ,
in hic T1dnrnnnt ninatv cont Af Thorn
were opposed to coalition with the Re-
adjusters upon the terms proposed in their
platform, and that they believed only In
the Republican principles, as exemplifed
the past.
At this point the President asked Gen
eral Wickham whether In his (Wickham 's)
opinion. the Riddleberger bill was virtual
ly reputation of a portion of the State
debt of Virginia.
General Wickham replied that 1t was,
unquestionably. 1t strikes off large por-
tion of the debt without the assent of the
creditors, and is nothing but open, una
dulterated reputation.
The President then inquired whether
the Riddleberger bill had ever been SUBJ
mitted to the creditors.
General Wickham answered that it new
er had, On the contrary, they were mott
fed that it would be forced upon them.
and that if they did not take that, they
would get something worse.
The President next asked whether any
party in Virginia had proposed any better
terms to the creditors than those proposed
in the Riddleberger bill, to which General
Wickham replied that the Ross Hamilton
bill, offered by the Republicans in the last
legislature. and which had received the
assent of the representatives of the credi-
tors, had provided for the payment OF the
full amount of the debt of Virginia at
three per cent. annual interest.
A general interchange of opinions be-
tween the members of the committee and
the President followed, during which
Messrs. j. W. Cochran and r. F. Tancl,
both colored men, confirmed Mr.. Poindex-
ter's statement, and said that colored men
had an utter distrust of the honesty of
the purposes of the Readjusters towards
the colored men and the Republican par
ty.
Gen. Wickham at this point stated to
the President that the delegation came for
no purpose connected with offices, but
simply from their devotion to the Repub-
lican party, and their desire to build it up
and make it successful in the State of
Virginia; that he [Wickhaml was not and
never had been an Ofice-seeker: but, re-
garding the Republican party as the legit-
innate successor of the old line Wing
The President-With slavery left out.
Gen. Wlckham assented, and continued
to which have been always devoted, 1
naturally desire to see it prosper in Vir-
ginia, and believe that we can gain more
by strict adherence to principle than 10y
coalition with those in whom we have no
confidence.
Mr.. Splitter here stated that certain gen.
tlemen in Virginia who differed with the
delegation in this matter had made many
threats as coming from him 1.-THE Presi-
dent] Of removal from office for for differing
question in order to intimidate this class
of Republicans, and to compel them to
support the Readjuster ticket. It was the
desire of the Republicans of Virginia to
know through their committee whether