The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-06-23
Virginia Republicans.
THEIR INTERVIEW WITH MR.. GARFIELD AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.

THEIR INTERVIEW WITH MR.. GARFIELD AT
THE WHITE HOUSE.
A delegation of Virginia Republicans, mem
bers of the State Executive Committee, called
by appointment upon President Garfield yes
i terday afternoon The delegation consisted
of Gen. W. .. Wickham, chairman of the
committee; Arthur A. Splitter, secretary
John Callahan, Second district; L. Bibb, col
ored Third district; Representative Joseph
Jorgenson, Fourth district; j. B. Work, Sixth
district; j. W. Cochran, colored, Seventh
district; B. F. Tancil, colored, Eight district
Col. c. c. Tompkins, Ninth district, Capt. J
F. Wilson, Lynchburg; ]. W. Poindexter,
celored, presidential elector at the last cleo
ton; M. R. Lloyd, B. W. Clarke
and Albert Bennett. of Buckingham county
Upon arriving at the White House the delega-
ton was introduced individually to the Presi-
dent by representative Dezendorf, of the Sec
end district, who said:
Mr.. President this is the Executive Commit
tee of the Republican party of Virginia, a
member from each district in the State, who
come to represent to you the state of affairs in
| bDeu several ulStTlCtS dEu W COuiCl Win yOu
regarding the situation in Virginia.
Gen. Wickham then stepped forward and
said:
This, Mr. President, is the Executive Com
mittee of the Republican party of the State Of
Virginia, who have been charged since April
" 18th the management of the affairs of the
Republican party of that State. No truer or
more devoted Republicans 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 ofVirgina on sure footing. They
distrust entirely the movement now on foot
0y the Re-adjusters in Virginia, having learn
ed from the experience of 1869, when under
the false name of the true Republican party,
the same men who are engaged in this move
meut executed political movement which
resulted in almost eXtinguishing the Bill
can party of the State. They have come to
ask your support in every effort to establish
the Republican party permanently in Virgin
ia, and believe that with square fight on
principle they can carry the State officers, or,
failing in that, through the State organization
make such Roadway in many of the counties
as to give the Republicans q controlling pow
er in the Legislature, which would enable
them to remove from the statute books many
of the laws of which complaint is made OF
operating unjustly upon classes of people.
These gentlemen are from every quarter OF the
State, and are thoroughly acquainted with the
tone of the Republicans in the State. They
will give to you their views, in order 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 Republican all his life
and 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 consistent Republican ever
since, and that, therefore, he would not do
anything in opposition to the best interests OF
was he was positively and emphatically OPP
posed to any party or people whose belief
would initiate against public faith and credit.
He went ON to say that it was for them,
the Republicans of Virginia, living in Virgin
ia-he not being resident of that State, and
therefore, unable to understand these things
as they did-it was for them to decide wheth-
er this move was of the character indicated !;
that is. whether the Re-adjuster movement
was tainted with reputation. If it was they
ought not support it.
He was followed by Mr.. J. W. PoindeXter,
of Louisa county, colored man, and Presi-
dental elector last fall. who proceeded to
show in a terse manner the feelings and ideas
of his people in Virginia in regard to the stu
alton. He stated that, in his judgment, nine
ty per cent of them were opposed to a
coalition with the Re-adjusters upon the
terms proposed in their platform, and that
they believed only in the Republicans princi-
Piles as exemplifed in the past.
At this point the President asked Gen.
Wickham whether in his (Wickham's) opin-
ion the Riddleberger bill was virtually re-
pudation OF a portion of the State debt of
Virginia.
Gen. Wickham replied that it was, unques-
tionaby. 1t strikes off large portion OF the
debt without the assent of the creditors, and
is nothing but open, unadulterated repudia-
ton.
The President then inquired whether the
Riddleberger bill had ever been submitted to
the creditors.
Gen. Wickham answered that it never had
On the contrary, they were notified that it
would be forced upon them and that if they
did not take that they would get something
that was 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 Gen. Wickham
replied that the Ross Hamilton bill. offered by
the Republicans in the last Legislature, and
which had received the assent of the represen-
tatives of the creditors, had provided for the
payment of the full amount of the debt OF Vir-
A general interchange ofopinion between the
members of the committee and the President
| followed, during which Messers. j. w. Coch-
ran and R. F. Tancil both colorcd men, con-
firmed Mr.. Poindexter's statement, and said
that colored men had all utter distrust of the
honesty of the purposes of the Re-adjusters
towards the colOred men and the Republican
party.
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 Republican party
and their desire 10 build it up and to make it
successful in the State of Virginia; that he,
Wickham, was not and never had been an
office seeker, but regarding the Republican
party as the legitimate successor of the Old
Line Wing
The President-With slavery left out
Gen. Wickham assented, and continued-to
which have been always devoted, l naturally
desire to see it prosper in Virginia, and believe
that we can gain more by a strict adherence to
principle than by coalition with those in
whom we haYe no confidence.
Mr. Splitter here stated that certain gentle
men in Virginia, who differed with the dele
| CATION in this matter, had made many threats
as coming from him-the President-of reno
val from office for differing in opinion from
them on the coalition question, in order to
intimidate this class of Republicans, and to
compel them to support the Re-adjuster tick
ct. 1t was the desire of the Republicans of
Virginia to know through their committee,
whether this was done with the Presidents
sanction or not.
Mr.. Splitter then called upon Mr.. Albert
Bennett, colored, of Buckingham county, to
| produce letter written to him as member
of the State Central Committee, by Hon. j. F.
Lewis, present candidate for Lieut.. Governor
on the Re adjuster ticket and chairman OF the
Republican State Central Committee. The
letter read as follows:
LYNNwooD, June 10, 1881.
Albert Bennett ESQ.,:
| My Dear Sir-I have directed the secretary
to call a meeting OF the State Central Commit
tee to meet in Richmond on the 21st day of
| June.
| hope you will be in attendance, as business
of importance will be transacted.
1 have seen the President aud he is in favor
OF a coalition with the Re-adjusters to beat
| the Republicans this fall Yours truly,
! JOHN F. LEWIS,
Chairman State Central Committee.
| 1.-THE use of the term Republican" in the
above note is evidently either a clerical or
typographical mistake. The term Bourbon"