The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-09-10
Gen. NVickIian's HOImbsbeII.


repudiating Malone and announcing
his intention of voting for Daniel, the
Democratic nominee
1t will be remembered that Gener-
al Wickham was the leader of the
straight-out republicans who met al
Lynchburg, and that he was proposed
as their nominee for Governor but
declined to accept it.
The Dispatch says lie sis one OF
the ablest Of all the southern rcpub-
licans, anG his letter will have q
marked effect in and out Of Virgins" "
This letter is so strong in its argu-
ment against Mahoneism and so for
chilly presents'the aims and ends OF
that party, that we reproduce it here
in full, and commend its perusal:
HANOVER COUNTY, VA, Aug. %,
1881.-To the Editor of the Debt
Payer, Richmond, ViIginia:-Dear
Sir:-Responding to your request
that | would give you for publica-
ton in your paper my views in re
gard to the present situation of polit-
zeal affairs in Virginia:
The prospects of the republican
party in Virginia were never so
bright before as on the eve of the last
presidential election. It's steadfast
course, its strict adhesion to princi-
pie, had elevated it in the opinion of
our people; but the attack made upon
it by parties claiming to he author
lied by the National Republican
Committee to withdraw the republi-
can electoral ticket in favor Of the
Readiuster Hancock ticket Democrat
lied our voters, certainly, in my opin-
ion, to an extent Of loss to Tie repub-
lican ticket Of more than the 12,430
votes which would have given the
State to Garfield and Arthur.
Though beaten in that election,
yet the honesty and earncstness of
purpose exhibited by tho great body
of republicans Of Virginia in resist
ing the threats and overtures Of these
and the miserable tools "A Virginia
that entered into their schemes won
still further for our party here the
respect and esteem Of our opponents
and the whole people of Virginia, and
we could have gone into the canvass
for State officers this fall with al al
most certainty Of success had not the
means resorted to by the rcadiustcr
party to break down the republican
organization in this State resulted in
such division Of the party at Lynch
burg as to show those who were Ia
boring for the success Of republican
ism in Virginia that if q republican
ticket took the field the time of the
candidates and canvass would have
to be devoted to bringing back to the
party those who had been deluded into
deserton, instead of to the effort to
win recruits aad supporters from the
ranks Of those who had been opposed
to them. And had the republican
party presented an undivided front,
as it would have done but for the
treachery Of some Of its members and
the wickedness of others, / am conf
dent that victory this time would
have rewarded our efforts.
AS it is, the republican party finds
itself without candidates in the field
for the State offices, and its members
are free, without any forfeiture OF al
legiance to the party, to cast their
votes according to their individual
preferences, or to abstain altogether
from voting for any of the candidates
for Governor, Governor,
or Attorney General.
But, in my Judgment, no repubIi-
can can vote for any of the readjuster
candidates without abandoning one
Of the most vitality important princi-
Piles of the republican party-one on
which the party has built as on a
rock, the abandonment of, or even
faltering on which, by the national
republican party would be followed
by the instant overthrow Of the party
in the United States refer to the
honest, unhestating support of GOV
ernmental obligations and credit.
In the language of President Gar
field, mo republican should touch
any party tainted witMrepudiation.'
That one Of the parties now seeking
the support Of the people of Virginia
is tainted with repudiation," / do
not think that any one conyersant
with the history of The debt of yir-
ginia can question. They call their
process ''readjustment,H and some Of
them "elim ination.
But the naked fact stands open
that they propose to strike off from
the Indebtedness of the State, and re
fuse to pay either principal or inter
est of some ten or twelve millions of
the debt Of the State, Gin addition to
what has been assigned to West Vir-
9inia, (which stands to her debt on
her own her own books, which has
been recognized as correct by her
State officers, and which has been
sustained by her highest court and
by the Supreme Court Of the United
States itself-a debt which, in the
language Of the platform of the re
publican party of Virginia, adopted
by the republican convention at
Lynchburg on August II, 1881. was
created for constructing her inter
nal Improvements and charitable in
situations, which, permeating every