Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-08-11
MAe Atwh1tatar+
FRIDAY MORNING, AUG. II. 1882.
Local
THE BATTLE FIELD OF THE SEVENTH
CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT.
HON. JOHN PAUL g FIRST SPEECH OF THE
CAMPAIGN AT CHARLOTTEsvILLE--T
FEELING AMONG THE COUNTIES EAST
THE RIDGE-REMARKABLE CHANGE
IN HIGuI.AND--PRoCEE OF
MEETING THERE.
&c. &C., &C.
rcorresnondence Of the Staunton VINDIcAToR.l
CHARLOTTESVILLE AUG 18th.
What YOU might call the first gun of the
camnajpn in the Seventh District, was
fired to-day by Hon. John Paul, gentle
man that is as good as already re.nomina-
ted by the Harrisonbure Convention. He
fred it on ground wisely chosen, for from
all can learn here the counties east of
the ridge are likely to show some unexpec-
ted majorities if their voters can be gotten
out in November. The county in which I
write, Albemarle. has it in the hollow of
her hand to decide the congressional race,
aud think that Mr.. Paul had this in
view when in closing his speech he said:
s'rhis Is probably the last time I shall
speak to you in this court house before
November, but shall meet you elsewhere
in your county" When you think OF the
size of the vote that can be brought to the
polls in Albemarle-in the Parish Burnley
race S, 300 were polled-and remember also
that it is the home Of Auditor Massey, you
mill md orotord TIM ,,oooco;tu NJ N roo,,l,r
precinct canvass by the Coalition nominee.
and not less thorough one by his oppo-
nent. find an almost enthusiastic unan-
unity among the gentlemen I have talked
with in favor of Capt. Micajah Woods of
this county for the nomination at Staun-
ton. I do not hear it claimed for him that
he is an adept at stump canvassing, but it
is claimed for him that in what is called
personal canvass, he is the equal of Paul.
who is no cadet at it, and not far behind
that arch canvasser, Long John Harris. I
presume this is so, for Capt. Woods has
received some tremendous majorities in
this county. Perhaps could say some
thing more for Mr.. Woods, but as there
were two Albemarle letters in the VINDI-
TATOR Office when l left presume they
said all that his friends thought necessary.
OF course there is solicitude on both
sides about the effect in this county of
Mr.. Massey's candidacy. My own opinion
formed on the statements of gentlemen
from different sections of Albemarle, and,
may add, of different politics. is that this
effect has been much moderated by the
CoalitiOnists, and 1 conclude, that if he
spends the last week of the canvass here,
ceive will surprise his friends as we'll as his
enemies. With Woods running at the
same time, think l can see the vital ne
cessslty of Mr. Paul's promised precinct
canvass.
AS before a race, there is some curiosity
to know the condition of the horses, I may
say to Mr.. Paul's coming competitor. who
ever he may be. that he will find him in
excellent trim. both physically and mental
". for the campaign. I don't think in the
many races 1 have watched him from the
starting point that have seen him in bet
tor condition. He is heavily handicapped
this time compared with any previous race
he has made, as he will find, when any
well posted competitor confronts him His
explanations will have to be more explicit.
and deal more in detail than they did to-
day. For instance. to-day he danced light
ly and gracefully over his reasons for sup
porting President Arthur. The gist Of it
was the homely fact that Arthur was the
friend of the Coalition party IN Virginia,
and the poetic fact that Arthur's wife had
been Virginia girl; who in her youth had
''danced along the banks of the Kappa
hammock and played with her shadow in
the dlmpled waters OF the river" What
would I not give to see Meade White or Jim
Skinner on the stump get hold of John on
this they'd make him ''dance along the
banks of the Rappahannock" before they
got through with him.
OF Paul's speech, and it will probably
be this one that he will most use in the
convass as an opening one, may say, for
the information of his Democratic COM
petitor, that it is strong and excellent
presentation Of his side of the dispute,
and wary as we'll. On the subject of the
debt, he claims that the people have all
the benefit of settled debt, but it is ne
cessary to keep the ''Readjuster" party
he still calls it by this almost disused |
name, together for fear that the
s'Funders"- still call them that, may
unsettle it. He justifes his support of
Arthur on the ground that he is the first
President that has not treated the South
as conquered province whose people
only had the privilege of tax paying. He
also made the remarkable assertion that
''the result of Arthur's liberal policy to
the South is that she received SO 900 900
more in appropriations than she ever did
before" He evidently forgot that Arth-
ur vetoed the very bill that gave them the
nine millions. AS to his voting to unseat
white Democrats in Congress and seat ne
gro Republicans, he only touched on one
case, that of Lynch and Chalmers, and
said nothing about his voting to seat
Small. negro, in place Of Tillman, case
in which Calkins, Republican Chairman
of the Election Committee, said his con-
science would not permit him to vote that
way. AS to his vote IN the Lynch-C hal-
mers case, Mr.. Paul said that he was con-
WINGED from the evidence that Lynch was
entitled to the seat, and if any one expect
ed him to vote against the rights of man
solely because his skin was black they
would have to get some one else to rep
resent them. He didn't intend to vote to
cover up corruption in elections
There we're some things that struck me