Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-08-19
POLITICAL.

must again beg your indulgence, and
space in your columns for brief reply to
your two correspondents democrat" and
"Conservative"-who have thought it neces-
sary to reply to my communication of last
week in advocacy Of a Valley man in the
next Congress from this district Both
gentlemen seem to be laboring under the
delusion that the Valley now asserts her
claim in the interest of Major Conrand and
only to CRAFTY his ambition for political
preterment. 1t is true we prefer Major
Conrad us our candidate and believe him to
be the strongest man in the district, but
Major Conrad is no candidate in the sense in
which that word is now Used. He has fol-
lowed what Is 4 tradition, in Virginia at
least, and has neither announced himself
us q candidate nor used any means to pro-
cure Il nomination, preferring rather to be
sought out by his people than to seek him
self prcierment. With him Office is trust
never to be sought and never to be held for
It's mere empty cmoluments. Mai. Conrad
can wait, but the Valley does not choose him
TO Wdit. It's her claim and not his that we arc
advocating. The Valley docsnot come either
'entreating" or supplicatiny aiI from the
counties east of the Ridge. She says she is
entitled TO it; that her right has all along
been conceded, and but for the personal
ambition of "AleNandria's tavorite son" (?l
the last convention would have substantially
recognized it. 1t is said hat Mr.. Barbour
has made the sacrifice Of abandoning his
business interests to save the people. What
did he sacrifice? He still retains his posi-
ton us the official head of his great railroad
with all its cmoluments and peruuisites.
Was il Il sacrifice to add to this O position
yielding the snug sum Of s., 900 per annum /?
There are good many gentlemen in the
district who would like to make Just such
sacrifices, and doubt not that both ;'Demo
Graf" and conservative can both safely be
placed OH the list. One would think that if
his business interest suffered he would not
be dlsncllned TO return to them, but the
GAZETTE tells us that he is willing
still to make the sacrifice for the sake Of
the people. But we are told that they can't
spare him i'll Congress; that he is member
of some committee or other and that his
services are Indispensable. That committee,
suppose, has lived and moved and had its
being heretofore without Mr. Barbour, and
| can hardly think it can't servive his loss.
1t may be that he was rapidly promoted,
but it may be that the gentleman we are
urging, If ever he is given a chance, will
meet with like kindly treatment at the
hands of his collnagucs in Congress-
Again it is said that Mr.. Barbour, by all
the rules, precedents and traditions of the
party, is entitled to all endorsement of the
party that nominated him. have no doubt
that Mr.. Neale endorses him and will do so
publicly if called upon and asked so to do,
nor do doubt that the convention will pass
a resolution approving of his course in Con-
gress. MIR. Nraie unanimously nominated
him and the convention ratified it with
great reluctance, because it believed that
a large majority Of the people Of the district
thought the Valley entitled to it, and was
i only defeated by the questionable and
crooked means resorted to by an ambitious
man to promote his own political distinc-
ton.
That Maj. Hunter conceived and Mr. Rec
tor executed the happy thought of Mr.
Barbours nomination is information that
comes to us, now for the first time | was
under the impression that the honor belong
cd alone to Mr.. Rector of first naming him,
and did not know that Maj. Hunter claimed
to share it with him; indeed did not know
that Major Hunter had been elected dele
gate to the convention. do not know that
the thought was "happy," but | doubt not
that Mr.. Barbour was, when told of the re-
suit ofit. We are asked if the Valley team
not wait for a time when injury will not re-
suit to the party?" We are not disposed to
be inquistive or particular about this mat
Ter, but we would like to- ask "Conserva-
tive" If he can name with approximate pre-
cislon even, when lday, month and year.
the time will come when we will not be told
that we are menacing by nor action the in
terests of the party. If he can name the
day, and, it is not too far off, we will take
the matter into serious consideration.
But we are told again that Holiday was
GOrernor-Mason Senator r. Y. Conrad
elected to Congress, &c Was Conservative
born when Mr.. Mason was Senator; if he
was, ! hope, for his sake, that his fortune at
least in acquiring Il wife has been attained,
Tor if not, he is getting ut that age when
they begin TO say The is too old" Does he
not know that the statute of limitation az
iords bar to such staleand antiquated set
off as that? Mr.. Conrad, it is true was
given the empty compliment of an election
but not one ofthc comfortable and luxurious
| to occupy for his seat was denied him, and
he sent back whence he came. 1t is weak
to say that the elevation of Gov Holiday
to his late high Office should be charged to
the Valley portion of the district Had
might as well not say that Mr.. Fields cleo
ton rs attorney general is chargable to the
other side of the Ridge, and that Judge Tho
mas distinction in having been made 1t.
Governor, is also chargable to your side, or
that Gov kemper's election rs the chief
executive of the State is also to be debited
to you and would not the three fairly offset
the one? The State Convention recognized
i'll the nomination of Gov. Holiday that it
was but doing substantial justice not to the
eighth district or these three counties as a
part Of it, but to the Whoie Valley from
Augusta down, or had not as we'll say
that your counties have the distinguished III
photographer and grammaran--Farr-
superintendent Of public instruction, or that
Mr.. Lewis Mckenzie was your choice for
Congress- when he was elected? 1t is seri-
ously said that diversity breeds diversity
antagonisms beget war" That alarms us
We have had enough of war; and don't pro-
TO f11- r