The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-21
letter from George w. Booker, Esq.
MARTINsvILLE, HENRY COUNTY, VA, }
February II. 1SS2.

MARTINsvILLE, HENRY COUNTY, VA,
February Il. 1889.
| To the Editor Of the Dispatch:
VIII you give me space enough in your
columns to notice communication in re-
cent No. OF the Richmond Wing, signed
- Readjustcr." in regard TO myself!
| In reply TO his assertion that | am 81
disappointed offcc-scekeT" | will say that
| | am not now nor never have been one.
! True, | have been elected several times.
| but WAS never before Il caucus at any time
| in my life rs a candidate for a nomination.
and never expect TO be. q" Reddi uSter"
perhaps wishes to insinuate that
was an aspirant before this Legi>la-
ture for Judge of this circuit. 1t is
well known to all my friends that | am
now. and have been all the time. in favor Of
the election OF Judge Whittle to the place
he so ably and satisfactorily fills by EXecu-
tive appointment, and that | signed a re-
commentator TO that effect about the time
the Legislature first assembled. This re-
commentator has been signed, a. | I'M
derstand, by all the members of the bar
who practice in this circuit except three.
would add here that | do not feel my
self competent TO fill 80 important and re-
sponsible a place as circuit Judge; and
do have some OId-fashiOned ideas about the
prOpricty OF lobbying for such an office be-
fore the Legislature.
| have thought that the Office OF Judge
should Seek the man, not the man the OIL
fee.
In regard TO my ''rcccht conversion to
the principles of the Readiuster party,
will say that | am Il private citizen, and
have acted for years Independent of party
dictation. In 1879 ] supported the McCul-
lOch bill, but when il was rejected 10y the
people | was convinced by the logic OF pre-
ceding events that the best practical way OF
having permanent settlement OF the debt
question was something like the Riddle
berger bill, and ] had reason TO believe that
the Readiuster party SO called was in
advance OF the old Democratic party,
and | sustained that ticket. Ii my friend
Judge Lybrook had not been a candidate
for the Senate should have taken no active
part in the canvass. | felt deep interest
in his election. and did all that could 10
promote It; and when the contest took
place between Mr.. Massey and q majority
OF the caucus, | believed that he was cor
rect in principle, and wrote him q private
letter TO that effect. He answered me, and
requested that | would cndeavor to get an
expression OF opinion from amongst my
friends in regard TO his position. Hence
| wrote the article which was published in
the Dispatch. This was signed by every
person TO whom presented ii.
feel no hesitation in saying that to-day
fO1u ffthS OF the intelligent white voters
OF this county are in sympathy with Mr..
Massey in this matter, and that was demon
strated last Monday ut court. While the
enemies OF Mr.. Massey claim that they
passed resolutions cOndemnlng his course,
yet it must be remembered that the report
was current that the deadlock had been
broken by Senator Hale, Of Grayson, and
therefore they did not feel the interest
that they otherwise would have felt. The
editor OF the MaItinsvile Herald, who was
present, reports that the resolutions which
were adopted only passed by vote OF 81
TO II, and after many OF the friends OF Mr..
Massey had withdrawn from the meeting.
If the Rcadiuster party has no higher
aims and aspirations than TO parcel out the
SpoitS to a set OF impecunious office-seekers.
then its days OF usefulness have passed
away. and the sooner it dsintegrates the
better il will be for the country. And
would here remind q Readiuster T" that the
real people feel no interest in these petty
squabbles for office, and they do not desire /
to see small men elevated to high positions,
for they know that
= Pigmies are pigmies STILL though perched on
Alps
Respectfully, GEORGE W. BOOKER.