Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-09-15
POLITICAL POINTS.
A Lively Struggle In ths Norfolk
District.
Chance for a Democratic Congressman
John Goode Again to the Front
What He Has Done in
the Past.
GENERAL NEWS FROM ALL SECTIONS,

uine Odd m0nkey-anu-palTOtt tiIne sec tne
Second Congressional district of Virginia
during an election always! The political
elements are as we'll combined for mischief
as the contents of the witches cauldron in
Macbeth" and hilarious three-cornered
fight is now in progress that promises to
eclipse all previous performances. To be-
gin with, from 1869, when Virginia was re-
districted, until 1874, the Norfolk distriet
was strongly Republican. There was q
better class of Republicans in Norfolk than
elsewhere in Virginia, the commercial i'm
portance Of the town bringing many North
ern men of character and standing there,
and the proximity of the navy yard, the
value of the customs and other circum-
stances tending to the same end. But in |
1874
A Campaign Was Organised,
with John Goode as the Democratic Homi- |
nee for Congress, that for thoroughness, |
discipline and mastery tactics on the part |
of the Democrats never has been eIcelled
by either party. The Democrats had, year |
by year, steadily reduced the Republican |
majority. The negroes, as always, got tired |
of paying their poll.taX., and the Republi- |
cans got tired Of paying it for them. The |
very numbers of the negro majority-esti- |
| mated by some as high as 5,000-embar- |
rassed the handful Of white Republicans. |
The negroes became restiye under the sub |
lection in which they were held and the |
steadiness with which their claims were
| ignored, while the Republicans monopo- |
| lized everything worth having. They al |
ways had a candidate or two for Congress, |
| who, of course, were Immediately killed of, |
and they began to look upon their Republi- |
| can masters with
Sullen Resentment.
| This state of affairs has been so often re- |
peated in the South that it scarcely needs |
| elaborate mention, although the ku-kiuX |
| organization and the rifle clubs have been |
| made to do duty as the cause of the steady |
decline of the negro vote. The Democrats
| at this juncture, in 1874, hit upon John |
| Goode as the man to lead them, and for |
| once in the history of the party it did not |
| make mistake. The Republicans put up |
| a fair candidate, but by no means match |
| for Goode, who is effective with the masses. |
| He is OF too pronounced type 10 be with
| out his enemies, but the people are con-
| vinced of his personal and political homes
| ty, and his ability is unouestionable. IL
| may be added that he is rs hard-hea as
| he Is clear-headed. The campaign was an
| old-fashioned campmeeting from the start.
| Every Democrat did his duty, and so did
eyrey Republican. The Republican candi-
| date was decent fellow and Mr.. Goode q
| man of breeding; so there was no black.
| guarding on the stump. although
Intense Bitterness.
| When the election came off, and it was
known that the Democratic candidate was
elected by slim majority, the sober old
| town of Norfolk fairly went wild. The
| ..l,t 81 IL "
was worn out with the campaign and had
hoped to sneak into town and go to bed in
peace, was telegraphed on the road that a
/ reception was in store for him. On reach
| ing Norfolk at 10 p. NJ, multitude met
| him at the station with banners and torches,
and he was carried in triumph to his house.
| the crowd singing, GLORY, HalleluJah, to
| celebrate the emancipation OF the whites.
| Mr.. Goodies seat was contested by Platt,
| his opponent but after patient inyesti.
CATION Mr.. Goode was awarded the certiii-
| cate of election. For three terms after that
| Goode was reelected In 1880, however,
| during the first Readjuster difficulties, |
signs OF disintegration were visible in the |
| Democratic camp The breach had not |
then become so wide that hopes of bringing |
| il over were abandoned. At the conven- |
| ton in August Mr.. Goode
Declined n Fourth Nomination,
hoping by that means to appease the fami- |
ly Quarrel, as it was then considered, but /
| the Readjusters refused to accept the con. |
CessiOn and the Democrats rallied around |
their old leader and unanimously |
renominated him. The times were so dark
that for a man who expects political prefer
ment, as Mr. Goode undoubtedly docs, the
acceptance of the nomination was at n con-
siderable sacrifice. Then began bowling |
campaign. The Republicans saw their
hopes revive and put respectable candi-
date in the field. The fight became personal,
private, public, political and everything
else. The Readjusters had captured the
municipal government OF Norfolk and had
put their own creatures in every place OF
honor and emolument. The ReadJuster
Judge of the Hastings Court. Goodwin by |
name, signalized his assumption OF the er.
mine by presiding over black and tan
political meeting in the town hail. lhe
city council presented a bill for the use OF
| the hall, which this modern Matthew Hale
paid out of his pocket. The Readinster
Mayor Colonel William Lamb, who Is en-
inently pious and q yestryman, had been
connected with hank
The Bank Broke, I
but Mayor lamb didn't. He bore the losses
of the unfortunate depositors with Chris
tian fortitude and continued to live in one
of the finest houses in Norfolk. The
straight-out Democratic editor OF the Nor
folk Landmark, Mr.. James Barron Hope
the Centennial poet, disapproyed OF some
OF Mayor Lambs performances in regard TO
the police and told him so plainly in print.
Now, Mr.. Hopes characteristics were thus
described by the late JudgeScarburg.
sass ANYBODY, nor does he allow anybody TO
sass Mr.. Hope" The result was challenge.
Mayor Lambs personal courage was never
seriously doubted As for Mr.. Hope, al
though the geHtlest man in the world, 1t
was the best known fact in Norfolk that
fooling around him was very dangerous
pastime The remainder OF the story Is
chapter out of comedy. Instead OF the po-
lice arresting Mr. Hope and allowing Mayor
Lamb to carry off the honors OF the occa'
sion by appearing on the field, they let the
editor slip through their fingers and
Pouneed Down on the Mayor.
Mr.. Hope skipped out the back door while
the police were Intently watching the front
door, and accompanied by one OF his sec
onds pursued his way TO the field OF honor
pntil he was stopped by food he
then mounted upon the shoulders OF ms
second, who waded through and deposited
hem in triumph on the other side. Mean
while, the Mayor sailed boldly out Of his
front door armed with pistols, and was
promptly nabbed by policeman stationed
there for the purpose. The wrts immedl.
ateIy began TO inquire why Mayor Lamp
was like the mDSsels-because he was SO
easy TO catch. The csmpaign progressed
with these entertaining episodes until No
yember, when, to the intense chsgrin of
the Democrats, the Republican candidate
vas elected by Readjuster votes. The
candidate, John F. Dezen6orf. however,
was q straightout Republican, who imme-
diately antogonized the Readiusters and
was singled out for slaughter, Of course, by
Malone. Ror nearly two years fierce
fight has been in progress between the Re.
adjusters and Republicans, which culmins-
ted in the nomination OF q Readjuster and
Republican candidate each for the Sovem-
Der election. The Democrats, remember
ing that when -
Thieves Fall Ont Honest Mea
sometimes get back their own, determined
TO put candidate in the field and immedi-
ately selected Mr.. Goode as their Joshua.
Mr.. Goode has not yet signified his accept
ance or refusal With clean record be-
hind him Of his service in Congress having
gone into il a poor man and come out Of st
q poorer one, and having made reputs-
ton for himself as man Of fine sense and
afraid of nothing and nobody, it