National Republican., 1883-08-29
The Condition Of Things In and About
Richmond.
As Lively a Fight There as Anywhere in
the State.
Gen. Wickham and the Way in Which He Disap-
pointed and Perplexed His Friends
The News from staunton--A Great Speech
from u Great Speaker.
Snscini Lener.


RICHMOND, VA, Aug. 27-The chairman
Of the democratic executive committee hav-
ing prepared and had published list Of ap-
pointments for state cauvassers, the leaders
of this faction will take tho stump in the
different sections of the state this week, and
proceed "to enlighten the people"-a quota
tion which has assumed a stereotyped form
upon the issues of the day.
The campaign, it can be said, actually be-
gins to-day, for from this time until the fifth
of November there will be on hand at every
county court house on court day speakers
representing all factions, including even the
straightouts. The great central figure in the
list of democratic speakers is Parson John L.
Massey. His name is the most conspicuous
of them all, and he has been assigned to work
in counties where the bourbons will have to
do some tall talking in order to explain sat
isfactorily certain democratic inconsistencies.
The parson, strange to say, is not booked
for big Richmond city, but il is understood
that he will speak here more than once be-
tween now aud the day of election. When
he was on the other side Of the political
fence the parson loomed up as q martyr. 1t
was when he spoke in front of the st. Claire
hotel What made this meeting so interest
ing was the number of Irish potatoes, apples,
and eggs of an uncertain age that flew and
sailed around the speakers head whenever he
would send out well worded sentences to the
vast crowd The parson has since won the
good will, if not the affections, of the hot
blooded young democrats who hurled epi-
sthets and eggs at him then, and it is hardly
probable that the political pulpiteer," as the
democrats formerly called him, will meet
with such an unkind reception in Richmond
again. Tomorrow tho democrats of the
Chesterfield district will hold convention at
Maden's Adventure, on the Allegheny
road, to nominate candidate for
the senate. This is one of the most important
senatorial districts in the state, aud much
money will be spent there by the democrats.
The coalition nominee is Alexander Sims, a
successful farmer and very popular citizen OF
Chesterfield Samuel +. Maddox claims to be
the coalition nominee, but the coalitionists
don't seem to look at it in the same light, and
Maddox has reached out for the straightout
vote to cheer his dropping spirits. An ex-
cursion train will run from Richmond to-
morrow to carry the delegates to the conven-
tion, and n lot of Richmond orators, each
wound up for an hours speech, will
accompany the delegates, who will do
the voting while the visitors from Richmond
will give tone and dignity to the occasion.
The campaign will be as warm within an
area of twenty-five miles from Richmond as
in the Hanover district, where the hottest
fight will be made. Col. A. w. Jones' the re-
adjuster or coalition nominee, will speak at
Ashland Thursday, and it is expected that
his opponent, Gen. Wickham, the straightout
leader nominated by the democrats, will be
on hand. A tremendous crowd will be pres
ent. Wickham, 1t will be remembered, was
sadly left IN the joint discussion between him
and Col Jones few days ago. The general
had everything against him. He is nc
speaker and 1t was a surprise to some to See
him champion q cause which has no argu-
ment against Col. Jones, who Isl speaker and
debater of power and ability. The nomina-
tion of Gen. Wickham by the democrats is be-
ing used by the readjusters of the valley and
southwest with telling effect. The stalwart
democrats in the mountain districts do not
know what to think of Gen. Wickham's
nomination by their party, and tho news
comes rushing from the mountain
gorges of Patrick, Floyd, Russell, and the
whole southwest that they are weakening,
and have at last arrived at the conclusion
that true democracy as given to them in days
long since gone by is dead-so dead that
resurrection and resuscitation are absolutely
impossible. 1t is regarded as n remarkable
coincidence that the slogan, "This way, free.
men," which the democratic leaders adopted
Mt the Lynchburg convention and sent 10
their followers should be cast aside by the
ANoTuR6 uetnOCrdU lllIneulAUDly ulUeT UHS pun
licatiOn of the list of state canvassers. Upon
Mr.. Barbour, who selected the canvassers, will
it Is said, rest all the blame for preventing
Newberry's high sounding exclamation from
bringing him fame and Immortality
A great many of those organs in differrn
sections of the country outside of Virginia, have
expressed their disapproval of Gen. Wick
hams course in going over horse, foot, ant
dragon to the democratic ranks, aud marked
copies of these papers have doubtless cam,
under the generals eye. 1t is too late now 70
him to retrace his orring steps. There ar,
some straighouts who condemn such public
political jump, when the general could hav
accomplished as much by running as
.straightout candidate, for if he had done this
the democrats would not have made Il nomin
alton, but would have supported Wickham.
Old Southampton will be another grea
political battle field all through this cam
paign, This county las recently been mad
famous by the democrats giving the colOreC
brothers a grand barbecue.
1t is the first instance on record of such
thing being done by that party which claim
all the wealth, intelligence, and blue blood
There is every reason to believe that q move
ment looking to another barbecue is on foot
since it is known that the democrats il
southampton county alone have subscribed
over Sl,700 for election purposes. Probabl,
an excursion will be substituted for u bar
becue, and flaming handbils announcing tina
the democratic party of Southampton county
appreciating theni heretofore extended then
by the colored voters of the county, propos
to give an excursion to the Luray caverns o
somewhere else on the morning of Nov. 4
Tickets for colorod men, meals included, free
AS it requires at least three days time to &
on such an excursion, it is reasonable to sup
pose that all who 90 will either have to fl,
back or vote at Luray, and it will be as eas,
to do one as it will be to do the other.
And again, southampton is tho old home o
Gen. Malone, and if the democrats can b,
any means carry that county they will On
deavor TO make political capital by loudly as
sertiug that Malone was repudiated in hi
old home.
The campaign is getting hotter and hotter
and this time next month the political pot il
Virginia will send up such steam of STUN
oratory as has never been equaled in the Dor
ders of the Old Dominion.
MASSEY AT STAUNTON.
Special Letter.
N -