National Republican., 1883-08-13
WORRIED BY WICKHAM.
The Old Moss Backs Disguised with the Idea
( Of Voting for Such a Republican.
They did not Suspect "that Anything 10
Beat Mahone" Would Mean so Much.
Specidl Dispatch.

Special Dispatch.
RICHMOND, VA, Aug. l2--The nomination
of Gen. wickham by the democrats of the
Hanover senatorial district is regarded on
all sides as being the most remarkable and
wonderful exhibition of political somer-
saulting ever witnessed in the Old Dominion,
Gen. Wickham is the recognized leader of
the faction headed by Dezendorf, the defeated
congressman from the Norfolk district; Daw-
son, the preacher, who was left be-
hind in the race for congressman
at-large by more than 100000 votes
and few others who have been dubbed
straightouts,' and more recently grip
sack funders." Heretofore whenever tho
democrats and the straightouts made an alli-
ance it was done secretly and in such way
as to enable each faction TO claim some foun-
dation upon which the building of consistency
could rest. This time, however, the straight
outs and funders band openly together and
declare their object to be anything to beat
Mahone," who stands at the head of 4 well
organized party ready and willing to enter the
fight in November next.
The nomination of Gen. Wickham was
surprise not only to the readjusters but the
funders themselves, whose unsophistcated
Those in the city who have long known of
the political tergiversatons of the democrats
of Virginia and their readiness to turn somer-
saults, provided they would land on their feet
in some fat Office thought possibly that Gen.
Wickbam could come out as an Independent
candidate and receive tho democratic votes.
The most riotous imagination had hardly de-
picted the democrats as attaining such utter
and depraved forgetfulness OF their past
record, and this unexpected movement,
made so close to Richmond, the foun-
tain head of bourbon democracy, will
cause the sturdy moss back democrats
to put on their studying caps and decide bo-
tween the readjusters, with their honest pre-
TENSIONS and the bourbon funder democrats,
with their promises and plans as false as
dcers' oaths. The question now arises
Will the democratic canvassers In the Tenth
Legion, southwest, and the mountain gorges
of Patrick, Floyd, and Grayson indorse or
repudiate this taking up OF the boss straight
out leader as democratic candidate for the
senate.
Old county democrats, men who seem to be
in earnest about their democracy, and whose
unsophisticated condition still blinds them to
the fact that the democracy of 1888 is not what
they worshiped in 1860, have written here to
know If il is really true that the democrats
have nominated Wickham and honestly in
tend to support him. The statement overtaxes
their credulity, and they seem to regard 1t as
huge joke.
Barbour and WiclSham-the Virginia Mid
land and Chesapeake and Ohio-constitute a
powerful railway combination that the people
will hesitate to put in official position to
thwart their wishes and legislate in the in
terest of monopoists and monopolies The
issue is monopolists against the people, money
against labor, Barbour and Wickham against
Malone.
Gen. Wickham comes out to-day in q card
in which he accepts the nomination at the
hands Of the democrats and expresses him.
self as being in full accord with the demo-
cratic party in its effort to defeat Malone
He makes an earnest appeal for that which
he will stand in great need-assistance at the
polls. Judging from the tenor of his card 1t
is supposed that ii elected he will stand
shoulder to shoulder with the democrats on
all political questions arising during the ses-
sion Of the next general assembly. Leading
readiusters claim that tho nomination of Gen
Wickhum will bring to them thousands OF
votes they would otherwise have lost viz,
the old timo democrats who before the war
drank at thc fountain of Father Ritchie.
The democrats have adopted rs their cam
pagn cry tho words Of Newberry, of the
"big four" who, when deserting the party
that elected him to Office to go over to the
democrats exclaimed This way, freemen "
1t was quite al exciting time when the
1T was after midnight when he finished ad
dressing it, Seeing that what he said had nc
effect, the old mountaineer got angry. His
voice grew louder his face became a deeper
red, his gcsticulatiops moro violent. and finally
he could stand il no longer. The climax
had to be capped "Men who love freedom
follow mev he shreked as he turned his
face toward the capitol lobby and made for
the door. Five out OF one hundred and
twenty-five Joined the procession which the
senator from Bland headed. When they
reached the door the sergcrnt-at-arms closed
it, and, turning to the little band aughingly
he said: go back and cool Off"
They were too hot to cool off that night
and went outin the rotunda in search of free
dom.
Tho democratic speakers are so pleased will
Newberry's exclamation that they use it as
motto in all their conventions, and it is sale
it is made obligatory upon them by the statt
committee TO use it upon the stump. In thu
speech of Edgar Allan, n prominent read
!uster, and forcible and witty speaker a
Lexington a day or two ago, he "brough
down the house" by stating that the only
response to the democratic cry of This way
freemen" was when Freeman, of Rock bridge
announced himself in the columns of thu
leading democratic organ in the state as
strqightout or independent candidate for tn,
legislature
The action of Mr. Barbours committee n
Lynchburg Friday in changing the headquar
ters of tho committee from Richmond I,
Alexandria is considered by sOmo members o
that faction us n vicious slap mt Richmond tn
hotbed of bourbonism. This thing of givinj
the metropolitan city the goby is something
entirely new.