The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-09-18

This is the romantic and picturesque
District of that gifted statesman. Hon.
Ran. Tucker. His is name to work a
spell with in these parts. His round Of
ovationS has already began. The Repub-
licans have setup the youthful. almost un-
fledged, Jacob Yost Of StauntOn, as his
opponent. How his very light weight
must sink pitifully under the keen Da-
mascus blade OF the witty and eloquent
Tucker. The attempts to make capital
for the tariff party against him before a
to the ground when confronted by his
own clear statement of his conservative
and judicious position.
The above is taken from the Goshen,
Va, correspondence of the Norfolk
Virgaa5oa. 1t is of apiece with nearly all
the representations from this district from
similar sources. 1t is an extravagant
laudation of Tucker and sheer at his OPP
ponent We have no objection to it. We
have good stock Of patience on hand, and
are content toabide the result in November
next. There is one thing we propose to say,
however, and say it right here. MI. Tucker
is the most overrated man in Virginia.
No one can point to a single act Of his
life that has enured to the benefit of the
people of this State. His speeches are
buta rehash of threadbare notions expressed
time and again on,publc occasions. With
no capacity for originating, he has stored
his mind with the Calhoun theories of gov
eminent, and cannot.get away from.them.
He does not grasp the conditions OF the
present, or adducean argument or advance
view of public policy adapted to present
wants. The text books of the University,
when negro slavery was the cornerstone
of Southern politics, industry and society,
are his guide in discussing constitutional
questions and in considering legislation
demanded by the conditions which now
surround us. There is nothing practical
| in him. HelCannot reach to che practical
relations of measures and policies to meet
fvEhe necessities and emergencies of the
| times. This is demonstrated in his votes
in Congress where he has antagonized al.
most every proposition suggested by ur-
gent public necessities, or demanded by
| the business and material requirements of
| the day. He represents the people in
nothing-Mr. Tucker in everything. His
| oratory consists in set phrases and sopho-
morical pyrotechnics, and his force as q
public speaker is confined to his anecdotes
| and facial contortions. Yet he is set up
as kind of Democratic Golden Calf, be-
| fore which the adoring Democracy is
| expected to bow in idolatrous worship.
| There is nothing Of the statesman in him.
| He has never given any evidence of pos
sessing the first element of craftsmanship.
He has no adequate conception of the pub
lie needs. His sympathies are not with
the masses. He is nothing more than q
spoiled child, grown to mans physical
stature, and it is about time the kind of
nonsense which would make him great
mana beacon light set upon a hill to "a
date the world and guide the multitude,
were done with. His craftsmanship con-
sists in metaphysical refining and alb
stract platitudes, which reduced to laws
would ruin the country. His oratory boiled
down is the stage acting of the comedian.
His mannerisms are.the conceits OF the
strutter in the prelude on the boards. AS
a statesman, as an orator las a legislator for
the people, as representative man of the
masses and their needs, he is failure. He
| is, in short, an inflated balloon which
needs only to be punctured for it to col
| lapse.
| AS to his opponent we have nothing to
say more than that he will stick to Mr..
| Tucker closer than a brother during this
canvass and force him to face his record
OF run away. He is young, it is true-ln-
experienced he may be, but he is old
enough to know precisely what he is doing
and how to do it. This Mr.. Tucker will
! find out, and his lackies and adnlators
will learn something by giving some atten-
| ton to the true inwardness of the issues
7 involved in the contest as it may progress.
| He believes this is a government of the
many and not of the few-a government of
the people, by the people and for the people,
| and that it is broad enough and big enough
to protect the lives and property Of it's cit
| liens in great emergencies, under the con-
stitution and by virtue of It's authority.
He would find ample warrant i'll the fun
| damental law to vote for the Blair educa-
tional bill, the pleuro- pneumonia bill, a
| bill to rescue from distress and death the
sufferers by phenomenal floods, the bill to
| stamp out polygamy, and all measures de-
signed to build up American industries,
| sustain American labor, and make this
the development of material power and
| inventive genius.