Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-12-11
A NEWSPAPER WITH A HISTORY.
The "Richmond Wing" and It's Ia
nous Career.

RICHMOND, va, December l.
Under decree of the court appoint
ng a receiver for the Richmond
WING and ordering its sale for the
benefit of its creditors, that paper
was put up at auction to-day. The
highest bid made for the entire
property was 81, 600 The bid was
not accepted, but it will be report
ed TO the court for action.
While there may be not many
more VIrginians who will remem-
Der affectionately the Richmond
Taig of Hampden Peasants, Rob
eft Ridgway, Richard ii. Toler,
/ Alexander Mosely and others, who
at different periods directed its
editorial management, than of those
who condemn its latter politics, 1T
has not gone to its grave entirely
'unwept, unhonorcd and unsung.'
Its old rival the Enquirer, depart
ed life several years ago. It's but
a short drive from ShOckOe Gene
terry to Hollywood aud within TWEEN
tyminutes one can read the epltaph
that recalls to Richmond the death
of Hampden Peasants, editor OF
the Wing, and that OF Thomas
Ritchie, ST., known in the political
parlance of "A half-century ago as
Father Richie. Along the main
avenue of Shockoc Cemetery the
eye falls upon an imposing granite
obelisk, upon which is inscribed,
John Hampden Peasants, a Re-
publican Wing editor; erected to
his memory by the Wings OF Rich
monG,' accompanied by the date
of his death. Upon this tribute
forty years ago to the most loved
of Virginian Wing editors, there Is
no legend of the cause of his death.
His fatal duel with Thomas Richie,
Jr., son of Thomas Richie, founder
of the Enquirer, and afterward
editor of the official Democratic
organ in Washington, carries with
its history painful memories IN
Richmond even to-day. This gifted
journalist sleeps in noble company,
for ShockOe Cemetery is the burial
place of many illustrious Virgin
ians. Not far away from Hamp-
den Peasants lies Chief-Justice
John Marshall, who died in Phlla-
delphia in 1885. Nearby lies Wat
kins Leigh, Senator from Nlr'
glnia, who refused to resign his Sen
atorship when John Tyler, his col
league, did under instructions of
the Legislature. The Wing editor
lies where possibly he would pre-
fer to be, hard by other magnates
of the anti.Jackson and anti-Demo.
cratic sentiment of Virginia. n
little further down the avenue lies
John NJ. Bolts, whom John Quin-
G, Adams is said to have prOnOunc-
ed the ablest Southern man whom
he had known in the House OF Rep
resentatives. Bolts was a Wing o
Wings, alternately elected and de-
/ feated through term of years to
the House of Representatives from
the Richmond district. There were
'Mugwumps' in those days, and
this stalwart Wing was moro than
once beaten bylWhig "Nugwumps,
even when he had fairly received
the party nomination. The Rich
mond Wing often led the fight
against Bolts in his own party.
Going westward from Shockoe
/ Cemetery, where lies Peasants,
and crossing the leading streets of
Richmond and entering Hollywood
Cemetery, the Metropolis of the
! Confederate South, the grave of
Thomas Richie is conspicuous by 4
monument and an inscription as
simple as that upon the monument
to his great rival at Shockoe. AS
| if designed to compete i'll simplici-
ty with the latter, it barely gives
! his name-and tells that he was
the founder of the Richmond En-
quirer in 1904, and for nearly fifty
years was the leading spirit Of that
| journal. That means a great deal.
1t tells the story of Democratic as
cendancy from Jeflerson's first al.
ministratlon through the whole Of
the Virginia regime in National
politics of Jefferson, Madison and
| Monroe. That epitaph recalls the
Jacksonian ascendancy, following
the briefinterregnum of Federalism
under Adams, and including the
Van Buren, administration, over
thrown by the Harrison tidal wave
OF 1910. Democracy again came
into power under Polk four years
later, and Father Richie was soon
brought to Washington as sort Of
journalistic mentor for Democratic
Presidents and Cabinets. For in
those days even the ablcst party
journalists were dry nurses to the
statesmen Of their respective pa:
ties, as, for example, Weed to Sew
ard, as was Greeley also for years ;
| Forney TO Buchanan, George ID.
Prentice to Henry Clay, and Amos
Kendall to Andrew Jackson. Mr..
Richie was an eminent party coun-
cellOr. He could suggest ingeni-
GUS phrases for platforms. supply
the young aspirants for political
distinction with statistics and edl-
toriaI comment available for ap-
peals to the soverelgns from the
Hastings. Moreover, he was asklll-
full manager Of men and combined
to a rare degree the faculties cal
culated to make him a great factor
in the politics Of his time. Until
after tie defeat Of Van Buren, in
the Convention Of 1914, where Mr..
Calhoun finally broke down the
JacksOnian dynasty by the intro
duction of the twothirds rule, the
Virginia aud New York politicians
made, in combination, the work of
National Conventions very easy for
! Democratic delegates, both as to
candidates and platforms. Until
1914 the Richmond Jaatd, directed
by Mr.. Richie aud the Albany Re.
geacy, controlled by the Van Buren,
influence, usually cO-Operated, and
when terms we're arranged at the
White Sulphur Springs or at Sara
toga between the New York and
! Virginia leaders, Mr.. Richie ISSUED
through the Enquirer his favorite
order, 9Fall into rank That was
an order equivalent to the advice OF