The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-23


TIE 'M0ssBACKs'' AND THE KIDS "A
LIVELY POLITICAL CORPSE REsUR-
REcTED- HARRIS DOWNS MoFFETT,
SWEEPS THE FIELD AND ATTEMPTS TO
FITCH A REPUBLICAN PLANK.
Last Monday was the day appointed for
Tie unterrified Democracy of old Rock
lngham to assemble in mass convention to
appoint delegates to the Richmond Con-
ventiOn, which is called to meet on the
18th. to nominate Democratic State
ticket to be beaten in November next. A
large number of the sovereigns were pres
ent, as is always the case or coanty court
occasions, and at the ringing of the court
house bell, II o'clock, they commenced to
flock into the building, until it was filed
with Democrats and Republicans. Geo.
B. Keezle. State Senator and Chairman
he Democratic County Committee, called
the Convention to order land designated ).
j. iiarnsberger as the presiding officer and
j. P. Ker, as Secretary.
The indications of u warm contest had
been given out for several days. Harris
had thrown off the reserve which had
characterized his conduct for several years
past. on occasions of this kind. lie was
busy among the people, and his lieuten-
ants were equally as active as himself, but
none of them boisterous or boastfnl DR..
S. H. Motfett, who has been bossing things
political in that locality for some time,
giving direction to county affairs and dis
posing of Federal patronage at his will, OPP
Grated from ambush, so to speak. lie
was pulling the strings from behind the
scenes most of the time, but occasionally
would move about in his usually rapid and
nervous manner, giving the cue to his
aids and posting them as to the ways and
means to keep the corpse cribbed, coflined
and confined. We noticed him in close
conversation with O'Ferrall, at the
mouth of an alley, and Charley Turner
standing by, drinking in the wisdom that
flowed from these two masters of ceremo-
MES and ring managers of the circus, AS
the time drew nigh for measurement OF
strength between the Kids, y under Har-
ris direction and the 'Mossbacks, = in the
wake of Motfett, considerable anxiety was
manifested and expectancy was on Nip
toe. The arrangement of the "Mossback'
wing was for the chairman of the conyen-
ton to appoint the committee 10 report
delegates from the several districts, but it
was not the thing the Kids wanted. Col.
o. i. Roller, in the interest Of the
latter, therefore, offered resolution to the
effect that the members. OF the mass con-
vention from each district retire, select
their delegates and report to the meeting,
which was supported by Winfield Liggett.
This was the first note of aggressive war
fare, and Granville Eastman, one of the
clearest heads and brightest intellects in
the county, was disposed to take up the
glove thus defantly thrown down. but
seeing that it was popular with the
masses, whether from it's genuine Demo
cratic ring, OF because of the manifested
strength OF the Kids, " permitted it to be
adopted without much ado. There was
every Indication of an explosion about this
time, but it spent its force in earnest
whispers and excited gesticulation, the
Kids feeling that they had the whip in hand
and intended to use it for all it was worth,
and the Mossbacks looking for a conve-
nient hole through which toretreat without
showing their weakness.
The several districts. after half hour IS
were announced as ready to
report. The secretary read the names of
the delegates chosen, and familiarity with
the sympathies they represented made it
apparent that the Kids had carried the day
The county is entitled to
fourteen delegates and as many alternates
ten Of the delegates were pronounced Har
ris men and four anti-Harris. Two of the
four were chosen by mistake. When the
Linville district was in consultation, the
voting was conducted by the Harris men
going to one side and the anti Harris men
to the other. One of the Harris men
mistook his side, and going over himself
to the wrong column he was followed by
ten or twelve others, losing Harris the
two delegates-a mistake that was not dis
covered unit. it was too late to correct it,
The reports from the several districts hav-
ing been presented, a motion was made to
adopt them which was carried unanimously
Although the Mossbacks realized and ex-
pressed it from their countenances, that
they were badly whipped, State Senator
Keezle, one of the Mossbacks, then raised
Install form from the mass of pigmies
tion to the effect that Col. O'Ferrall, Hon.
John T. Harris, DR.. S. III. Moffett, Capt.
G.. Grattan, Mr.. Soule-the latter two
members of the Legislature-and one other
whose name we did not catch, be chosen
as delegates at large. This brought H .
V. Strayer,a prominent Kid to his feet
He reminded Mr.. Keezle, the Chair
man of the County Committee, of the
terms of his call for the Convention
that it was there designated that four
teen delegates should be appointed and
no more-that it was the number indi-
Gated by the highest authority of tina par
ty to which Rockingham was entitled and
that there was no power to enlarge or di-
minish that representation. AS one of
the delegates chosen he did not recognize
the right to mutilate the power thus con-
ferred upon him, that he was opposed to
any more ''tail' being hitched on for him
to carry and would not consent. to have
hismind divided into infinitessimal parts.
He claimed that the Convention at Rich
mond was going to virtually elect the
next Governor and he wanted to exercise
all the authority his appointment con-
ferred in bringing about that consumma-
tion, whether the lucky man should be the
gallant son of a noble sire who had lead
the Boys in Gray the distinguished gen.
tleman from the Southwest, who had been
wrongfully deprived of his judicial err
mine, or any one of the other worthy
names that might be presented to the
Convention. Whoever might be the choice,
''by the Gods" they intended to elect him.
This expression was an infringement of
O'Ferrall's patent, but as that noted pa
triot was not present we supposed it would
not be considered larceny to appropriate it