The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1890-05-22
To tho Republicans of Augusta
County

To tho Republicans of Augusta
County.
AT meeting of your county commit
tee, held on the Goth of April, 1890, a
subcommittee was appointed, composed
OF nine persons. to draft II call for a
county convention. in obedience to our
amended plan OF organization, to elect
new precinct committees and a new
county chairman. Five members of the
committee were called together by VIM.
E. Craig, on Saturday, the 10th inst
and without eitEee the knowledge or
consent of the remaining four a meet
ing Is, lllet J was held. your o lvention
put off until che 18th of July, and a call
adopted that puts it in the power of one
man, and that man VIM: E. Craig, to
control your convention, even if nine out
of every ten Republicans in Augusta
county are against him. In the call
above referred to, which was written by
Craig himself, the precinct chairmen
who Craig appointed are required to
certify to VIM. F.. Craig the names of
the permanent chairmen and secretaries
of the precinct meetings, and they in
turn certify to VIM. L Craig the dele
gates and alternates appointed, and
VIM. +. Craig, with no man daring to
dispute his power, makes up the roll of
your convention. which is to pass on
his title to the position of county
chairman.
Now, therefore, we, the undersigned
members OF the committee on reorgani-
cation who were not present at the meet
ing in observation-disclosures we We're not
notified of it,-in the interest of honest
dealing and fairplay, and in order that
we may get at II fair and honest express
ion of Il majority of the Republicans of
Augusta county. determined to make
one final effort to have the delegates to
the conventions elected fairly, certified
fairly and enrolled fairly. and to this end
we called another meeting of the com
mttee. extending the courtesy of writ
ten notice to each and every member of
it, and the proceedings we give briefly
but accurately.
/ The members present in the majority
were John d. Rodgers, John "A. Noon,
John H. Council, T. j. Martin and w.
E. Craig The undersigned composed
the minority. Mr. Rodgers seemed to
be master of ceremonies, and called Mr..
Martin to the chair. and Craig moved to
make Mr.. Council secretary, all Of which
was done. Then S. Brown Allen arose
and said that the committee had been
called ON the part of the minority for
the purpose of adopting some means
whereby we could have IL full, fair and
harmonious convention, and to this end
he offered in good faith the olive branch.
He said he believed he but voiced the
sentiment of an overwhelming majority
of the Republicans of Augusta when he
asked that the approaching convention
should be permitted to register the will
of the majority on the nomination of
our precinct committees and the selec-
ton of a county chairman He repre-
scented the minority of the committee
he represented self-respecting Republi-
cans everywhere when he gave assur-
ance of his willingness to yield obedience
to the voice of the majority, but he not
only asked-he demanded-tha the will
of the majority should be fully and fairly
and honestly expressed. Under the
operations of the call already published
over the signatures above given, VIM. E.
Craig himself makes up the roll of the
convention from delegates only who are
certified by precinct chairmen appointed
by Vim. E. Craig himself so that VIM.
g.. Craig has the power under his call to
enroll and compose the convention of
ffty-one delegates who are favorable to
him, though tifty-one delegates have
been elected by the people who are OPP
posed to him. Gentlemen of the com
mittee such use of the party machin-
cry was never contemplated by the
party law. 1t is not the law we com
plain of, but the unfaithful execution
of it that we fear, and yet we do not
fear that much, because in the only con
versations I've had with our distinguish
ed county chairman on the subject,
an utterance fell from his lips that bid
me sbe of good cheer, "a grand, a no
bic and inspiring declaration it was, and
for the moment | felt that the people
were safe in the hands of man who
had attained to such u standard of fair
ness. 1t was last Monday night, one
week ago, in his Office, when we had I'M
der consideration this very call, and |
control the convention if he choose to
use unfair means that he quickly re
piled that he had never in his life done
anything that was unfair and he never
! intended to do it.
Lrepeat it, gentlemen, because want
to give peculiar emphasis to the lam
guage. felt safe then. feel safe now,
but will be pardoned, if, out of an
abundance of caution, [ shall put his
sincerity to the test.
| therefore have suggestion to make,
to the end that we may have plain and
fair and smooth sailing. We all want
fair convention, with its roll of dele
gates fairly and honestly made up. Mr..
Craig has expressed Il desire that it shall
be so, and every member of this com
mittee, | am, confident, applauds the
sentiment, and therefore believe that
every member here will cordially APP
prove the resolutions | now offer:
Resol0ed. That the call for RepubI-
can county convention to assemble in
Staunton on July 18th, 1890, which APP
pears in the VALLEY VIRGINIAN of May
18th, 1890. be amended so us to provide
that the person who calls the precinct
meetings to order will certify to a com
mittee composed of the following per
sons-Wm. E. Craig, S. Brown Allen
and G. A. Roler-the names Of the per
nanent chairman and secretary OF such
meeting, and the said permanent chair
man and secretary will certify to the
same committee: :. list of the delegates
and alternates appointed, from which
the committee will make up the roll of
the convention.
Res0loed further. That the commit
tee thus provided will be required to as
semble in the Court House promptly at
10 O'Clock for the purpose of receiving
and passing ON credentials.
Az the conclusion of the reading of
the resolutions, WHICH was done slowly
ana WIN emphasis, the majority seemed
to be for the time almost dazed, and va
cantly stared from one to another but
to our surprise our ever ready and active
and energetic chairman, VIM. +. Craig.
took the floor and neryously drew from
his inside pockets piece of writing al
ready prepared, and in tremnlous voice
offered the paper as q substitute for the
Allen resolutions.
ResolDed. That we hereby re-affirm
and re enact the Gall for county conyen
Saturday, the 10th inst. :
And on this motion Allen demanded
the ayes and hayes. Mr.. Craig at this
juncture, as if to give courage and nerve
to his discomtitted followers, who seemed
to be about to stampede said, with VIC
lent gesture, that his objections to the
Allen propositions was, that under the
Allen call, Allen and Roller would make
III tho roll of tho