The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-04-19
Hon. Basil b. Gordon is at the Elk
change Hotel.

Times.
Many of the friends OF Colonel A. s. Bu-
ford earnestly desire to present his name
TO the Democratic convention. which is
TO nominate a candidate for Governor OF
virginia TO be elected next November.
AT this juncture. when we are striving
to develop and utilize the vast and varied
resources Of the State, man Oh
strong mind. pure character large
experience and unblemished record snouid
occupy the chief executive Office Ihere
are not a few such in Virginia; that COL
onel Buford Is such a man. there Is no
question. His natural endowments,
strengthened and improved by personal
culture and laborious application, induced
the people Of Pittsylvania county-the
witnesses Of his early and unaided strus-
giles I'm the battle of life, when he was
quite a youth, at period In the history
of the State when the best men were Sc
Iected as representatives. in her Geherai
Assembly, to send him as one oil tnelr
representatives to the House or Deie-
gates. in which capacity he served ior
two years taking high rank among the
best representatives Of the period.
When the late war commenced ne was
enjoying "A lucrative practice as one Oh
the leading lawyers of Southside VIZ
ginia. Immediately upon the secession Vi
the State without hesitation, ana with-
out military ambition. but Win patrlo'i0
devotion and loyalty, he enlisted as
private in company or infantry III the
town of Danvlle, and served In that
capacity at the front in the active cam
paign on the Potomac during the year IDOL
While thus absent in the army he Was
again called, by the unanimous vote OIL
the soldiers and people OF MS county 10
represent them in the General Assembly
A ctthGRnnHnt session
that body he procured the passage OF
bill making an appropriation for the
establishment of home for Virginia SOL
diers in the city of Richmond. He es-
tablished such a home and during the
whole period Of the war Thereafter every
soldier in the service of Virginia, passing
through the city of Richmond, was sure
Of food and a resting place. He mace
this home a forwarding station Tor such
supplies as the families OF soldiers IN lhe
field desired to send their needy iriends
in the army. Many of the surviving Vete-
rams will to-day gratefully recall the com
| fort of this generous discharge OF duty. OBJ
livious of all social pleasure, and re-
eardless of the personal discomforts IN
| volved he established his office and Nv
| ing quarters in that home, and devoted
| every moment Of time which ne could
! spare from the arduous legislative duties
| incident to that period to the comfort
and relief of the gallant and SUFFERING
soldiers of Virginia for whom he mad
| thus become, in a certain sense, thelr
| special representative and friend.
When the war had ended, his character
and his ability Immediately attracted the
| attention Of the stockholders Of the Rlch-
mond and Danvile Railroad Company,
who chose him to take charge of the al
fairs of that well-nigh ruined road with
the hone that he would bring order out or
chaos The signal ability and exceptional
success with which he handled this great
and difficult trust is well attested In the
fact that he was annually reelected IFS
! PRESIDENT for twenty-five years. anu When
! he retired from the management or the
road its prosperity was established, its
connections had been extended from
road 40 miles long to a distance covering
nearly 1850 miles. and the commerce Of
Virginia increased through its influence
many millions OF dollars.
| During the period Of his administration
of that vast enterprise he won the aiiec-
tions and admiration or Its employees
| from the humblest laborer TO the highest
official and there was no conflict between
| him as its president, and the farmers
| through whose territory ii passed. with
whose interest he has been personally
| identified from his chlluhoOu.
His hold upon the laboring classes
everywhere under his employment attest
ed how we'll he was known to be in
touch with their needs and wants, as well
| as those of the company; hence no strikes
| harassed his administration or despoiled
his laborers OF their regular earnings
They knew and trusted his justice, and
J his readiness 10 redress grievances. and
alleviate hardships. as far as possible,
even when In the depressed hnanclal con-
dition Of the company low wages ana
delayed payments were an onerous DUR
den to all
Since he severed his connection with
| that road. some seven or eight years
since he has devoted himself. without
remission of that intelligent energy and
| public shirt which have characterized
| his life to the development OF the re-
| sources of Virginia-agricultural' mineral
! commercial and manufacturing, Tor part
| of the time as president OF the virginia
Agricultural and Mechanical Society. and
now as the president Of the Virginia Board
of Managers of the Columbian Exposition
| the duties of which he IS performing WITH
out remuneration with such success as
IN render IL certain that the old Com
monyeaIth will be fifty represented at
that great ingathering OF tue olaeeS anu
! nations of the world
As Democrat he is without blemsn,
universally known as steadfast, inteii-
gent. true. conservative and patriotic
abundant in effective work and influence
in every crisis of the party's history.
1t is safe 10 say that no man In Vir-
ginia presents a better record OF intelli-
gent arduous. active and disinterested de-
votion to his State and her interest than
| Colonel Ruford. The public positions
with which he has been honored have
| enabled him to gather such information
respecting the resources and needs of the
| Commonwealth, and the wants and in
terests of her people, as would give him
! commanding advantages for the admins
tration Of her material interests.
Do we not need such man now. and
would II not be an act Of wisdom In
the people OF Virginia TO choose him as
| her chief magistrate?
This question has already been answered
in the affirmative by many of the most
thoughtful and patriotic men in the
State. NOTER.
April IS, 1898.