Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1896-01-10
FHE-DEM0fsRAT7C STATE CONVEN.
TIONs Ar STAUNTON.

1ICN% AZ S1AON1(N.
he Richmond Dispatch in noticing the
ViB icAToR's appeal for the holding in
tfn5tg ef*he I@xt Democratic State con-
W&ae ttihond recognizes thatshe has been
espteRl gored in having been selected
tiH&&nd gain as the meeting place of tho
Stl 3Jesiocratic Convention, and viii lie she
Fwo1IG not antagonize the claim of any other
city in this matter. she would nevertheless
extend this year, as usual, an invitation to
| the convention to meet here. In respect of
hotel accommodations she was never better
prepared than at present to take care of a
crowd and, as is we'll known from exper-
fence, she will find no difficulty in plovid-
ing a suitable auditorium for the dellbera-
tions of the body.
We have not word to say against Rich
mond, she has done AS much for the Demo.
cratic party as any city in the State, and
more, but We are urging the holding of th.
State convention i'll Staunton OH higher
reasons than thJse OF Tere locality. w.
want the party in the State to understand
our case. We in this Shenandoah Vale,
are almost constantly in the field as regards
political warfare, and our section has beel
the scene OF the most numerous and excit.
ing contests, with few intervals, since the
war under Gen. Malone began. From this
section he drew the most brilliant men of
his staff-Paul, Allen, Kiddleberger, Craig
and they never lost an opportunity
to raid over their old ground. The edito-
rial brains of the Republican party is locat-
ed here-Yost's Weekly, the Spirit of the
Valley and the State Republican. In this
Valley was made the one and only
great county fight the Prohibition
lists have made in the State,
when IN 1898 they ran a full legisla-
tive ticket and put up such a hot fight as
was never seen in this section before. From
Botetourt to Frederick the war in one
shape or another has been waged and with
varying success. So you see that how ever
it may be in other parts Of Virginia, how
ever peaceful and quiet, the Democratic
troops in this Shenandoah Valley have been
kept in light marching order and generally
had an enemy in their front.
Don't you think that with all this picket
duty and double quicking, it is about time
that the Valley Democrats got just one
sight Of headquarters? Why the young
Democrats Of this generation in this Sec
ton don't known there is headquarters
except by hearsay. 1t has bec~st forty
one years since Democratic State conven-
ton, gathering all the big guns of the par
ty, was held in Staunton, and the men who
attended it are now in the grave yards.
We don t mean, of course to compare the
two. but everybody knows what effect the
session of a large church body has on the
prospects of that church in the neighbolhood
in which it meets. It revives interest in
the cause, brings back stray sheep, and
puts a new face on things. Well, that's
what we want done for our loyal Demo-
Gratis in this section; we want judicious
quantity of ginger put in them by sight
of headquarters, and We count on the help
of the Dispatch to enable us to do it. No
leading paper in Virginia has shown more
regard for the rural districts and their ill.,
habitants; it has often made the opportu-
nifty to take up and advocate onr cause.
and we look to it now for a helping hand.
And we may just add in conclusion that
it is the young Democrats who are engi-
neering this call for the convention here.
They are holding nightly meetings in
Staunton and appointing committees to
learn and set forth the capacity of the city
to comfortably house and feed conyen-
tion. Give the seed-corn their way for
this once; you III not regret it-wben the
polls close next fall.