Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-07-01
An Explanation.
To the Voters of the 10th CongressiOn-
al District:

To the Voters of the 10th COngressi0r
al District:
| 1t is just to myself and due to m
many friends in the district, that
should state my reasons for not enter
ing the proposed primary. 1 purpos
simply giving the facts and let yol
determine whether or not l received
fair play from the committee, so called
In the first place. my candidacy ha
been entirely ignored and was neve
Informed when committee meeting
was to be held. never invited to appea
before it, and never consulted or ad
vised with. Treatment unparalleled
and unprecented. A party committee
should show no preference or favor Il
any candidate for nomination. bu
should be fair, just and impartial.
Early in May wrote to Mr.. Button
announcing my Candidacy, subject
such rules and regulations as the
committee might adopt. On June Is
received letter from Mr.. Buttou
informing me that the committee ha
met the Saturday night previous 1T
Clifton Forge (which l deny was done
and assessed each candidate $500, and
adopted rules for the conduct of the
Congressional primary to be held Oh
July 23rd."
Now mark this, L went to Richmond
found Mr.. Button ON June 8th, and
requested him to give me a copy OF
the rules and plan for the conduct OF
the primary adopted at Clifton Forge
when he blandly informed me that
nothing had been written. Now lei
me ask, how could committee, to use
his own language, adopt rules for the
conduct of a primary without writing
them? Mr.. Button verbally explain
ed to me that there were to be 10
tickets used, the judges simply check
ing off the votes for the different can
didates, and taking sheet of paper he
demonstrated it by drawing line per
through the center with
Mr.. Flood on one side and Mr.. Opie Oh
the other. Now he explained ''when
a man votes for Flood the judge
checks off Flood, when one votes for
Opie, Opie is checked off, He failed
to explain who or what would check a
corrupt judge. l left Mr.. Button and
went to Murphy's Hotel, where 1 met
Mr.. Whitehead, another member of
the committee, and made my objections
to him, and requested that a written
plan of the proposed primary be fur
nished before 1 should be required to
pay the assessment. He remark ed ,
Captain. pay your assessment, and
We will give you an honest primary,
which we will formulate" Remember
Mr.. Button had written me that this
had been done at Clifton Forge.
On the night of the 9th Mr.. EchOls
came to me and informed me that the
had given me until twelve
o'clock to pay the assessment, this was
at fifteen minutes of twelve O'Clock, to
which fact l called his attention.
had only $50 with me, and it was ut
terly impossible to raise money in the
middle of the night. This notice was
the first intimation that had or
dreamed of that the committee would
rule HE out before giving me written
plan of the primary. l was astounded
aud outraged at this base injustice,
aud so expressed myself to Mr.. Echols,
who Informed me that he had begged
the committee to give me further
time.
At twelve o'clock Mr.. Joe Button of
proclaimed Mr.. Fl. D.
Flood of Appomattox, the Democratic
nominee.
Why was the committee in such
haste? What objections could there
be to giving me copy Of the rules
adopted at Clifton Forge? Simply
because they had not adopted any.
And why, may l ask, would they not
give me reasonable time in which to
pay the assessment Simply because
Mr.. Button wanted to prevent my OPP
posing his friend Mr.. Flood. Ana, I'M
fortunately for me, do not speak the
language of the tribe. nor do l belong
to the corporation wing in the State.
l desire to say in conclusion, that l
am the eternal enemy of that wing of
the Democratic party which has band.
ed together for their own political
preferment, controlled and dominated
by corporation influences, subsidized
with corporation money. unscrupulous
as to the attainment of their purpose,
and utterly regardless of the rights,
welfare and interests of the people. A
class Of men who place the corpora
tlOns first, themselves next, and their
country last, and who befowl, belle
and belittle every man who dares OPP
pose them. Would that the people
would inform themselves, and realize
that through the agency of this wing
of the party that one railroad can
lease, own, operate, or guarantee the
bonds of any and all of the other roads
in the State, doing away with all com
petition In freight rates, and that in
many instances transportation Is con-
fiscation. How long do you propose
to stand this condition of affairs2 AS
for me have not yet determined what
my future course will be in this par.
ticular. Yours respectfully,
JOHN N. OPIE.
Staunton, Va, June %, 1904.