Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-07-22
Mr.. Button Answers Cant. ople'a card.

Mr.. Button Answers Cant. tiDie's Gard.
Editor Spectator !:
Whit. e.l roufa II! the 81 Lon 2
eonv-nti n a friend handed me copy
If your paper containing p card from
Capt. John N Opie, stating his reasons
FOR not entering the Congressional
primary, and in 1icii a.. INDUCES III
severe criticism OF the committee IN
general, and me, it's chairman, in par
ticular. His attack is gratnitons and
nnmerited. The committee has treat
ed him with the utmost fairness and
consideration. TO begin with, before
the committee knew who the cand
dates We're to be. they assembled and
fixed date for the primary. A few
days thereafter received letter from
Capt Opie in which he stated that he
expected to he a candidate aud that
the date fixed for the primary did not
suit him or his people. / responded
by calling The committee together and
fixing a later date that did suit.
In our call for the primary we stated
that after the time had elapsed within
which candidates could file their notice
of candidacy, the committee would
meet and fix the amount OF assessment
to be levied upon each catdi late. Capt
Opie having complained because the
first meeting was held in the eastern
end of the district, and therefore mac
cessibe TO the western members OF the
committee, | called this meeting al
Clifton Forge and went all the way
from Richmond to attend il The com
mittee at this meeting fixed the asscss
nient at $500 each, there being ONLY
two candidates, aud Capt. Opio OK
pressed to Gov. Eeh0is, to Ine and /!
| others, his surprise that the asaessni.'
was SO small AT this meeting s.e
adopted the printed plan of pri;nary
| laid down by the State committee fo
| the conduct of Congressional primaries
| with the addition of a provision tina
each candidate should be entitled tx
| have friend at the polls during tn.
day and to witness the count at TIL,
f! close
| Immediately after the Clifton Forg.
meeting. both Capt. Opie aud Mr.. FiOo;
| were notified of their assessment an,
that it would have to be paid by June
On June Capt. Opie came to Rich
| mond and gave out the following in
!! terview to reporter of the Times
dispatch:
MIR. OPIE IS IN-WILL PAY HIS PR
! MARY ASSESSMENT IN CON-
GRESS RACE.
Capt ohm N. Opie, of Staunton. Stat
senator, and candidate for the nSm1natfo
for Congress against Ii on. H. y. Flood, in til
Tenth district, arrived in the city vest al da
and was shaking hands with friends las
night. Senator Opie stated to a reporter las
night that he would today pay the Distrio
Chairman. Joseph Button, his entrance fe
in the primary, and the contest would be O.
in earnest He stated that the asseessmen
on each candidate was
During the morning of June Sth
Capt. Opie came to my office and aske
me where l could be found later in th
day so he could pay his assessment.
replied that | would meet him at MuI
phys Hotel at O'Clock that night an
if he could not get there by that tim
| would be IN the meeting of the Stat
committee until midnight, and he cOul
see me there. During our converse
tion he asked me about the rules adopt
ed, and [ replied that we had adopte
the rules laid down by the State CON
mittee, with the addition mentione
above. | had in my desk a printe
COpy obdbc BldA tLI
read him that portion relating to Cor
gressional primaries. lie asked som
question about the ballots and | re
piled that it would be viva voce pr
mary and attempted to explain how
would operate.
| l heard nothing more from Capt
iOpie that day, although | was at tn
places agreed upon. He did not pa
bis assessment within the specified
time and even then "Mr. Joe Butto
of Appomattox did NOT declare Nj,
III. d. Flood of Appomattox the noml
|nee," but called the committee tC
gether on the morning of the 9th an
stated to the committee that Capt
Opie had failed to pay his assessment
within the required time. Governo
| EchOls then moved that the time
extended until IL O'Clock, noon, tina
day and if he did not then pay 1t, tina
| Mr.. Flood be declared the nominee, t.
| which motion the committee unani
mOusiy assented, all of the member
but one being present. Capt. Opt
was Immediately notified of the CON
mittee g action and still he failed t.
pay his assessment, so Ghere was moth
ing left to do but declare Mr.. Flood tn
nominee.
| do not know at whom he is amin,
in his concluding remarks, therefore
| shall not answer them. have mere
i " replied TO that portion of his care
which charges the committee will
having treated him unfairly.
The above are the facts in the cas-.
and leave it to the public to decid,
whether or not Captain Opie has re
| ceived fair play" at the hands of TIL
Tenth District Committee.
JOSEPH BUTTON, Chairman.
W. l.r1. Einri VI LII