Staunton Spectator

Messrs. Editors: One of the great objects sought to be obtained by the Reform Convention to amend the State Constitution, was to abolish the life tenure of office; and to give to every good citizen the right to seek, or become a candidate for any office within the gift of the people.

So far as Constitution provisions were concerned, this object was attained; but it is very different to this in the practical working of the political parties of the day. We have Cliques, Conventions, and so called meetings of the people, which nominate one of their favorites for each and every office; and then declare it to be suicidal, or a case of "self destruction" to any man who has the temerity to announce himself a candidate for any office in opposition to their selections. As we do not believe the great mass of the people sanction or are satisfied with the action of such bodies, and believing also that a majority of them are opposed to the re-election of our old Representatives in the Legislature, we take the liberty of proposing three other Whigs as candidates to represent us, who, we think, will give entire satisfaction, and not endanger the harmony of the Whig party. We mean Doct. E. G. Moorman, Maj. Jas Walker and Wm. Sproul.

We are personally the friend of all the old Representatives, but think that some of them, at least, have been in the Legislature often enough to gratify the reasonable ambition of themselves or their friends. We should like to have more candidates in the field for another reason; it would perhaps arouse the Whig party from the Van Winkle sleep into which they have fallen, since the great Ollapod contest, and bring to the polls every Whig voter of the county. This would certainly be advantageous to the Whig candidate for Governor, because the more votes polled in the county the larger will be his majority. And we have no fears that the Democratic party will put candidates in the field, but will agree that if the Whigs will let them have a free fight for a Representative toCongress, the Whigs can have a fair fight for members of the House of Delegates. We hope then the friends of the gentlemen named will prevail upon them to announce themselves as candidates on the 1st day of the April Court, and then we shall see which will triumph, King Caucus and his allies, or the people.

Editors Spectator--Gentlemen:--Owing to the fact that great dissatisfaction exists among the people throughout the county that the three old candidates for the Legislature have been renominated; and believing, as we do, that their re-nomination has been affected in a great measure by the wireworking of a clique in the town of Staunton: we beg leave to call upon three gentlemen to permit their names to be presented to the voters of Augusta on the 4th Thursday in May next, as candidates for the next House of Delegates of Virginia. Staunton has ruled the county long enough, and it remains for the people to determine whether they will throw off the yoke, or tamely submit to it forever. The Democratic party have no candidates in the field, and will have none as they have positively declared. Then the cry of Harmony! Harmony! raised by the clique is a mere subterfuge to appease the murmurings of an indignant Public. We hold it to be the right of every man to vote for whom he pleases; we therefore, call upon Co. Wm. M. Sproul, Major James Walker, and Jefferson Kinney to sayat the April Court whether they will consent to become the People's Candidates for the next Legislature. In making this call we are actuated by no unkind feelings to any of the Candidates now in the field; but having a preference for others we claim the right to express it; and we mean to express in the most unqualified manner our disapprobation of the course pursued by the Staunton Junto towards Major Walker, whom they unceremoniously thrust aside, to make room for one of the favored of the Clique. And this they had the unblushing effrontery to do in defiance of the expressed wishes of the people for their favourite Candidate at the polls. Let the gentlemen declare themselves at the April Court and we will see that justice be done at the polls,if not by the Staunton Caucus.