Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1868-04-07
The Pauper Party.

inaccurate patriots now occupying tuo Odpilo'
and engaged in framing the Organic Law for
the people of Virginia have made wonderful
discoveries in the Science of Government. The
time was when our Constitution Makers, the
Madisons, Marshals and Tazewells, who once
adorned the seats now desecrated by the Bow
dens, the Porters and the Baynes, had some
little regard for the distinctions of m,euna and
tuun,, and were sufficiently old fashioned to be-
lieve that those who welded the power of tax
alton should have property stake i'll the com
munity, and that those who imposed the bur
dens of government should at least participate
| in bearing them.
It seems, however, that the notion of our
fathers has become an obsolete idea in this age
of Radical progress and Africanization. The
Solons at Richmond, owning no property them
selves, have no regard for the rights of proper
ty belonging to others, except such as the
Highway Robber feels when he calls upon his
victim to stand and deliver. They are not
content with DISTINGUISHING all the white cltl-
zens of Virginia, who are excluded from voting
under the Reconstruction acts of Congress
bling to all Office holders, an oath which re-
quires them to swear that in a gigantic strug
gle of four years DURATION which involved every
thing worth living for, they gave no aid and
| felt no sympathy with their State or their kin
| dred But it is gravely proposed to the people
of Virginia, the land owners and property hold
ers of the State, to confer, by their votes, the
| right of suffrage on all the adult male negroes
now here, or who, emigrating here from other
States, shall reside six months, excepting only
idiots, lunatics, felons and not excepting pau
pers. Was ever such proposition submitted
to any people before? Do the Bowdens, Por
tiers, Baynes, ct id omne genus take us to be
| dogs, and expect US, spaniel-like, to lick the
hand that smites us? Are they not satisfied
with subjecting all the intellect and public vir-
tue of the State-all the talent and all the de-
| cency, to the rude and ruthless dominion of the
| ignorant, the depraved and corrupt? Shall oul
| oppressed and poverty-stricken people be re
| required, by their own votes, to surrender the
little remnant of their property to the keeping
of lazy, thriftless, black paupers? When .
| proposition was submitted in the constitutional
Convention, so-cdlled, to require the voter te
| pay his taxes before he could exercise the priv
ilege, it was Indignantly denounced by sable
orator, upon the ground that such provision
would virtually disfranchise large majority o.
the blacks in the State. We have the author
ity of this bright and shining light for saying
that the adoption of the proposed Constitution
will subject the property holders of the State
The official returns from number of counties
indiferently selected from the several section:
| of the State, will enable us to form fair est
mate of the property stake which the negroe
have in the community.
The returns made for the year 1866 from thu
counties of Augusta, Rockbridge, Albemarle
Louisa, Prince George, Sussex, Elizabeth City
York, Prince William, Loudon, Botetourt
Washington, Wythe, Halifax and Henry show
that the entire tax assessed on the property O
negroes in those fifteen counties was $4,000
| that the poll tax assessed upon them when ad
ded to this property tax made an aggregate o
81, 500. 90, of which $3.051.7l was not collect
able and returned delinquent In view Of thes'
to the path of duty and of safety? We ad
monish them by all the sacred memories of tn
past, and all the priceless interest of the pres
ent, and all the fond hopes of the future, tina
the time has come for action, if they would saw
themselves and their State from the most mon
strous political outrage ever perpetrated upol
any people"
Speak agd Act
There is no time to be lost. Every Conser
vative should be at work, and Conservative
speakers should be upon the stump. Thei
voices should be heard 10 thunder tones in ev
cry neighborhood 1t is absolutely neeessar.
that the whole people should be aroused to &C
ton. With the able editor of the MorJoU
N:rginsan, we think "the time has come for u
to marshal our forces and fling abroad the grea
/ ao1aite banner of the White Man Party" Tha
journal says that impressions are being made
which it will require time and opportunity tt
correct, or obliterate For example, all thu
| chicken hearted and white liyered men will Cry
| out that after Alabama has been dragged in by
| the ears there is mo use in making fight anG
| this class can only be moved by the pressure O.
| public opinion We know that dangerous in
| fuenees are at work, and we say to our loca
managers that they cannot take the field toe
| soon. The enemy is sapping our works. hi
mines are alreadyrun under one salient, and unless
| he is dislodged, unless our own men are put or
| the offensive, we will inevitably be beaten. =
| What is more demoralizing than to remain ii
| your breast works under the Smelling of YOU
enemy, more especially when their sharp shoot
ers use air guns which make no report?"
l
dd-FelloWship in the United States.
We learn from the various reports presented
to the Odd Fellows Grand Lodge Of the Uni
| ted States, that the order in 1867 embraced
| ?. $50 lodges with 214, SCI members, and that
during the year there were 35,02l members I'M
! tiated, and 2,l64 members died. The total re
ceipts for the year were $2,O2O,l ILL., and of this
1892, 629 were paid for charitable purposes
there having been 2,O26 brethren end 3,l4l
| widowed families relieved by the lod ges, and
2, 935 members and $50 widowed families re-
| lieved by the Encampments, which number
| 697, and have 81 842 members, all of whom,
however, are also members of the lodges.
a.