Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-07-17
80 RESPECTABILIZING" THE RE-
PUBLICAN PARTY IN
VIRGINIA.

While the DAY BOOK was casting
around for material to build the Walker
platform, some five or six months since,
we wrote article after article on the subs
eet Of " respectabilizing" the Republic
can party in Virginia, at the bare idea
Of which many Of our contemporaries
throughout the State ieered aud scofed,
while others defined their position on
the subject by declaring the views rather
far advanced for them. Those of our
readers who have followed us for the
past year or so, have been put far in
advance of others who have failed to
read these " advanced views" as they
were termed and the lattsr are now
just being posted by our contemporaries,
whose columns are now filed from day
| to day with the identical views which
emanated from this paper, over which
our contemporaries are in ecstaces al
raost. They are just beginning to see
the point of these common-aense propo-
sitions, and like young converts usually
are, they are exceedingly Jealous.
Well, go on, gentlemen, it makes us
feel good; and gives assurance that our
noble old State is in the right road at last.
Our only regret in the matter is, that
we are not now publishing an "eight
pager" so as to clip each of their pro-
auctions and insert them side by side
with similar articles from our own
columns months and months ago, But
it strikes us that our contemporaries,
particularly those who pooh-poohed
the views when we first gave them out,
might at least do us the occasional JUS
tice to mention the fact to their readers
where they originated This would be
but simple act of justice to this paper;
though we do not insist on it, for our
Joy is great even to see them now so
popular
/ CJtilipii floWo cllCJ VI al w dy
should be, leading views and this fact
should be borne in mind alwa Us by
our contemporaries who wish to keep
pace with the progress of the age.
People may talk of building up "lead-
ing newspapers" as much as they please,
and they may spend their money with
the greatest profusion in order to ac-
complish this object; but they will
eventually learn that " amp-black and
rags" however nicely cotton up, can
never make leading newspaper, with
out leading minds to direct it. That is
very plain common-sense proposition,
which it might be we'll for some people
to study occasionally before they attempt
to dabble in printers ink.
But pardon our DEPRESSION We
started out to say something about ere
spectabilizing' the Republican party of
our State, and as that process has just
been carried out to its full fruition and
has caused the pulse of joy to vibrate
throughout the State as it never vibrat-
ed before, we think it would not be
very hard M after to convince our readers
that that has been the lever which
has moved the people of our State to
take action for their safety, while it has
also been the lever by which the
immense swarms of carpet baggers
have been moved from their seat of
power and given notice to quit the sa-
cred soil.
As to what is respectabilizing" the
Republican party? Our view was and
is, that it is only placing ourselves in
accord with the government of our
country by acknowledging the laws that
are framed to govern our peculiar condi-
diton-accepting the reconst uction
laws--and passing over the government
Of the State from the hands of the car
pe,-baggers into the possession of the
people of the State,
That's respectabilizing' the Repub-
lican party. 1t has established that
party in the State by separating from it
the worthless debris which the war
turned up to the top, such as the carpet
baggers, scallawags and idle, thieving
negroes on whom they leaned for sup
port, 1t has purified that party of
these clements, ana the people seeing
the publication have rushed forward
and enrolled themselves iu its ranks,
under what Governor Walker terms as
the Liberal Republican Party" And
such party-and such majority it
has rolled up for its candidate. Surely,
there never was more respectable"
party in Virginia than that which has
recently achieved the glorious triumph
of putting to rout the vampires who
sought to despoil our State and enslave
our people. In fact, the idea of Gre
specializing" the Republican party in
our State meant to set the seal of repro
haitian +I,o o.,l boe