New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1872-04-04
From the Norfolk Day Book
Shoulder 10 Shoulder,

sue. speaking OF the approaching municipal
election, made Use of the following language :
6 We have willy and INSCRIPTIONS foe to
deal with, an adversary who has nothing of
principle to lose by defeat, and everything
office, money, bread--to gain by success.
The Radical party, made up of Northern adj
venturers, who flee from the poor houses and
penitentiaries Of their own section, and of
Southern scalawags who have forfeited all
claim to the respect and confidence of this
region, the Radical party, we say, lives,
moves, and has its very being in the fetid
atmosphere of Il corrupt administration of
governmental affairs and the remorseless
plumber of the public treasury"
Sir, as chairman of the Republican party of
this city, l should feel myself recreant to all
duty did not deny the above foul calumny
and base Islander upon the members of the
party-Northen and Southern born-Of
which have the honor to be the chief ex-
ecutive officer.
Now, sir, what are the facts regarding the
white Republicans of this city, who have
numbered heretofore about 225? Why, sir,
over 100 of them are property owners, nearly
one-half, and the assessed value of real es-
tate owned by them, as appears upon the as
sessment rolls of this city, is 1894 GIG, and the
amount of tax paid by them, real and per-
sonal, amounts 20 sl9,695.6S. Sir, nearly
one-eleventh part of the assessed valuation
of real estate in this city is owned by white
Republicans, and they pay about that pro-
portion of the taxes and the balance of the
white Republicans are hard working mechan-
les, who at least contribute as much to the
city treasury as does the editor of the Vir-
ginian. These, sir, are facts taken from the
official records of the city, and l am pre-
pared to give names and figures, should any
ar,n nrtsn Ao orIo fba
Northern Republicans in this city, two-thirds
of them are real estate owners, and of the
1894, GIG assessed to Republicans, 1920 900 of
it, or nearly One-quarter; and the like pro-
portion of the tax is assessed to Northern
Republicans, and many of them are large
owners Of real estate in the county, and at
the North. Yet, sir, in the face of such facts
as these, the editor of the VTginion-whOse
head, to Judge by his writings, contains more
prejudice than brains-has the effrontery to
publish to the world the above foul SANDER
and outrageous falsehood.
Nor can L permit the question of moral
character to pass umnoticed. / here assert
that the ranks of the Republican party, if
raked with a fine tooth comb from Maine to
California, let alone the small spot called
'NOrfolk'-cOuld not produce greater moral
leper than was brought forth during this year,
from the ranks of the Conservative party of
this city, which this defamer of the character
of the Republican party deems of such match
less purity.
refer, sir, to Henry Ghiselin, former editor
of the Norfolk Journal, Democratic paper,
for whom this paragon of virtue and morality,
the editor of the Frginian, had no word of
condemnation, but whose crimes cause the
cheek of every true man to Jingle with shame
for his race to this day. Sir, l challenge COM
parison between the two parties in this city
as to the law abiding character of the men
composing them. The apparent difference
consists in the degree in which the law is en-
forced, and the manner in which offences are
treated in the Democratic papers. Does any
unfortunate Republican become embroiled in
trouble and subject to arrest, the matter is
paraded forth in big capitals; but let MEM
Der of the Democratic party of this city be
guilty of all the crimes in the decalOgue, for
gerry, embezZlement, the violation of the sa-
cred rights of the family, desertion of wife
and children, the seduction and abduction of
the child of his bosom friend, and the matter
is hushed up as far as the Virgiuian and Dem
ocratic voices can control it. Nor can con-
cede that the Republicans of this city are
deficient in intelligence. The party can show
many man, Northern and Southern born,
who is the peer of the editor of the Vnginian
is presumed to be a fair sample of the party
to which he is attached.
But, sir, there is another aspect of this case.
[ refer to the administration of the affairs of
the city government. The gentleman pirates
about the honest (?) administration of the
city government by the present Council, and
the progress that has been made. Well, sir,
to whom is the progress due? Why, to the
Northern adventurous and the Southern seal
awags, as the editor sneeringly terms Repub-
licans. here assert, without fear of success
full contradiction, that whatever of progress
has been made this last year, has been due
to them; that the water works would have
been defeated, together with many other
equally important measures had it not been
for the noble efforts of the Republicans in the
city Councils. t.. -.r.
But when you come to talk about the
re-establishment of the city credit, that is
another thing. The Day Book has given the
true statement of the way the people have
been plundered by the waste of her pros
perity; the less said on that point by the
Frginian the better for the Democrats.
Sir, writings like that INDUCED in by the
editor of the Vrginida, and the actions of the
clique who uphold him in his mad career of
prescription and prejudice, are the curse of
Norfolk. Talk of successful scheme of in-
mlgratlon or an influx OF capital and pOpula-
ton, when prominent paper is permitted thus
to Willy and abus ethose who come here and
make this their home, because they have
manhood enough to assert their freedom of
political action! The thing is absurd and
impossible. Sir, Norfolk is suffering to-day
from this very cause millions of dollars and
thousands of people have been driven from
her door by the scribbling of the pen guided
by the prejudiced hand and jaundiced mind
of the editor of the Vuginian. 1t is high time
that the progressive men of Norfolk, the men
who desire the prosperity of the place, took
measures to frown down the insane attacks
upon those who are, at least, the equal in
every respect, and, as far as their desire for
the success of Norfolk is concerned, the SUI
perior of the man who writes them.
Mr.. Editor, have encroached largely upon
your valuable space, but my tongue shall
cleave to the roof of my mouth and nv right
arm be wthered, ere permit such unblush-
ing, unfounded, and malicious falsehood, as
the above, concerning the members of the
party to which L have the honor to repre-
sent, to be published unnoticed. I call upon
the people of Norfolk, if they desire the pros
perity of the city, to overthrow the party
which sustains as its organ paper which
will allow its chief editor to offend all rules
of decency and truthfulness, by such publ
cations as the above. l am, sir, a plain
spoken man, and intend to defend Republ-