The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-17
From the Staunton Spectator.
Ssasical Strategy.

Adjourned.
| From the StIunton Spectator.
Esadical Strategy.
We are rather inclined to think that the
1 Radicals arc playing deep game. we sus-
ncct they are setting trap for Conservatives.
And what is worse, they are likely to catch
them in it.
If members of the Legislature, the Radicals
hold q State Convention and adopted a plat
form. The broadest, and we might almost
cav thc only, plank in that platform was
g opposition to the funding BIZ"
The contest came of, and large maJorlty
Of so-callcd Conservatives were electea. lne
General Assembly met, and forthwith a iarge
majority Of those elected as Conser,aIi We
went over, horse, foot and dragoons, 70 ZIG
Radical platform, and have been Dsnlins sue
nv side, on the funding question, WIN tne
whole body Of the Radicals ever since.
This il certainly Il great triumph 10 Inc
Radicals, Conservative policy Is 0erlueu' anu
the veto Of the CONSERVATIVE Vofeihoi 10
tralnpled under foot:
'l;Le n,oioritv of the so-calcd Conservatives
ure thus Completely cntangled in the meshes
| of the Radical net
How are they to get out Of it?
will the Radicals be content with this par
tial triumph? -
We think not. We think they will carry
| their udroit tactics little further. They will
not be content until they secure complete
| ascendaucv in the State, and then they WI!
laugh ct those who have been their dupes.
Can they do it? We fear that it Is by no
means impossible, If they are us shrewd ID
! tho future rs they have been III the past.
The Radicals are but small minority III
the Legislature. They feel that they are IN
no wise responsible for the policy of the
General Assembly. All responsibility at
tachcs to the nominal Conservative majority.
'rhe Radicals feel, therefore, that they are ut
liberty to mannuvre as they please to gain
partv advantages. They feel free to render
the action of the majority as odsous as pos
s;ble TO oil honest and thinking people
Having accomplished this they will quietly
| hide their time. \ year or two will glide
away. new election will come OH
Presto, change. a new Radical convention
will be called, new platform VIII be put
forth, and the people will be called on intrum-
net tones to condemn by their votes the infa-
nous and dishonest policy Of the so-called
| Conservatives!
VIII it bc said that the Radicals arc too
deeply committed by their votes against the
funding bill. &c., to attempt that line OF
policy: By 10 means. What 90 they care
for consistency? Did not the whole body of
thc PiIi.,ls:with possibly two or three OK
ccptions-vote for the funding bill in the
last Legislature? And yet, i'll the face Of
This recorded fact, did not the Radical Con-
yrntion deao1ntce the funding bill AS most
iuiulilous measure! And are not almost the
wl,cle body Of Radicals now acting i'll solid
column against that bill!
| What, then, Is TO prevent them IRON play
| ing similar game III future:
| If ti,cy could wheel to the right-aDout IN
regard to the funding bill of last session,
wbat is TO hinder them, when they have sue
cceded in making the course OF the Lcglsa,,
t,rc odious, from turning squarely around
and dcnouncinq its financial policy?
II must he remembered that the people OF
VIRGINIA are not now welded to party as they
were in former years. They SO for measures
rather than for party. The party that adyo-
cates honest measures will be likely in the
cnd to gain popular support.
The great objection TO Radicalism hereto
fore has been its destructive tendencies.
Hence all Conservative men banded together
in oDuosition to it. But if parties are to re-
verse their principles and action; If ConSerra-
Tres become dest1uctireS, and dest,ucttres
Conservatives, may not the people-the
honest, Notwithstanding people-reverse
their votes!
The great need of the Radicals In Virginia
heretofore las been body of respectable,
| INTELLIGENT citizens of Virginia, who possess
the confidence of the people OF the State, to
give that weight and character to it which
carDet-baggcrs and yenal scalawag5 could not
give. ...
Now, if the so-called Conservatives persist
in their suicidal career, who Will stand
s,rety that this need will not be supplied
Who will undertake to say that very large
class of the best citizens OF Virginia will not
"repudiate" the so-called Conservatives
DesDairing of wise, honest, and constltu-
tional legislation at their hands, may they not
be induced, as q desperate experiment, to
support the Radical candidates, who, at least,
viii hold out hope of better things9
Itwould be dreadlulaltcrnative to choose
between repudidtor and Radical. How
the vote would 60 in such Il case we will not
undertake to say. God forbid that such an
issue should ever be presented to our people,
/ We still hope that our Legislature will
pause in their rash career, and Tlndlcate their
claim to be called Conservatives.
! Governor Walker was chosen as the stand.
ard-bearer of the Conservatives. He has borne
our flag CALAMITY, and we beseech our brother
Conservatives to rally to his support.
Let lis not be the victims of Radical STRAIT
egv. Let every honest man inquire of his
own heart, "What would Robert L. Lee, il
he were living, advise, under the trying cir
cumstnces i'll which we are placed! What
| would Stonewall Jackson say?" Having
propoundcd these inquiries in good faith, lei
his conduct conform to the answer which
will come to him from that inner chamber in
which his conscience dwells!
In conclusion, we venture to put OH record
the prediction that in the next general pohti
cal canvass which may take place in Virgins
the State Journal and all the Radical cham
pions will be loud in their denuncatiOns Of
the atrocity of the action of the Genera
Assembly in violating public faith and sacri
ticing the honor of Virginia by q shameful
!, attempt to pander to q vicious sentiment il
regard to the finances of the Commonwealth
| From the Staunton Spectator.
4 New View OF IN Old Subject.
i One Of the most frequent causes Of com