The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-11-06
THURSDAY EVENG, NOV. G. 1873.

UNDER the auspices OF the Conservative party
Virginia has exceeded the expectations of the
mos. sanguine of her sons in the rapidity with
which she has risen from her ruins.-EnQuirer.
We wish we could see more abundant
evidences Of the truth of this assurance
in all parts of our state. Nothing would
delight us more; and if her rising
and greatness were due to any
benign policy of the Conservative party
in the state, we would be the last
man TO snatch a single laurel from
its mertorious hand of achievement. 1t
is because we have regarded the policy of
the Conservative party malign one-one
calculated, in many more ways than We
now care to enumerate, to retard the
growth and prosperity Of the state--that
we have opposed it, and tried to lay bare
its hollow pretensions to accomplishing
great results in the advancement of our
material and industrial interests.
In the first place, we do not see the
evidences o! this uprising thrift in Viz.
gina. There are many counties Of the
state in which every acre Of land is for sale,
and no purchasers; there are other
counties in which very large proportion
Of the land would be in the market, if any
market could be found and there is
scarcely county in the state where farm
ers are not to be found in large numbers
who are seeking to sell their lands, and
with the proceeds move into other and less
taX-ridden states. This is a melancholy
fact Square in the face, than attempt to
shut our eyes TO it and boast of that which
has no actual existence, except it may be,
in the imagination of an over-fertile, if not
oycr-fanciful, writer.
The reason Of all this is due, not simply
in great measure--but altogether and
entirely duc--to the want of statesman
ship and true legislative forecast in the
Conservative party. In point of fact, it
had no craftsmanship at all and no capac-
ity to exhibit any, in the management of
our financial and other public and civic
affairs. Its first object seemed to be to
tasten the biggest sort of milestone
abont the neck Of the state, and it most eff
iectually accomplished the object it assidu-
ously had in view. The very fact that the
public debt of Virginia is larger than that
Of any other state in the Union, is one
calculated to keep population and capita
from coming into the state, beyond any
other condition of things that could posi-
bly, be named. 1t is the great blight and
curse of our state, and was needlessly i'm
posed by the corrupt influences entering
into the policy of our Conservative legisla-
ton, during the years Of 1870 and II.
We dislike to repeat these things, but as
the Conservative party has secured an
other four years. lease of power, it is made
our duty to remind its leaders of what is
imperatively demanded of them by the
cxactng, yet too over-coniiding people of
the state. They must either come up to
the full measure of craftsmanship required
Of them or pass out of existence as
Il party before General Kemper's
term of Office is fully expired.
1t is not our business to dictate to them
policy, but we can easily see how they
might not only deserve well of the state,
but receive the warmest gratitude and APP
proval of every man in it. The first thing
above all Others to be done by them, is to
rc2tily the follies of their past legislation.
This they will not do by any attempt to
justify their past record. They must take
a new and independent departure, and
make the interests of the aew Virginia
thousand times paramount to the obliga-
tons of the old. There must be new
financial deal. The people demand
1.-THE principles of right and justice
absolutely require it.
We know they will find 1t a much harder |
task to perform than would have de-
volved upon the Republicans had they
come, as we had hoped, at this time into
power. But the more difficult the task,
the more honor there is in achieving it !; and
we owe them no such grudge as to wish |
their failure in the undertaking. On the
contrary, if they shall successfully cut the
gordian knot Of all our difficulties, we shall |
accord them, without personal or partisan
stint, our highest commentator and APP
Droval.
We admire the general spirit and tenor
Of the editorials of our contemporaries |
his morning. If the party they represent,
md ought effectually to influence in the |
next four years, proves wise enough to
lbandon the follies and prejudices of the
,ast, and resolutely applies itself to
be building up of our material
the encouragement of
,ur labor, black and white alike,
nd the development of our more abund-
mt mineral resources, we shall be heart
~ glad Of it, and lend them all the aid
md encouragement in our power. The
iTst session of the next legislature will
how whether they have the desire or
bility to do all this. Our hopes are not
Yer sanguine, but we will, for the present