National Republican., 1873-09-25
THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN
THE POLITICS OF THE OLD DOMINION,

Why hotel pens arc 80 bad, ns they inva-
isbly are, and why the ink which always
them Is so execrably poor, Is
ne Of those things that no fellow can and
nut, but regarding which most every fellow,
,oed and bad, has been tempted to serious
From ono end Of the country |
o the other the hotel keepers seem to have |
'onspired for the purpose Of provoking itinc- |
ant scribblers into wrathful humor from the |
icry inception Of their cpistolary efforts. |
The hotels Of Richmond arc no exception TO
his rule; and, while they arc otherwise very
and In many respects attractive,
hey deserve right here most earnest admon-
lion that their ways as regards their pens
,hould be mcndcd. Like everything else In
Inc late Confederate capital, the hotels here
have about them distinct aroma Of the past
which Is novel to tho strange Northern WIS.,
Itor, and Is apt to strike one as slightly un-
American. In other words, they are not
quite $50 spruce" as the Yankees say, as
they might DO, and tho discipline Of the scr
wants Is different from what we arc accus-
toned to, even no farther north than WASH
ington. In truth, q change Is apparent as
soon rs one crosses the Potomac. The dress
Of tho people Is different, and, so TO speak, Is
slouchicr, l bavo no doubt the
style is more comfortable, and I do know
that 1t has improved In appearance since the
close Of the war. During that unhappy
period 1t seems that the male portion Of this
people became
ESAMoRED WITH GRAY As A COLOR,
and II Is now predominant shade Of male
wearing apparel. At tho same time the
gentler sex became fond Of sorrowful black,
and although the requirements Of mourning
for tho dead Of the war have long ago cx-
pircd, they yet affect Its sombrc hues. This
statement, Of course, refers to what Is de-
nominated tho better classes Of tho whites.
do not discover any material change In the
dress or manner Of the poorer whites. Their
women wear the same faded cheap callcoes,
no barefootcd, are thin-brcastcd, and spare
In every limb, Just as they were In the "good
old times" of which one hears 80 much hero.
They seem TO be different and distinct type
Of humanity, and flnd fitting mates In the
malcs Of their species. Il Is unfair to say
that they have remained stagnant as tho war
left them, for they are beginning to think,
and that Is the first step In tho direction Of
improvement. It should be remembered
that they were deprived the same rs the
blacks Of oil educational privileges In those
"good old times" referred to, and that
they are Just now beginning, under the
bcnencent Influence Of Republican progress,
| to discover their real value as citizens, and
the rights to which they arc entitled as such.
Heretofore they have been used as voters
Now they arc beginning to use their votes as
weapons with which to win the contest be.
tween aristocracy and paupcrism. It should
also be remembered that they have been al
most entirely ignored by the so-called philan.
thropists who have done so much for the
freedmen. This may be on unpalatablc fact
to utter In the midst Of the pending cam
paign, but II Is, nevertheless, true, and the
poor whites know It to their sorrow. They
know that for scant single dollars spent In
their behalf prodigal millions have been be.
slowed on the blacks. After all, they were
somewhat to blnme themselves, for they
Joined the popular hue and cry among the
whites Of their section against the innovation
Of free schools; and had II not been for the
strength Of the combined white and black
Republican vote. they would not have been
blessed with them to-day. But, as have
said,
THEY ARE BEGINNING TO THINK,
and are rapidly learning to appreciate the dc
plorable condition which they have been sub
jscted TO In Its proper light. This leads then
to the contemplation Of party principles ant
antecedcnts, and naturally into the Rcpubli
can ranks. It Is in vain that the sham-C Con
servatives declare their friendliness for popu
lar education. Every one here old enougl
to know anything about the matter rcmcm
bcrs the opposition rendered by that party /,
the constitution, prepared by Republicans
which provides for popular education, an,
those who are not old enough are, In meagr
way, taking advantage Of the slim oppor
tunitics afforded 10 them by Democratic man
agemcnt Of that provision. The Republlca
party, on the contrary, Is so closely idcntihc
with the frcc.school system that Its name
almost synonymous with popular education
Following naturally from this acknoyledl
. ment of Its progressive spirit Is the deductiu
that II Is the friend Of the poor people {
every class In life, and ! am rejoiccd to |
able to declare that this deduction obtair
wider acceptance with each rccurrir
season Of political discussion. belle,
= that the poor whites long ago entertained tn
Q same idea, and that, with the thousands
: mechanics who arc now joining our part.
d they have hitherto hesitatcd to commit Il
: outright act Of severing their former polite
. connections, merely because they feared Il
e ridicule, and submitted to the prejudices
: : the old leaders. That they have accepte
. these new ideas with frm determination
: adhere to them In the future is fact whiC
3 will be demonstrated In the election Of Il
! Republican State ticket next Noyembe
! This Is proven, even now, by the reports r
ccivcd at the headquarters Of the Republics
= State central committee. Those rcpor
S show that numbers Of men Of local prom
It ncnce, who last fall either voted for Grcel,
Q or obstainod from voting at all, will now su
y port Hughes, and It should be undcrsto,
n that 1t requires only the slight encourag
i ment of this kind Of declarations by the
y men of local prominence to induce the po
4 whites to make similar announcements.
n Is also proven by the fact that the people q
Il unusually clamorous for public discussion
l. and that they arc not satisfied, as In tim
IS past, with
IS LISTENING TO ONE SIDE ONLY.
have seen, since my arrival here, di
u patches which have been received
Judge Morton from men who were strange
. to him, begging that speakers be sent to |
: calities in which Republican principles ha'
i heretofore had no advocates, and In viii,
% the people have always been satisfied to f
+ low the dictates Of chronic or heredital
i leadership. This fact Is the most encoura
Ing feature Of the situation. 1t shows
y \. earnest desire for enlightenment and brea
], ing down Of the barriers and stupid custol
: Of the past. But above all 1t shows a toler
!. ton Of political opposition which Is col
8 mendablo and, perhaps, not altogether c
y pected. Tho committee labors under Il
J, disadvantage Of being poor In all the r
4 sources which combine to make success
IS political campaigns. 1t Is without mono
and has but comparatively few speakers
"a Its command. The Conservatives, on h
% contrary-backed as they are by railro
y monopolsts, and sustained by class Of po
1t ticians who are known almost proverbially
y natural orators-are rich In everything
!, quired by the emergencies of the canva
n Thua ynu 500 that the contest Ia not anunI