The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-10-30
STAUNTON VIRGINIA. THURSDAY. OCTOBER go 1873

| have made is on record, and the least devia.
ton from the truth can easily be detected
Its TRUTH is admitted it cannot be cues.
toned, neither can the remotest excuse b
| offered for the gross and wicked neglec
which the worthy mechanics, laborers, anc
| poor whites have received from their aiisto-
cratic oppressors yet strange to say, when
Gen. Kemper, j. W. Daniel, Ex-GeY. Smith
and other prominent Conservative orator:
come before the masses to address these very
| white men they have heretofore so much de.
spised, and talk to them about negro equal.
| ity,' radical ruin,' debt of the Southern
States,' the noble mechanic,' the honest and
industrious white laborsr, &C., do they no,
see the drift of the 'joke;" do they not see
that these political aspirants have al lake
to grind" and 'enoble" and worthy white
laborers are needed at the escrank,' to ele-
vate them into office they are tickled with
their hattery, and swallow every word as Cos
pei truth, stamp, clap their hands, and al
most raise the roof by long and loud demon
strations Of approval perfectly satisfied with
their illustrious and generous candidates;
perfectly satisfied sehenselves5 happy
that their lot has been cast "In the land Of
the free, and the home of the bravep chat if
their masters and rulers have refused them
the benefits of an education-to read aud
write-they have not denied them the priv
ilege to make This x MARK" !! in the
world, aud to all documents Of a financial
and business character Hence We say, be
happy while you can; ego it while you are
young, for when you are old you can}t-its
your funcral-not ours.
Who was it when they spoke of the poor
whites of the South, called you the white
trash !" who gave you the classic names OF
''corn crackers, 'sand-hillers, 'and the "clay-
eaters )" who denied you of every privilege
of manhood; who looked upon you with far
less respect than the colored house servant
and, to use the words of Mr.. Greeley, caused
you to lead thoughtless, almless, and worth
less life? We answer the Democratic Con
sentative legislators, the Present candidates
for official position, the wealthy and naughty
F. F. vs., who now approach you with words
Of milk and honey = who tell you of more
horrid and bloody deeds than BLUE Beard,
or Jack the Giant Killer" even dreamt of,
aud certain to take place when NEGRO equal
ity'' and sscut.throat radicals get into pow
er. In Short nothing is too ridiculous, too
contemplate, too false, if by the assertion
and prejudice your vote is secured. But
mark, in all these long speeches of General
Kemper and his friends, not word IS said
in reference to the 81 million dollars which
the Democratic Conservative party borrowed
and created the present State debt, OF which
not one dollar was APPROPRIATED to you ana
your children, while thousands were annual
" appropriated to educate sons OF the rich J!
No explanation ia given why the burthern of
taxation was thrown upon industry, the mod
crate dealer, the mechanic, and laborer Not
a word to explain why you, as a soldier, got
the small sum of eleven dollars per month,
while the owner of the slave, OF less value,
got Thirty. Not word on these important
subjects; they could be explained, but not
justified, and if properly investigated, would
kill Gen. Kemper and the CONSERVATIVE par.
ty, politically, deader than smoked her.
ring.
Another fact worthy Of particular notice &C.
The class known and claimed to De the
"First Families Of Virginia. the planters,
men of blood and wealth, constitute only
seusnteen per cent. of the entire population,
of the State, and from the earliest history OF
the State down to the close of the war, 1860,
the governors, member. Of Congress, delegates,
Cabinet officers, judges, &c, were taken from
this III per bent" Chat is to say, only sew,
euteen out Of every hundred we're considered
proper persons to 60 to Rlchmand, or hold
Office of trust These self-chosen 1T per
cent" of which General Kemper. IS Que OF
the number, always looked upon labor as ser
vile, white labor in particular. They looked
upon the men oe muscle, the mechanic, the
laborer oul7 it to serve men of wealth and
learning Such an idea As eleya stlHns lab o:3
from servile drudgery to an Intelligent arr
never entered their conceited brains; they
forgot, or did not appreciate the great gospe
that the Son OF COP was the son al car
penter! and that N God'saasight every mar
is judged by what he is, and not whether ne
is an arstocrat or mechanic; that Igno-
rance and laziness is jnexcusablss and con-
temptible whether Of the State, the church
the eloister, the palace, or the hut and thai
no man is of any worth who is not ir some
sphere of life Working Man.