The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-08-14
WOLVES SLEEPS CLOTHING.


ID in the platform of'the Conservative party
IS adopted blythe Richmond Convention,
For six months past the conservative press
# the State, lead by the Enquirer aud Wing,
espesiA ''"~A daily proclaimed that the is
sue 10 the fall election was to be simple and
pure, the achite man against the negro. No
other question was to be thought of or agita-
ted. All arguments. were to be- directed to
this. It was to absorb everything. What
do we behold Throughout the entire string
Of resolution the negro issue is not mentioned.
In fact the conservatives have planted them
selves squarely upon the Republican platform.
It is duplication of the Walker policy in
1869, and the Greeley deception in 1877
They virtually acknowledge that they have
no principles or policy except what they fitch
from the Republicans.
Let US glance at their resolutions 1st.-
They congratulate themselves upon the sue
cess of Virginia legislation, uoder conserva-
tive rule, as compared with other Southern
States How did this come about? By rea-
son Of clause in the State Constitution,
drawn by Republican and adopted by Re-
publican Convention, prohibiting the State
from lending its credit to any scheme of pub
lie improvement. Or increasing its obligations
Here was constitutional barrier to eplarg-
ing the indebtedness of the State. 1t was
impossible for them...to have done so. Had
not the prohibitory clause been incorporated
in the fundamental law, it would be difficult
to say what they would have done. Certain
ly, if we are to judge from the reckless and
inefficient legislation that has characterized
the past two legislatures, the condition Of the
other Southern States IS no worse than that
of Virginia would have been. The public
debt Of the State now is as great as that Of
any other State, and who made it7 What was
it created for Not the Republicans nor had
the State been benefited by it in proportion
TO the outlay. A miserable contracted pa'i
cy Of exclusiveness, the same that controls
the Conservative party to day, which prohib.
tied any railroad from looking for trade be-
You'd the limits of the State and which vetoed
any company from coming into the State. A
few neighborheoa railroads and turnpikes were
all we had to show for the immense debt of
about fifty millions.
Ed. They propose to secure to all citizens,
foreign and native, white and black, equal
and exact justice, &c.
How does this compare with the proclaim
ed views Of all the conservative papers and
speakers. that the contest was to be war up
on the colored man, and the declaration of
their candidate for 1t. Governor, Col. With
,ers,, in 1869, that he did not want negro to
vote for him.
~ Sd. They propose to judge impartially the
acts of President Grants administration and
cooperate with every measure which may be
bene6cent in its design, &c.
How does this ompare with the speeches
Of Kemper, Withers. Duke aud Harris, in
/. 1872, when they held up Grant as hideous
monster who was seeking to destroy the lib
critics Of the people, the administration as the
sum Of all vllianies' and the Republican
Congress as den of thieves?
18th. They propose to favor free schools
&C. Two-thirds Of the party are opposed to
the system, and they only inaugurated it
through fear of losing the control of the State
The support it has received has been so mea-
gre, that last spring the formal official notice
was issued by the State Superintendent, that
the schools would have to be suspended, and it
was only by his personal begging that he Sc
cured such legislation as would enable them
to be continued in sickly condition.
5th The James River aud Kanawha Canal
and its completion by the government, is
fivorably alluded to. They know they can
not effect anything in this respect The Re.
pablican party being in power in Congress.
would not listen to the application for aid
from people who would elect men to control
ths affairs Of the State, who are so intensely
hostile to the government nd the administra-
tioae.s Whether right or wrong, the result
would be that a Republican Congress would
listen to 90 people who had recorded their
taeliogs Of prescription and intolerance SO un-
mistakably as would be implied in the election
Of the conservative ticket, with their embit-
tered record
A codiciI to this document was offered by
lion. J.. T. Harris, and passed, favoring the
repeal or modification of the oyster tax, pass
ell by the conservative legislature.
Now every one of these resolutions is sto'
len from the Republican platform This great
party of principle-this immaculate imhod:-
ment OF all the brains and all the decency in
the State, has appropriated most of the Re
publican platform, repudiated its own declar-
ed purpose to make the issue that of the white
race against the black race, and acknowledges
that it has no principles Of its own ! In its
dire necessity it embraces cuffee, as friend
IL. L l,-