The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-11-05
NATIONAL AND STATE POLICIES.

well C,Iil5lue. ell AID able article, cf1tclses
with just severity the action Of the assumed
leaders of the Republican party in the last Con-
gress, in permitting themselves to he led into
all kinds of Investigations, at the h'stgation OF
the managers of the enemies Of the a'lmins-
tration. Had there been amy Just grounds for a
formal arraignment Of the different departments
of the government, and the probability of tile
development of criminal mis-inallay cement, the
demands of party and representative duty
would not have been satisfied with Il silent dis
regard of the complaints presented. But it
became apparent, early in the session, that the
primary object was to excite suspicion by the
mere fact OF all Investigation, aid to arouse
apprehension by persistent charges an de-
mands, notwithstanding each examination
demonstrated that there never had been all adj
ministration less alnenable to the charges pre-
ferred againsti it. The tedious aud protracted in
vestigations, all resulted in a verdict of not
guilty, yet the widespread notoriety given to
the fact that the Congress OF the Unitcl States.
had instituted the inquiries, fastened upon the
popular mind TIA. belief til 1t there WI. some
thing ,crong, other wise their would not have
been rect. ,lition of the necessity for exani-
nation. This accomplished the object the, OPP
position hal in view. They laid the fol,nda-
| ton fora c.l.npai5n s.inst the Republican
party, based upol the suspicious these investi-
eating Committees necessarily created, aud as
suming them to be facts, anl pervertiny the
whole scope OF the evidence, the Dsmo eratic
speakers.went before the people with a maya
zine Of false assn nptions AMI conjectt,res That
Influenced the minds OF the creduious, AMI
frightened to silence many who hal heretofore
been active in support of the Republican par
ty. The $1,000 voters who remained from the
polls in Ohio, at tie recent election, is evidence
that the De nocratic tr.u nph in that State was
conslnmatel, not by its own strength for its
numerical power was less in the recent election
than in the one previous. but by the in'lifter-
elce of the constituent element of the Repub-
lean party. s;lperinduced, in great part, by the
bal in Engagement of the Republican leaders in
( the last Congress.
While we are frank to admit that the result
in Ohio and Indiana, was quite unexpected to
us. we do not regard it as constituting any rea-
son for despondency in the Republican party,
or encoura ,ing app'ehensions for the contin-
ned ascendcncy OF the party in the aministra-
ton of the affairs of government. The princi-
pies of the Organization are SO in harmony
with the popular impulse and instinct, reflcc-
ting the spirit and genius of or institutions,
that the sympathies of the people must liatllr-
ally gravitate to them, and ti.lI expression at
the ballot box, when, in great national con-
foct =, ell
Republican or Democratic rule.
Passing from this brief aIIusion to national
politics, let us o5.crve tn, difference in the
policy Of the Dem ,cr.tic lrty. in Virginia, to
that IN tilifeste by the purity in ase.n lency in
the a fairs OF the country. Here it is known,
Tat for the m ,teria to operate and the in
d menl ,nt to pecalation, there never has been
a more reckless waste OF public revenues. and
a more criminal mislnaragem mt Of the public
concerns. than We have hal. 1t stands upon
the records of the Legislature toby That Com
mittees were appointed to inycstis gate the rob
berries in the basement Offices at Richmond
and in the partial execution Of the d ,ties i'm
posed. frauds su.i ;ic.lt were discovered to jus
tify the arrtiynalcat, tritl all conviction of
prominent officials. 1t is further known, tint
i'll the prosecution of the Investigations origi
nally designed robbcries Were me lrthe;l which
so shocked the Apprehension OF tn, PURITAN
Committees, t!lat they a5,nl oa II tie task,
and suppressed the Information obtai,cd for
far that it would affect til, interests OF the
dominant party in the State. Tn,r. his been
no fair report from those Com nittees. \ PROM
inent Conservative, whose opportunities for
gaining informstion We're only second to t',os.
OF the Committeeman themselves, stated in
II presence, that if the truth We're known in
re- .rd to the finance, of the State, anil th;.
misrepresentation of tho RESOURCES Of the Com
monwealtf, tile people woull b, satisfied with
nothing less th,n full and clear reputation
of the public obligations.
Not only is this el,lary to the people sup
pressed, bat the grossest and most criminal
violation Of tile laws of the State in regard to
the ballot, are passed. by without other ,iutic.
than that of commentator, upon the rule that
the end of Conservative SUCCESS, justified the
means of Conservative rascality. It'll known
that six years ago tile Republicans Carried the
City OF Richmond by decided majority, and
that to count the Conservatives in. the ballot
boxes OF two precincts were SIN lsileu aud the
ballots destroyed, which enabled the party per-
petrating the outrage to count in their candi-
date. 1t is further known. that there has not
been an election in the City of Richmond
sine; the war, that the Republicans have not
been defeated by bailot-box st,,fins and re-
pcitin,. 1t is further ku own that the recent
ele ;tion in Petersburg was carried by fraud
and violence, aud although the Republicans
have a decided majority, the machinery of
party beiny against them, the minority canoi-
date was counted in.
We alludc to these circum stances to show the
! difference in the policy of the two parties In
nttlonal affairs the Republicans voluntarily in
stltute Investigation into alleged wrongs, as
serted by the opposition, and demonstrate that
where there is mal-practices they have the hon-
e'ty and fairness to correct til that they
| havvallowe themselves to be seeliced into in
| vestigation. when there WI, no reason to be-
| lieve there was corruptions. and thus contrib
! uted to accomplish the insidious purposes of the
opposition in raising suspicion, because of the
investigations.
In State affairs, the Conservatives have sup
pressed known corrupttons-llave compounded
with frald an violence, and thus escaped the