The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1874-01-22
Let us have an Honest Con fessiOn.

Letus have an Honest Confession.
The sophistry of the leading litorial Of
the Richmond Enquirer Of the llth is too
transparent to mislead Or deceive any one
When it claims an advanced position for the
Conservative party of Virginia on national
questions and policy,it cannot justify itby APP
pealing to the spirit displayed ia the last
canvass. The solution of its platitudcs is, a
confession that the Republican party isright-
that its principles and policy COMMEND them
selves to the people Of Virginia, aud that
there is no progress outside Of them. No
malism amounts to nothing, and men In
public position ought to have the courage to
disca ! or adopt it, as the interests OF truth
demand. Both the Enquirer and Wing,
following the le.d Of CIV. Kemper in his
ina l. al address, have discarded the OBJ
solets notions of the Conservative party,
ard planted themselves upon the ideas
which constitute the life Of the Republican
party. We can readily account for Gov.
kemper's suggestion about the public debt.
He is averse to Reputation, aud he knows
he would stir up hornets nest if he were
to advocate a heavy increase of the taxes
one or the other Of which m sthods will have
to be adopted to meet the debt emergency
or its payment by the Fsdsra govsrnm
He could not afford to risk an argument on
either of the first propositions, 80 he adop-
ted the third, as means of escape from the
presentation of any practical views on the
subject. Flo koew when he penned the ar
gument that is was tallacous, illogical and
inpracti,able. It was only confession that
the public debt of Virginia was tuge ell
ephant he did not know how to manage
Blu. it has to be met, and that either by re.
pl1iation Or taxation, which will precipi-
tate confscation 10 many instances. We
want the Enquirer, the Wing and the Gov
ernor to hold on to the name Conservative
until they dispose of this question, AID then
we think no one will want to claim afflia.
ton with the Conservative party of Vir-
GINA.
1t is useless to attempt to obscure the pal
pable acknowledgment of the principles of
the Republican party, by deuouncing Radi
ca.ism. The Enquirer knows there is no
Radical party in Virginia,in its literal sense
We were denounced as Radical eighteen
months ago, when we advanced the general
thoughts contained in the position Of the
Enquirer and Wing, and Gov Kemper's in
augural. We were no more radical then
than We are now, nor than the metropolitan
press and the Conservative Governor They
have substantially endorsed wha, We then de-
Tended, and for which we were malicous!y
prescribed by a few numb-sculls, whose thick
heads never harbored solid idea, or com
pretended Il principle. They are compelled
to accept Republican doctrine, in order to es-
cape the obstructive policy of the Couserva
tives, and it will only be COMFORTING with a
s.. manly spirit to adopt che name as well as the
policy. Let them throw off all masks, and
came out frankly in declaration of afi!ia-
ton with the administration of Gen. Grant,
and the re'sive, live, practicable ideas
of the Republican party, which alone will
&C ntributs to the prosperity Of Virginia.
They cannot consistently adhere to what
they call Virginia Conservatism, and seek to
inculcate Republican policy. Conservatism
as practised in Virginia means intolerance,
prescription, sectionalsm. and parayzation
ito the material interests of the State. Let
them come out broadly and boldly and an
nounce their honest convictions, bury the
hybrid political nom enclature they have been
associated with, and confess that tho true iu-
terests Of Virgioia and the nation lie in the
'praceieal application Of the principles Of the
Republican party to the affairs of govern
sment, national and State.
CHIEF JUsYIcE.-0n Monday last, the
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