The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-11-16
The Two Sides.

Whatever may be the result Of an election
which, as we write, may be awarded many
times to either party before the final award
is made. we trust that the Democracy will not
deceive themselves. nor lay to their soul the
fatterlng JUNCTION that their success represents
any real victory. In one Of his brilliant cam
paign speeches, Ingersoll described the her
ltage OF the Democracy, by saying that the
worst States and the worst cities, and the
worst wards in the worst cities, were the
Democratic States and the Democratic cities
and the Democratic wards, and furthermore
emphasized his remarks by identifying DEM
ocratlc districts as those i'll which there were
"the most ignorance, the most crime, the
most vice and the most lice;' and the utmost
that Democratic victory would mean, il a
Democratic victory has been won, is that the
Democracy has entered into it's own heritage
It was no greas uprising of the people, no
drotest against anything; it was merely a
change OF vote in New York City and Brook
Ign, and rag-money diversion in Indiana,
that transferred fifty electoral votes from the
party OF light to the party Of darkness, and
that is all that has been gained. The pre-
clncts that are given over to the scum of for
eign pauperism, to the refuse of domestic
criminaity haunts of countless herds of
untamed political cattle, branded with the
mark OF the Tdmmany Boss, and turned
loose to Craze on the public common until
called together at polling time-the districts
OF the brothel, the fence-house, the policy
shop and the rum-cellar-this is the fountain
head OF Democratic power; theirs is tile
strength which has enabled the Democratic
Sampson to burst his bonds-these are the
constituencies which settle the administra
ton OF the public affairs Of 100000 of
freemen for four years, if not forever.
These and handful of rag money luna
tics in Indiana, whose dream is to create val
ne by destroying credit, and who, consistent
Tor once in their lives, make their contribu-
ton to the prosperity of the country by
handing itover to the party whose policy had
made even the existence of the country
matter OF grave uncertainty. Ii these OBJ
structiye Missionaries had voted directly for
the cause which they served indirectly, it
would be easier to reconcile ourselves to a
loss Which would have some meaning to it.
and some reason which could be understood.
But these purblind fanatics sold their coun-
Try TO an enemy who had first led taem into
a trap anu shut them up there--who started
lnem on Wlld-goose chase and then desert
Ell Them, in the serene confidence that they
would continue their chase with their ardor
not at all diminished by the evident hopeless
ness of it,
That Is what Democracy has gained-the
gutter vote at New York, the rag-money
vote OF Indiana, and it is welcome to them.
mere are occasions when defeat is more glo-
rlous than voctoly, and this is one of them.
AS 1or the overwhelming maiorities in the
southern States, and the fabulous votes which
nave been sent in from some Of them, we
defer our remarks until the full returns will
permit US to prove that they represent the
real and HCttl1I fIiCfrn n nh npt nc tba
ored voters in Democratic Southern States.
We have not boosted of the popular majority
ootalned IN Grants victory in 1872, because
it represented so large an abstention of
Bourbons in the North-but they were free
to vote. II Tilden has corresponding ma
1oflty, 1t indicates not the willing abstention
OF dlscontented Republicans, but the terro-
Ism and oppression which have made it un-
safe to vote in Democratic shotgun dis.
tricr.
Ihese are disgraceful truths, which not a
Whole barnyard full of Democratic ROSTERS
could conceal. The Republican party is to
DAY, as It always have been, the party of hon.
est, In lelligent and patriotic men. 1t flour
lshes in those districts where the school
house, the library, the newspaper, the tele-
graph and the church are marked features;
while Democracy thr:ves and tlourishes in the
Sums, the cutters. the swamps and marshes,
at the crossroads tavern aud the corner gin
Mill. II no man could vote who could not
produce q tax receipt; il no man had voted
VINO could not read the ticket he voted; il
voters were DISTINGUISHED for profanity, or
ignorance, Or dog-fghting, or for want Of
common sense, Tiiden's popular majority
would be smaller than his Electoral majority,
unless the latter be less than zero.-St. Lop-
no (IJohp Dom osof 80 go