The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-10-26
Judge Harris.

cratic party for reform than is presented IN
the candidacy Of Hon. John i. Harris for
Congress. For party toaspire to the confi-
dcacc Of the people in its purposes to effect
publication OF government, elevate the STAN
dard Of official trust. and give assurance of
determination to correct abuses, it ought to
fortify that prctcntion in the fitness of its
representatives.
We have no disrespectful word to say Of
Mr.. Harris. personally. We co not propose,
nor have we any taste, for ribaldry in polit-
ical contests. We would not lover the tone
Of the columns of this paper by indulging in
the gross personalities, coarse jests and IT.
rcverent illusions that the people of Augusta
county have been called upon to endure With
in the past few weeks. A newspaper certain
ly is not the channel through which to convey
to the people anything that detracts from
the dignity Of human nature or familiarizes
them with the slang and clap trap
which too frequently distinguish political
disputations, and we will not so far forget
our conception of Journalistic duty as to vio-
late it in criticizlng Mr.. Harris.
John Z. Harris is the most nnmitigated
dcmagogne we have ever seen or heard Of.
He does not hesitate to violate all the pro-
pricties Of decortm, or to make any appeal
or statement that may create an impulsiyc
hurrah. lie loses sight Of the dignity Of his
position, the reputation: OF his constituency,
and the traditional character OF his State, in
the Unsuitable desire to get mp laugh or
probably gain vote. 1t seems to us that
man desiring to represent an historical State
like Virginia in the Congress of the United
States, would hesitate long in the use OF
phrase aud speech before he would lower the
dignity OF the position to which he aspired,
| by his own conduct. Mr.. Harris had no JUS
tifiablc excuse for his speech last Monday.
| He ought to disain TO plead that he was
| provoked to it. lie has served in Congress
for several terms, and experience should
have taught him that there is something due
| to constituents in the representative himself.
Instead of improving, Nj. Harris is growing
worse, and the ribaldry and slang, called a
speech last Monday, was one OF the most un-
gracious exhibitions we have ever witnessed.
! TO give the reader some impression OF the
STYLE of Mr.. Harris efforts, Capt. Early had
alluded to his own history, hnd very properly,
being personally 4 stranger to our people, J
ard mentioned that he had entered the army
when mere boy, and served through the
war, receiving wounds the scars Of which he
bore. Mr.. Harris attempted to turn this on
EARLY. by appealing to the colored people
present to vote against Early because he had
fought to perpetuate their slavery, and for
him, for the reason that he had not entered
the army with musket. In, his zeal for the
colored vote, he reminded the colored voter
that such men as Early got the offices while
colored men did the voting on the Republican
side. Office, indeed, seemed the all and all
with Harris. We are not surprised. He has
been in office almost continuously ever since
we have known him. He commenced cleo
pioneering the day he located in Harrison
burg. He has been at it ever since. First
Commonwealth Attorney; then member of
the Legislature; then Congress, running
against the regular nominee Of his party
then quarter master then Judge, appointed
because he had been union man then in
Congress, again, where he now is, and will
doubtless be for another term, if Providence
does not interfere in answer to the pray
ers of many of his own party,in Staunton es-
pecally. Office, of course, Mr.. Harris esti-
mated was the end OF every mans ambition,
as it was of his own, and therefore to remind
the colored voters that they did not get the
Offices while the white Republicans did,
would be sufficient cause for disgust, and for
the colored man to vote for him (Iarris) as a
genuine reformer. Unfortunately for Mr..
Harris, the colored man is governed by far
more serious and far-reaching considerations
than office. His ambition is higher-his con-
victions painfully deeper than ever Mr..
Harris dared claim. 1t is not office with him.
He knows that his race rs class is not quail
flied for Office, that two hundred years of
slavery and servitude, with no opportunities
for mental or moral growth, did not prepare
him for the higher service of government. But
there is something more sacred and impor-
tant to him .han office, and that is citizenship
ITSELF He knows that at every step OF the leg
islation looking to the acknowledgements and
investment with the tights and immunities
OF citizen, the opposition Of the Democracy
was encountered. He believes to-day that il
the Democratic party had the power they
would reduce him to worse than slavery. He
knows what the Republican party has done,
and what the Democracy opposed. 1t is for
this reason that he supports the one and op-
; poses the other, and always will do so, until
; the questions growing out of the war are for
ever settled. 1t is because Mr.. Harris mind
; ranges no higher than Office that he descend
ed to such appeals, in keeping, it is true,
with the groveling and superficial gable Of
his Democratic friends when they attempt
to address an audience. They do not seem
) to know and feel what it is to be governed
by a conviction OF right, whether it is popu-
lar Or not. Because the Federal Offices are
generally filled by white men, by reason OF
their educational advantages and intelligence,
it is assumed that it is for Office that they are
identified with the Republican party. This
only exposes the motives which control these
Democratic reformcrs, and by no means de-
tracts from the Republicans. In this respect,
Mr.. Harris is q fit representative of his party
"a hungry bread and butter brigade, who,
sure of the State offices, are seeking to re-
form themselves, into the Federal offices. al
so. 1t is for spoils and plumber that they are
Democrats, and not from conviction OF right
or duty.
1t was by such appeals that Mr.. Harris
sought to convince the people that lie was the
proper person to represent them in the Con.
gress of the United States. He did not at
tempt to answer the damaging charges read
by Capt. Early as preferred by members OF
Mr.. Harris own party. He said some rough
things against Mr.. Bray and Dr. Fauntleroy,
but did not pretend to deny the charges that
were publicly made of his seeking to bride
| v,x,:tI hot I,o =