The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-07-20

on railroads alone, and ont of more than thrice
that aggregate has disposed Of less than a
sixth directly to the tillers of the soil. Re
form is necessary to correct the omissions OF
the Republican Congress. and the errors OF
our treaties and our diplomacy, which have
stripped our fcllow-citizens of foreign birth
and kindred race, rc-crossing the Atlantic, OF
the shield OF American citizenship, and have
exposed our brethren of the Pacific coast to
the incursiOns of race not sprung from the
same great parent stock, and in fact now by
law denied citizenship, through naturalization,
as being neither compatible with the traditions
of progressive civilization or exercised in
liberty under equal laws.
We denounce the policy which thus discards
the liberty-loving German, and tolerates the
revival OF the coolie trade in Mongolian
women imported for immoral purposes and
Monaghan men, hired to perform servlle labor
contracts; and demand such modification Of the
treaty with the Chinese Empire or such legisla-
ton by Congress. within constitutional limita-
ton as shall prevent the further importation or
immigration of the Mongolian race. Reform
is necessary, and can never be effected but by
making it the controlling issue Of the elections
and lifting it above the false issues with
whce the officers holding class and the party in
power seek to smother it. The false issue with
which they would enkinde sectarian strife in
respect to the pnblic schools. of which the es
adjustment and support belonging exclusively
to the several States and which the Demo-
cratic party has cherished from their founda-
ton, and resolve to maintain without PARTIAL
ty or preference for any class, sect or creed,
and without contributing from the treasury to
any; the false issue by which they seek to
light anew the dying embers of sectional hate
between kindred peoples, once unnaturally es-
tranged, but now reunited in one indvsible
republic and common destiny.
Reform is necessary in the civil service. EX-
perience proves that the efficient, economical
conduct of the governmental business is not
possible if its civil service be subject to change
at every election; be prize fought for at the
ballot-boX, be a brief reward of party zeal, in
stead of posts of honor assigned for proved
competency; and held for fidelity for public
employ; that the dispensing of patronage
should neither be !: tax upon upon the time of
all our public men, nor the instrument OF their
ambition.
Here again professions falsified in the per-
Torrance, attest that the party in power can
work out no practical or salutary reform.
Reform is necessary even more in the higher
grades of public service, the President, Vice
President, judges, senators. representatives
and cabinet officers, these and all others in
authority are the peoples servants, their
offices are not a private perquisitc, they are
public trust. When the annals of this rcpub-
TIC SHOW Tile ulSSTdCc diu CcIlSuTo u IL V lCc
President, late Speaker of the House of Rep
resentatives, marketing his rulings Us q pre-
siding officer, three Senators profiting secretly
by their votes as law makers five chairmef:
OF the leading committees of the House OF
Representative exposed in jobbery; q late
Secretary of the Treasury forging balances in
the public accounts; a late Attorney General
misappropriating public funds; Secretary
of the Navy enriched OF enrichlng friends by
percentages levied off the profits OF contract
ors with his departments an Ambassador to
England censured in a dshonorable specula-
ton the Presidents Private Secretary barely
escaping conviction upon trial for guilty COM
plicity in frauds upon the revenue; q Secreta-
ry of War impeached for high crimes and mis-
demeanors. The demonstration is complete,
that the first step in reform must be the peo-
pies choice of honest men from another party,
lest the disease of one political organization
infest the body polite, and thereby making
no change of men or party we can get no
change of measure and no reform. All these
abuses, wrongs and crimes, the product of l6
years. ascendency Of the Republican party,
create a necessity for reform, confessed by Re-
publicans themselves. Their reformers are
voted down IN convention, and displaced
from the Cabinet. The party's mass of hon.
est votes is powerless to resist the eighty
thousand office holders, its leaders and guides.
Reform can only be had by a peaceful, civic
revolution. We demand change of system,
a change of administration, a change Of par
ties, that we may have change of members
and men.