The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-14
COLLAPSE of the Shams.

Nothing could more significantly illustrate
the extreme straight of the Democratic party
than the resolution in its platform referring
to Chinese immigration. It was caught up
by the excited imaginations of this party of
adventures ard spurious specifics, and her
aided as the controlling stroke of policy that
was to determine the electoral votes of the
Pacific States. They went into the canvass
with the assumption that to proclaim a sham
was the certainty of dcluding the people.
They assumed credulousness and stupidity
for the masses that relieved them from all
necessity for reflection, and assigned to them
q conclusion that required no act of the
mind to reach. And so with the prctense of
''reform!' ~ Every paragraph, almost Of the
platform brought out with emphasis this
talsmanic word, with the expectation that
its base use was the elimination of logic, and
the sesame OF the Democratic party to the
White House. Already have these shams
and deceptions lost their novelty by the re-
iteration, and the rotnnd cuphony of the
''Mongolian" fraud and the full sounding
now uttered and received with sly wink of
the eye, and the inclining of the fingers to
the nose. ''Tillen, Hendricks and Re-
FORM with which the democratic orators
opened the canvass has lost even the merit
OF being tolerated, and no sooner is the ex-
preston used tl.an the Intelligent nearer de-
termines the mental resources of the speaker
and fathoms the depth of his research. Ig-
| norance and presumption are the sure asso-
ciates OF these coinages of the demasogue,
and no one but a superficial blatherskite
would seek to dclude the people, and hide
the deformitles of this democratic party, by
their use. 1t was all planned out that the Pa
clfic States were to be carried BY the Chi
nese question; the north ana middle States
by the reform pretcnse, the west by nfla-
ton, and the Southern States by the "any-
thing to beat Grant, tactics. All, however,
have been as sounding brass and tinkling
cymbal. The first month of the campaign
found them thrcadbarc. and the second
month inspired feeling of contempt for
party that would attempt to seek the control
Of the government by such imbecile devices,
insulting alike to the common sense aad
common honesty of the people.
With the exposure and collapse of these
several deceptions, che inquiry is raised,
what policy does the Democratic party pro-
pose to adopt-what principle of administra-
tive reform does it propose to establish-what
reform is it capable OF effecting? The peo-
pie look in vain to its past history for an
answer to this query-for solution Of the
doubt implied. The history of the last Con-
gress, where the Democrats had nearly two.
thirds majority, shows that they proposed
nothing, suggested no policy, laid down no
principles, and only exposed their own in
ability to comprehend the wants of govern
mont and their reckless disregard Of all the
interests OF the people.
The thought of party aspiring to the con.
troll OF great government through the in
strumentality of such receptions and shams,
is insulting to the intelligence of the coun-
try, and will be rebuked, with significance
without parallel for its severity, when the
popular judgment is recorded at the ballot
box. Already has the canvass collapsed, so
far as the democrats are concerned. Their
stock of false pretenses has been exhausted,
honest democrats all over the country are be-
coming disguised and repudiating the frauds,
while the Republicans are moving steadily
forward, conscious of right and justice ON
their side. witha growing confidence that
in November next, wherever there is Il fair
election, the nominees of the Cincinnati Con-
vcntion will secure the endorsement Of the
people.