The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-08-24

spread peace, plenty and prosperity through
out the length and breadth OF this broad land
This State of Virginia, aye this proud ole
county of Augusta is the centre OF the grand
est section of country the sun ever shone up
OIL. Standing as she docs upon pedestal Of
iron, all round her stretches one vast mines o.
wealth. willie her skies arc Us talmy, her wa.
tiers as limpid, her foliage us green, her flowers
as beautiful, her birds as gaily plumaged, her
fish as abundant, her men rs brave, and her
women as lovely, as in any land kissed by the
light Of day, or watcred by The rains OF heaven
and now the question arises how shall we en-
ploy all these magnificent opportunities which
the God of nature has vouchsafed us?
Politics is regarded by some as only the
means which afford an opportunity to meet
together and cuss carpet-baggcrs, scalawags
and negroes, while in truth it is but an enlarg-
cd scale of the every day life of you and me
and each Of lls,-the result OF the combined
wisdom of the party which is to shape pol
icy and legislation for the good OF the people.
TO compare the policies and set forth the aims
Of the two parties now arraycd against each
other is very pertinent to the occasion.
The Democratic party has declared itself in
favor OF free trade, while protection to home
Industries is the watcIlword OF Republicans and
old line Wings. By the establishment of free
trade, the occupations OF orr artzans would be
gone, for our industrial products would be
brought into competition with the manufa ctu-
ries of the old world, where labor can be OBJ
fol fnp q nominal Tho Dann-
Gratis say to the mechanics, We prefer to buy
our goods where we can get them for the least
money, and that is the policy which they wish
to inaugnrate, and the establishment of which
would result in the paralysis of all our indus
tries, the stagnation of business and universal
depression.
Here in this State and County we have vast
deposits OF iron, copper, zinc. Goals, plumbago.
manganese, gympsum and other minerals,
which are but awaiting the touch Of enterprise
to wake them into life, and to pour upon lis
stream of wealth and population. They are
all now dormant, while labor stands holding
its hands for want Of something to do. Let us
wed these two great elements of prosperity
and lift our beloved country into a new life.
1.-THE speaker here gave some valuable statis-
tics with reference to the Incompatible resour-
ces of Va, but the reporters sheets containing
them having been mislaid we are forced
most reluctantly to omit them.l
The speaker. then proceeded to call attention
to the economy Of the Republican government.
1t had been charged upon it that twas party
of rogues. lit had stolen and squandered, as
was claimed, where did the money come from?
Every dollar has been accounted for, and the
expenses of administration have be ell reduced
hundreds OF thousands in proportion to the
population. 1t requires Is per cent. to pay
the cost of collecting the taxes of Virginia,
while per cent. pays'for the collection of the
national revenue. And just in about the same
proportion, does the Republican party excel
the Democratic. in all economical measures.
Grant, bounded and abused us he has been,
has reduced the actual expenses of govern
ment, per capita, to q less figure than has ever
been known before, and in addition has paid
any man within the sound of my voice who has
felt the weight of the national taxes let him
stand up and proclaim it.
You have all heard of wild cat money! we'll,
that's Democratic currency! A man might go
to bed and rest his head on a pillow of it and
in the morning wake up bankrupt, while I'M
der our Republican system the notes OF bro
ken national bank arc actually worth seven
per cent premium. That is the difference be- |
tween the fnancia! measures of the two partie S!
Under the Democratic administration what |
was a laboring man? [ would rather have |
been mule than a negro, and would rather |
have been dead and in my grave than to have |
been poor white man, but now, by the bless |
ing of God and the Republican party. the bone |
and sinew of the country, have been raised into |
a higher atmosphere and is being taught the |
blessing of knowledge. Every dollar spent in |
the education of the masses, will rebound to |
your credit and the glory of God, and if the |
Legislature had given $780, 900 instead of $l5, 900
to the University it would have been far bet |
ter From the sacred sum set aside for the |
of the masses, $400, 900 was taken to |
pay the interest on the State bonds And |
what are those State bond, and who pc ssess
them? Before the war when Virginia bonds |
were regarded as the safest Of investments, the |
courts not unfre1uently ordered the Investment |
OF estates in them. During the war they were |
taxed five and six per cent and the holders of |
them, widows and orphans in many cases, were !
forced to sell and with the proceeds buy Con-
federate bonds. These Confederate bonds were |
OF course valueless at the close of the war, and |
the Virginia bonds had passed into the hands |
Of New York capitalists at mere nominal val
lie. And this money is taken from our poor
children of the State to pay the interest.
The fathers of many of those children lost I
their lives in protecting your homes, and now |
it should be your sacred duty to shelter them,
and If you haYe any favors to bestow, any Of |
fees to confer, let it be upon your tried and
true soldiery, for they stakcd their ill in de- |
Tending you.
Democratic Reform i'll Virginia means $780,
600 stolen from the poor children and placed
in the pockets Of bloated bond holders it means
a dcfaulting Treasurer, going unwhipped of
justice, and debt piling mountain high as the
days and years go by. In South Carolina it
means the bloody Hamburg tragedy, in
Mississippi and Louisiana it means intmida-
ton Of voters, and in Texas it means a practi-
cal Wiping out of the Public School system.