The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-01-27

! from their Use. 1t shows the extremity to
which the Tinaicator is driven to sustain its
anomalous position. that it has to advance such
an assumption. The experience OF mankind
has been that bestial intcmperanee has followed
the kind of stimuant it is falsely here asserted
is ''tixed fact in nature" Nature never fixed
such habit MS fact, F." in its highest represent
| taiivc cEarctcr-man. He fixes it there him.
self, against reason, against the instincts of
nature, and in violation of natures organic
health 1t is this kind Of Fix ed fact, ''cultiya-
ted III spite of the revolt OF nature, that has
spread tlesolation and woe over the land. Go
to your Insane Asylums, your pauper houses.
your penitentiaries. your jails, your gambling
saloons, to the lRunts of vice and crime, OF
every grade. aud You see the result OF this
''iixel fact in nature. Look at the poor,
fricndless, ragged, and forsaken children of
the cities and towns; at the sqttadid misery Of
the hovel where mother and offspring room
with poverty and suffering, and you find The
victims of this fixed fact in nature. No,
the God of Nature never ''fiXed' such terri
bic fact IN his Creation. 1t is the work OF
the Devil, assisted by mans pervcrsion and
abuse of Nature.
But returning TO the stimulating cause of the
Indicators fallaeies and fancies-to direct
popular attention from the oppressive taxes
that confront the people OF Virginia. We do
not mean that its party shall escape from its
proper responsibility in this matter. The in
tclnal revenue tax has nothing to do with it,
| + huS hsnu IN fo with
it. 1t is the prohigate and reckless manage
ment of the affairs of the State by the Conser-
yativc party, that causes the people to groan
Under the burden OF their State taxes. The
debt is now near $40, 100000: apart from the
proportion set off to West Virginia. OF the
original debt, Virginia assumed $50, 200, 000.-
Add to this the debt to the Literary Fuud,
81, 000, 900 or s., 000 900 and nearly l,000,000
OF dcfaulted interest, and we may approximate
the amount that hangs over lis, independent OF
the sl5, O0O,0 900 assigned to West Virginia.
There is 100000, 600 funded under the funding
bill, which requires sl,20o,000 interest annu-
ally. The estimate of the Auditor OF the cur
rent expenses Of government is $1,000, 00O.-
These two items consume the revenues OF the
Wtiitil
interest on the 1900. 600 of unfunaed debt
unprovited for, amounting to $500, 900. The
/ legislation of the Conservative party has
brought the PEOPLE into this condition, and
they will be compelled to subuat to an increase
OF their burdens. Or allow the debt of the
State to 30 on increasing ad intfnitum This,
too, after haxiny dissipated AL the available
| A.. ALI to
between Sl5,0o000o and $20,00o,00, in rail-
road and other securities.
1t IS useless for the Findicator to attempt to
direct attention from this deplorable condition
of Virginia, by parading the internal revenue
tax paid ostensbly in Virginia, but really voln-
tarly assumed by the people all over the coun-
try wherever the luxuries of tob lcco and whis-
key are INDUCED. 1t was this that stimulated
the indicators ire, in its closing paragraph
of last week. And now to that,
Our contemporary objects to our use OF the
term '.dc :sagosuisn. superficial clap-trap,'
! and '.ann .ensp." and with Il studied balancing
of words that would do credit to the efforts ofan
acrobat to keep the ne. INDUCES in
| mock heroics and petulent buster, to appear
anees, for the purposes OF changing tile subjec ct
of discussion to an exchange of personal cpl
tliets. We used the term ''denagoguism. y
because the indicator had used 4 fact, and
perverted its application. i'll assuming that the
..farmn:, the mechanic and merchant" OF
Virginia paid the s7.00o,00 internal revenue
tax. In the use that was made OF il, the pur-
pose was We. clear to effect political object
by misleading it's readers, and because of this:
we designated its STATEMENTS ''clap-trap.''-
they were nonsense for the reason that
there was no log cal connection between the
stated fact and the conclusion drawn. The
| terms are English are in common use, and
designed to convey impressions. Ii the Vindi-
Gator has taken offense at their application, it
is its misfortune that its article justified their
use. And while tlisclaimng any desire to imi-
tate our contemporary in its swelling attitude
of resenting imaginary insults, we give it the
assurance that we shall not be diverted from
o,r purpose to expose its specious failaces
and controvert its false assumptions, by any
consequences that may follow.
The assumed dignity of the Tindicator is q
cheering Indication that it has been brought to
a realization of a sense of its insignificance as
an ''organ," for its sentimental refining could
not have resulted from any fair construction
of the article to which it refers. The real cause
of its unbecoming petulance may be found, we
imagine, in the tangible rebuke it has received
from the people, in its efforts to perpetuate the
rule OF curb stone craftsmanship in Augusta
county. 1t was pressing that upon its atten-
ton that had more to do with its ill-humor
that the exposure of its illogical conclusions in
regard to the revenue tax. Its resource of
what it thinks is argument, having failed. the
only method left of escaping from its cmbar-
easements, was the resort of which it awaited.
Where con,miseration is no. excited, we dis
miss its expressions with contempt.
DEATH OF Hon. FRANCIS THOMAS. OF
| MAKYLAND.-Hon Francis Thomas, OF Mary
rylan'i. well known in Virginia rs the son-ih-
law of the late Governor Jas. Mcdowell, was
instantly killed near Franklin Station, on the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad on Saturday
last. He was standing on the track, and, op-
serving a freight train approaching from the