The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-04-27
The Issue.

nent and active members of the council have
ZEN arraigned on tile charge of Substantially
'oting money into their own pockets, at the
expense of the people. They have been charged
with 'squandering" the public resources, and
nflicting burdens upon the people without an
equivalents. It required but a brief statement /
10 show the utter untenablcness and falsity of |
these allegations. This we gave last week.
But this IL not sufficient. The people them
selves should record their verdict in the prem
Uses. It is due to the constituent body that |
they shonld have an opportunity to pass upon
the administration OF those they have entr,st-
ed with their interests, and it is due to tie
gentlemen who were delegated to legislate
for the city that fair. square issue be made up
OH the record. The members of the City Council
can submit to 10 other course, consistent with
a proper self-Tespect and consciousness of d,l-
ty faithfully and honestly performed. 1t will
not answer the purpose that political organ
ization shall BIZ invoked to- interfere between
them and those who placed them in power. It
would be no vfndication OF their characters as
officers Of the: city government, were they
chosen At primary election. representing not
one-saxth ofthe voters ofthe city, as proper per-
sons to be elected by the Conservative party. It.
is not question Of party. It rises above all par
ty considerations and comprehends character
and motives; affects the gentlemen arraigncd in
all the relations oflife, and mtsst be dealt with
as of vital concern. involving Individual rcpu-
tation and featy to public trust. The present
council can neither afford to decline to submit
their case to popular verdict, nor allow any
other method to be adopted, TO pass upon their
official conduct, than the fullest and freest and
most uncncumbercd expression of popular
opinion at the ballot box. They have been pub
licly arragned for a corrupt betrayal of the
peoples interests. They have been assaulted
with vindictive and malicious persistency.
that must be met defiantly and boldly, and an
appeal made to the calm Judgment Of the peo-
pie to determine whether they believe the
charges made.
It has been more than ntimated that If the
couneiimen will allow themselves to be voted
for at the primary election, they will be chosen
as the representatives of the Conservative par
ty. This is substantially IN admission that the
most of even the few gentlemen who have beer
induced to give in their adhesion to the pro-
posed procedure. do not synpatlize with the
reckless assaults of the indicator, and that it
is with no desire to reflect upon The present
council that they. have acquiesced in the
suggestion of primary. IT however, will re-
quire but a few moments reflection for these
:,
great injustice to the council. The charges
have been substantially made that there have
been corruption, extravaganza and inefficiency
in the official conductof the council. 1t is true
there is no truth in these allegations, but
itwould not meet the case that the leverage the
Conservative organization be used to endorse
them by reelection. They were elected with no
reference toany party consideration. They have
administered the city, affairs without reference
to party matters, and hence they cannot COR
sent that. under the charges preferred against
them. any kind of organization should be en-
ployed to vndicate them by reelection. 1t is
the peoples business. uninfIuenced by airy
other consideration than the justice or njus-
tice of; the complaints and charges made, to de-
terminc, aud there can be no device or srg-
gestion that can be resorted to. that will bril- 2
the matter directly to the adjudication of the
proper tribunal, except an appeal to free and
unfettered ballot.
This is demanded by every consideration of
personal and official character and by the pub
lie interest, It cannot be avoided without vi
olating every instinct of self-respect, and piac-
ing the official and personal character of the
gentlemen arraigned as secondary to the sell
fish and cont emptible schemes of few reckless
political agitators. tt
Here are gentlemen wlo have always had
the confidence of their -ctizens-who
have, by their enterprise and judgment, aided
largely in building mp the city-who have been
and are identified with all the city IS substantial
interests. They have been arraigned as false
and faithlesss in the discharge of the obligations
of official trust-they have been charged with
subordinating public to private interest, and
assaulted IS being governed by motives that
would, if true. justly forfeit the confidence
rep0sed in them. How can the sense of the
people be obtained upon the merits of these
CiHi Sess SClt"hIy HOb oy CONSUMING tAO pIcJ-
dices of a few designing dcmagogues who have
no influence of their own, but who desire to
run the machinery of party to accomplish that
which they would not be able to do otherwise.
1t is no question of party, as we have before
stated. 1t is question of fidelity to public
trust. 1t is question Of personal and official
and the members of the City Gov
eminent cannot for Il moment entertain a
thought of allo wing the issue to degenerate I'M
to enc Of party, consistent with what is due to
themselves and the people whom they have
been serving. If the indicator has any faitl,
in its own assertions and charges, and believes
that the public interests have been BETRAYED
and wronged, it could not support The gentle
men it has assailed. if they were to submit to
primary election and be chosen. as they doubt
less would be, the representatives Of their
party. The indicator wonlI doubtless will
lingly escape from the position it has assumed,
under The covering of primary election. But
the allegations of ihfidelity and Encouragement
have been too direct and broad 10 allow any
of that kind. The issue has
been forced upon the Council, and they cannot
be satisfied with any other method
Of determining it. Than by an expression of a |
popular verdict ut Tue ballot box. Either the
Vindicates has to be endorsed or condemned,
OF. the members of the, City Governments have