The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-01-04


crawls backwards crib-like, and the only
possible way chat it has ever been made
TO take step forward has been to put
its tail where its head should be and back
if. into progress, mule fashion. 1t is Bour
bon. 1t is bat blind prejudice. 1t would
be quite harmless did it not to-day rule
the State. We might cheerfuly CON
done its existence as a necessary element in
the universe, were it not for the fact that il
assumes and maintains a place in the econo-
my of things, in Virginia, al least. very Diet
rimental to the real interests of the people
Grabs and mules and all such retrooress,ye
kind are no doubt yery good in their Mace
but out of their proper Spheres thew become
either nusances or something seriously hurt.
full.
Whether the Democratic party has inocu.
lated the people of Virginia or. contrary.
wise, the people the party. we NAV not saw
1t is sufficient, however. that both people
and party are to-day animated by a blind
and dangerous prejudice that seems to per.
wade every avenue of life and action, and for
all time when a blind n, ei,ldice is actnatino
a people there Won will also find its cormnan'
ions, Ignorance. poverty. shifflessness and
misrule.
Yousay to the average yiroinian think.
ing to obtain some Intelligent views. Your
State finances are in yery shameful conG;-
ton; your State is rich :you should no 70
ducing your indebtedness. instead Of YEARLY
increasing an already EMBARRASSING load. he
answers you with a erowl about towai;nn
and about 4 war that occurred 1ona ana,,ot,
since to be forgotten: we'll. he can stand +
as long us ANYBODY else can. Yon ~ n rido
past farm after farm. house after house and
all is Lilapidation. Why is if. ven ask and
the same old answer comes. the war rninad
us. A stranger might reasonable sunnose
that the country had been in a chronic state
of turmoil for century, for surely fonr
years of strife might be effaced in ten wears
of peace. No, it is not the war. if Is tho
virus of Democracy. You saw TO him aoain
why is it that the negro race still distrnsts
the people of the State. i. e. Democracy
WHY is that some INTELLIGENT and unnre;',
diced effort has not heen made ~ ;rnnr .su,
the condition of the colorad ,ooo ap.1 ~
make it better and more intoli;cent faotoU
in thc body politicp Tbe ansuar IL 80 $3.50. w;
yersal and nelegant we refrain f,o,, ,,,r;t;no
If. You return 10 thc attack ana tI,;s TN, ;
Won touch him on the nnhl;c sohn.Is a.,J
system Of education. Yon saw 70 hin' , ,s,u
do Won not demand of Won Ieoisl,tnra cow
wise and favorable leosIat;on nno,' Az s s1h
iect9 Why do Won nresent vonrSalros - tho
world as a people accentino the frae school
only as if is forced mon vouS Rnt yo H1 for
oct that Won are talkine tn tho s,,;r;t ~ n
mocracy. and Won turn AWAY th;pk;nr anl;.
bIv She scriptural stcast NOT vour noarIs no
fore swine.'' The oyerthrow of nemnoran
in VIRGINIA means tho rarano,at;on ~ ~ >
State. Until fine neonle reaI;zn rho ,1;sa,o ,,a
of SEEING their honds below no d'. =; i nee
inc in a state of bankruntcy. mnt;l thev re.
tbat If Is e. p tbeir bast ,to Ov 10y oMe' 1u1
nroner rocoon;tio1 ond .t s;s .ssa w. ascore
fhe negro nonnlat;on ,,s,t M''1 . assssance lor
ont If their Hind nra;s,,1;ooa oy sn.a, oo.le
who differ with them 1,5,lf :soi,,, omn hae
and beyonJ ali. until thew fullx ,aaiiao tho;r
lamentahlp lack of tho CO.,, $3.50 .a Jne.i
house. thev mist he content WITH ~. ~ tou
tnne that thev alone mol-a to,. ttsao,n,..oa.
in fact until tIe neonla thro,v "a: tha ,,;oi,s'
marx Of Democrocy and not mil ;I' thap y
there any hone tha; Viro;n;a viii hsonr,a 20
progressive On tba ono c;,1s ;s nan,oonaa,,
STRONGLY intrenched bebin5 tbe h;ttar ,,rsi,;.
dices that seem to utterly control tl,e X la re
majority of the neonje anf f. mnst ba con.
fessed their hold il indeed strong for notb.
ing is more potent in cuntrolire man than
prejudice founded on IGNORANCE
On the other side stands Renublicanism in
a minority it is true. bnt f is ro,,no and viy-
orous. and it demands PROGRESS, 'Democra-
CIV represents the past and servitude Re-
publicanlsm represents the future and liner.
ty. The contest is not a new one. for
wherever under tba snn oovernn,o,,ts e,,;st
and free speech, there the contest wages
1t is ever progress on the one side against
retrogression and the spirit of desnotism on
the other The Democracy of Virginia.
save in the name, is the party of desnetism'
1t is the stronghold of the old oliearchy. II
hates freedom. 1t would have seryitude. It
hates the public schools as unrelentingly as
ever did Romish priest. Its power is in 10.
norance. 1t is the party of dishoner. for it
would make Reputation possible. It is the
party that invariably has met the negro
question with the most disc listing preiudices
1t is the party that never rises to The heioht
of any question. 1t is demagoeueism. igno-
rance and prejudice; here is its level. and If
may no more hope TO get above it than wafer
above its level. In a word. il is'the marty Of
retrogression, and of infinite YESTERDAYS.
hope is not in its heart. but death and ali
bitterness. Its office is not to lead. II is an
excresence. or rather one mioht saw an an.
pendage, and its mission is to- follow Rpt
in time there shall come law to iudce and
condemn it and remand il to it's nraner
place, and that law shall be like to that with
which in days past tbey were wont to trv