The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-12-13
Cause for Congratulation.


Legislature there is every reason TO hope for
a thorough reform in tie legislative and adj
management of the State
There is an evident purpose to lop off all |
unnecessary expenses, dispense with need
less offices, and Ding the affairs of the Com
mcnwealti to an honest level with the ne
cessities which surround her. That il tho |
rough probing and pnrgation OF every de-
parsment of government is demanded, two
significant facts attests just 1T the COM
mencement of the sessiou-thc one the re
port of the Commission appointed to exam
inc into the settlement of the agents of the
State in the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal,
which develops that out of 1906, 900 collect
ed of the States money, on which the
agents were to receive 30 per cent: they
turned over to The Treasury only $50 200,
leaving 4 balance due, as the Commission
concludes, OF slG5, 900, upon which suit has
been instituted against said agents. viz
Bradley L. johnson and the Messrs. Poe.
The other fact, that the Second Auditor re-
ports having recently discovered robbery
OF $50. 900 in State bonds, effected by double
funding OF that amount, by some one not
now known, an account of which is published
elsewhere. What the investigation of this
matter will result in we cannot now even
conjecture. Our readers will remember that
on frequent occasions heretofore we have
hinted at an unde.elopcd fraud upon the
ot e,
Information communicated to lis, that it
would run up into the huRdl'eds 0fMoHs-
0nds Of doHars-and indeed, that the OK
act amount might never be discovered. For
mer Legislatures, run by the corrupt caucus
system and in the interest Of caucus parti-
IAN politics, have evaded q searching inyes-
tigation OF The facts, fearful that it would
snjure the PARTY, and arouse the people to
the great wrongs they were suffering under
the rule of the professional politicians, who
cared nothing for them and only for the
power and pelf of position.
Re adjustment, with us, meant more than
a settlement of the State debt complications.
We knew that if the People we're once
-GCtSSN " aiiS sdpiNiiiC Vi ttthlllS
an interest in public affairs, and elccting a
Legislature in defiance of the caucus ma
nipulators and machine politics, that a
searching scrutiny would be instituted into
the wrongs that had been inflicted aud the
manner in which the revenues had been alb
sorbed. Mr.. Steger's report was enough to
: excite the fears of every friend of the State
lie gave the Legislature the information
that the system. or want OF SYSTEM in ad-
iusting accounts, WAS radically defective
The emphasis Of his language and the evil
dent astonishment OF his mind at what he
had discovered, could not fail to arouse the
most painful apprehensions. But the inter
ests OF machine politics and caucus despotism
were in conflict with what plain duty re-
auired, when that report was made. Instead
of following up the thread he had touched
and penetrating the qualifications he had
pointed cut, the whole affair was suffered to
be smothered, and the People were no wiser
than when he commenced his work.
Now the investigation cannot be avoided
The Legislature in power comes from the
People, with the command that the bottom
OF all Irregularities, all mismanagement, all
peculation and fraud must be reached. No
caucus dlcta must intervene between the
people and their rights-no suppression of
the truth. 40 coneealments for partizan
ends, will be tolerated. The People have
said that they are tired of caucus rule ana
have delegated majority Of the Legislature
to examine into the wrongs the caucus in.
auence has inflicted. and expose and rectify
them.
During the last campaign, when the evil
sterces of an earnest concern on the part of
the People, came TO lis from every portion
OF the Commonwealth. we took them as a
healthy sgn, and that men would be chosen
who would dare to do right if it shattered to
pieces the Conservative party, and totally
wrecked caucus machinery. We have every
assurance that Reform in earnest will be
carried forward BY the body now rejecting
public sentiment, without reference to the
Interests CT this or that political high priest,
or this or that partizan scheme. Let the
Legislature do its duty 10 the People, and all
things else will work out right. lie who
serves his State best. will serve his party
best. The people will rally to the fearless,
conscientious public servant, stand by him,
and carry him above the machinati ons and
tricks and devices OF the trading politician.
The eyes OF the State are eagerly turned to
Richmond. They will watch wistfully for
each days proceedings Of the Legislature.
They will note aud mark every act of that
body and those who are prominent in it..
The atmosphere is becoming clear i; f parti-
zan miasma, and the People will sean well
and closely everything in the lig;.t of the
public good, independent and above party
Not only Reimbursement, bnt Retrenchment
and Reform in their true and tangible sense
will be expected, and those members who
stand by the People, who will kick machine
politics and machine politicians aside, and
iegislate in the int: est OF the constituent
body, will received the high reward OF an
honest popular approval. Thank God, the
Conservative party. in its corrupt and prof
iigate phase, and as run by housing curb
stone politicians, is in the agonies of death.
it is che sign OF deiverance tor Virginia =
the bow of promise that spans the political
horizon, saying no more caucus tyranny, no
more despotism over the people. no more
tiei.ges OF misrule and CORN ption
The Re-adjustc. called il caucus last Sat.
urday night. The Fuuders claim that be-
cause it was called in the name of Re-adjus
tiers and not co nsereatiyes, it is an abandon
ment OF the Conservative party.
Well. what of it. We canmot see what
particular houor attaches to the old caucus
system of the conservatives, which was per-
petuated and used solely for partizan purpe-
ses. We can see some excuse for the move
ulent OF the Re-adjusters, when they call for
meeting to consult about the interestof the
people. 1t is simply carrying into the Leg
islature the issue made in the election-The
People against the professional politician
and Caucus machinery for partiZan purpo-
ses. Our aatipatIiy to the caucus grows out