Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-01-09
(Communicated)
The Inaugural

The Inaugural.
la shallowness Of thought and entire
lack of practical suggestion, it is with
out an equal in the numerous volumes
Of Amerlcan State Papers. For sopho
norical platitudes it stands "without a
model and without shadow" 1t dji-
Cers from the letter Of the candidate only
in the rounding Of the periods, and the
space which is devoted in this to the
honor and glory of the Commonwealth
in that to the awful consequences OF an
increase of taxation all Of which is to
be accounted for on the theory that the
newly fledged is of that Talleyrand
school ofpoliticians who define States
manship to be, an adjustment OF condl-
tons TO circumstances, or rtce rerSa'
Then he was candidate, non he IS a
governor.
Few people are surprised at the docu-
ment. Only those who expected Col.
Holiday to take decided stand for the
only alternative for readjustment, viz !;
a levy sufficient to pay the debt, seem
disappointed. The mass ofvoters have
had too bitter an experience in the
cboice.of-evils business to suffer any
very deep chagrin. One OF these gave
them the funding bill with all its enor-
mites, speculations and peculation !;
another has ridden two horses around
the great political arena buoyant with
Micawber hopes. and leaves her
with four millions Of debt accumulated
in pursuance OF three annual recommen-
dauons and the third, representing IN
his own person as many bonds as any
other one citizen, perhaps, in the state
was not expected to do more than take
up what his predecessor had cut down.
The mere acceptance Of special car IN
this day of monopoly cncroachment was
pbysic enough for this section OF the
State. The ease with which his excel
lencv was wheeded into the street pa
geantry business, with steam piano ana
decorated elephant accompanlments'and
a public inaugural in violation OF Virgin
ia USAGE and customs, developed the
weak point IN the gubernatiorial armor
and prepared all observing men i0r the
18th of July hOm.'J.
who can wonder that such a proud
governor would reprobate the anuullns
Of the solemn compact with a "stat-
ute book full of provisions for the en-
forcement of contracts" without a
thought of that equity which always
supervenes to prevent the accomplish
ment of fraud? The wonder Is, not
that he forgot the double compoundinS
of war and reconstruction interest BY
nublic bribery through retained agents
Of Yankee syndlcates, but that in con.
c,nsion he could deign, in a parenthetlcal
parapraph,a it were, to"count Virginia 5
means to pay her debts and prove hei
inability to meet them" or his mind re
CIR to the bare possibility that 1.-The wal
assisted by 'drouth" and "iood') has
stripped her of her means"
verify this little mess oftub makes us
feel like Roman in sight Of the Eter-
nal City" and that "to be a Virginlan Is
Greater than to be king" an horn
Unrrah for the rousing Genius OF Vir-
ginia coming from her bed chamber in
ragged night gown wondering where
the next inaugural garment is to come
Gg oaa ard %HaAfg 'RRfE t 5s h5jjffgE s aa
than the first.
Rcadiusters, beware, lest you precipl
tate upon us that condition OF "com
lmunism" which may relegate idle cor
morants to the normal state Of eatin
their bread by the sweat OF their faces
and relieve productive industries fror
the incubus of society Pecksniffs whor
YOU read about every day in the report
of broken banks, detunct insuranc
companies and absconding brokers
May God give you strength to aid
holding up this brigst ldeal"