The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-10-17
The Richmond District.

The speech delivered by Gen. Joseph E.
Johnston, at a Democratic Rally in Rich
mond on Friday night last, was weak, in
consistent, ill-timed and In bad taste and
spirit. While protesting to favor redeema.
BILE greenbacks, he favors the proposition to
repeal the resumption act which would render
it impossible for the government to redeem.
He falls into the same error that Mr.. Thur
man floundered upon, and which will run Ran
Tucker to the waist. It is useless for these
gentlemen to try to improve upon the pres
ent financial policy. 1t is fortified by the
most convincing results. It's wisdom has
been demonstrated, and any disturbance
of its operations will prove disastrous to the
business of the country. Practically there
is very little difference between the position
of the gentlemen and those who are oppos-
ing them upon declared greenback plat
form. Both advocate destruction of the
financial policy, the benefits of which are
now being realized, and the country placed
in condition to move on to prosperity
Gen. Johnston proclaims for redeemable
currency, and proposes legislation which
virtually defeats its attainment. His views
are illogical and contradictory, and really
no better than those of his opponent. The
enforcement OF the resumption law is the key
to the whole financial situation. Repeal it
and irredeemable paper will flood the coun-
try. There is no sense or fairness in trying
to get around this. Those who favor repeal,
favor also an inflated currency, inflated
values, and general unsettlement OF bust
ness. The one leads to the other. Re-
sumption enforced, and all the evils from
which business has suffered will cease, and
not without it.
Gen. Johnston flaunts the s'bloody shirt, -
with an energy and emphasis that indicate
an fncapacity to grasp the situation, and
interjects threat about the inauguration"
of the next Democratic President that par
takes OF the Bombastes Furioso Wanting
which commends itself neither to the re-
spect nor approval OF thoughtful people.
The remarks of John W. Daniel on the
occasion of this rally out Heroded Herod in
a purpose to revolutionize the financial pol
icy of the Government. Col. Newman,
the Greenback candidate, could not have
wished for more thorough and complete
endorsement of his views. The sentiments
he enunciates are as radical as any ever Ut
tered by Gen. Butler or Peter Cooper, and
totally at variance with anything like safety
and reliability in the currency, or conserva
tism in the financial policy of the govern
ment.
The difference between Col. Newman
and Gen. Johnston is that the former open
~ proclaims for irredeemable fiat money,
while the latter processes to favor solid
specie basis for the circulating medium, but
supports propositions at war with everything
of the kind.
Gen. Johnston's remarks about the Dem
ocratic party show how ignorant he is Of
what the Democratic party now is. 1t has
no resemblance to the old Democratic party.
It does not support a single cardinal prin-
ciple Of the historic Democracy. 1t favors
irredeemble paper money, while the old
party demanded gold and silver. 1t favors
national aid to all the creeks and frog ponds
in each members district, when the old
Democratic party denounced all internal
| improvement by the Government as uncon-
| stitutional.
Gen Johnston himself speaks for a tariff
of protection, when the old Democratic
party had as one Of its controlling ideas,
''free trade and sailors rights" In short
there is nothing in the creed of the present
mongrel organization known as the Demo-
cratic party which assimilates with the great
governmental principles which the old Dem
ocracy maintained. He ought to have
faint'remembrance of the collapse of State
Rights. His sentences about that exploded
| delusion are in the highest degree Bourbon
istic, and foreign to live comprehension OF
consummated events, which stand as guide
posts to the progressive thinker and practi
cal statesman.