Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-10-15
The Conservative Party,

The Conservative Party.
ADDRESS OF THE STATE CENTRAL COM
MITTED OF THE CONSERVATIVE PAR
TY OF VIRGINIA.
Richmond, October s, 1878.
To the Voters of the Conservative Party
of Virginia:
On the first Tuesday of November
next the election will be held for repre-
sentatives in Congress from your res
pective districts. The considerations
which should impel you to give an ear.
nest and united support to the duly
nominated candidates of your party in
this election are urgent and imperative.
ken deep interest in the conduct of the
Federal Government, and in the better
days of the Republic, exerted conspi.
cuous influenes In its Legislation. Vir-
ginia participated in Federal politics
chiefly because of her patriotic desire to
keep the action of the Genera! Govern
ment within its constitutional sphere
and while the Federal legislation bore
iniuriously in some respects UPON her
material interests, she suffered this in
Justice out of sincere devotion to the
Union. Since the late civil war the in
furious effect of Federal legislation upon
the prosperity of Virginia has increased
to an oppressive degree. By the extra
vagance and corruption of
THE RADICAL PARTY,
which held gndisputed sway in all de-
1861 to 1874, the national expenditures
To mi o1o b1o q mr. N
and while Virginia was allowed to re-
ceive but triaing benefit from public
expenditures in works of internal inn
nous subsidies lavished upon the trade
and Industries of other States, she has
been compelled to bear the most unjust
and burdensome exactions of Federal
taxation. By unjust determinations in
the internal revenue system Virginia
has been compelled to pay larger taxes
upon the staple products Of her soil than
are gathered from all the New England
States combined. The West has suffer-
ed similar injustice with the South in
this matter. These abuses of power by
the Radical party, added to its fragrant
tyranny ovef soptte States in denying
to them the right of local selfgovern-
ment, aroused popular indignation and
led in 1874 to the instalment of the De-
mocratic party in power in the House
of REPRESENTATIVES. This popular revolt
against Radical Wrongsdoilg did not stop
there, but the revolution progressed I'M
til the auspicious result has been reach
ed-that majority of Democratic SEN
ators will assume control of the United
States Senate in March, 1879.
THE RESTORATION OF VIRGINIA
and her sister southern States to their
rightful position in the Federal Union,
and the Just distribution of the burdens
and benefits of the Union among all the
States, can only be contaminated by the
compile overthrow of the Radical party
and the return of all departments Of the
Government of the Democratic control.
The history of national parties in our
country during the.eventful years since
the war has demonstrated that the Con-
sentative people of Virginia must look
to the National Democratic party as
their only true and efficient ally In the
great contest now pending for equality
Of right and benefit under the Federal
Union, and for the permanent restora-
ton of constitutional principles in the
conduct Of national affairs, The South
owes to the National Democratic party
whatever measure of constitutional lib
erty is now allowed to its people. The
heel of military power was not lifted
from the neck of southern communities
until the Democratic party took control
of the House of Representatives. 1t lost
no time in serving notice upon Radl-
cal President that the national purse
should no longer be used to employ the
army in suppressing local selfgovern-
ment. Then, and not till then, the Com.
monwealths of Louisiana and South
Carolina were delivered from bayonet
rule and restored to the peaceful process
ses Of constitutional government. This
DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY IN THE HOUSE
has made the most vigorous assault up.
on the extravaganza, corruption, and
tiny has been made into all departments
of the Government, and corrupt Radi-
cal officials, from Cabinet officers down
to revenue thieves. have been exposed
and punished. Resistance has been
raised to all congressional schemes for
corrupt subsidies and class legislations.
A rigid economy is enforced in national
appropriations. The annual eXpendi-
lures have been reduced thirty millions
of dollars. And the Democrats in the
House have labOred strenuously to re-
lieve Virginia and the South from the
unjust taxation imposed by the internal
revenue and tariff legislation of the Ra-
dical party.
These facts attest the claim of the Ma
tional Democratic party to your conf
dence, and these are the aspects of ma
tiOnal politics under which you will
vote for representatives in Congress.
| By maintaining compact and effici-
ent organization of the Conservative
party and concentrating your votes up
on your chosen standard bearers, you
achieved a signal victory over Radical
| ism in Virginia in the congressional
election of 1874, and again in 1876. You
elected eight out of nine Congressman
from Virginia. All of these representa-
tives proved true to your interests on the
floor Of Congress, and your delegation
won marked and merited influence in
that body by its ability and fidelity. By
the action of duly constituted district
conventions held in eight of the nine
| Congressional districts the fairly cho.
| sen.
CANDIDATES OF THE CONSERVATIVE
PARTY
are now before you for your suffrages.
Hunton, Beale, Goode, Hinton, John
otOu3 1uChCl, OdUcli AHU hlCnuOuu,
have been duly nominated as Conserva-
tive candidates, and all of them are wor
thy of the cordial and earnest support of
all true Virginians.
We earnestly appeal to you to give
them united and efficient support. By
doing go you can elect all of them Such
victory will cheer the heart and nerve
the arm of that constitutional party
which alone has the power to confront
and destroy Radical rule. and to restore
the blessings of honest, just and benefi-
cent government to all sections of our
common country.
We are impelled to make this appeal
to all true heerted Conservatives in Vir-
ginia because there are influences at
work in your midst which serio usly
threaten the unity, efficiency and per-
manent existence of the Conservative
party. Men who call themselves Con-
seryatives are warning against your reg
ular nominees, and are appealing to Con
servatives to sustain them as Indipen-
dents upon one or other pretext of as
sumed superiority of wisdom and capa-
city to serve the public interest; and a