Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-01-08
Communicated
The Conservative Party.
Observer Reviews the Boilers,
and their actions in trying to
Prescribe the independents.

Observer Reviews the Boilers,
and their actions in trying TO
Prescribe the independents.
Editor of the Meas
The party organization, prodounced
not long ago as dead by certain Edi-
tors and Legislators, has been taken in
hand by some political doctors at
Richmond some of whom, by COM
bination with bribed Radicals in the
Legislature, did more, in 1871, to Kill
the party, land that, too, against a
minority of conservatives in both
Houses), than any and all others
since. These doctors cry out against
"secret caucusses," although the gar
ments of some of them still smell of
the cuIveTt, and all of whom are bat
servants of the money power, yet
profess to be labOring to "preserve"
the party organization. Aud how .?
BY introducing Dew party test, by
which the party is to be preserved
the honor and credit of Virginia
maintained", and the public debt
compound interest and all) paid, as
fixed by the funding bill. If these
are not their objects, actions are no
Indications Of mems purposes. But
they are such good conservatives, 4"
they. or their friends, probably never
hugged a negro up TO the polls and
paid his capitation tax TO get him to
vote for them-by which means some
of them, probably, got 10 the LegisIa-
tUre. They have IL horror Of "Ince-
pendents"-men elected by m0jOri-
= L.. ,, fn Il i
nees Of county conventions, com posed
i'm part of Radicals, but mainly Of
funGers. who are but little better, 20
far as the peoples interests are Coz
cerDed.
The true conservatives, the Read
justers, " are doing only what honOra-
BILE men should do-trying to redeem
their pledges; but some of those new
tangled patent conservatives, who
made similar p edges and thereby de-
ceived those who voted for them, are
now found acting with straightout.
open and avowed funders in this
new movement having for its end
not the preservation of the Conserva-
tive party, but the enforcement, in its
entirety, of that funding bill. False
to the people and their best interests
false, some of them, to their pledges
made before the election. and false to
the true interests of the party, they
set themselves up as true cOnserva-
tives," and with a concealed object in
view ask the honest TeddjuSterS" to
follow their lead, who are composed
partly of men elected against funders
who happened TO be nominated by
little funder caucuses against the peO-
ple's wishes in anti-funder counties,
and who these would be- leaders wish
to exclude from the party"
During the war, when honest gym
pathizers with us came from the north
to help us resist wrong, robbery and
oppression, we did not reject them and
say to them go back, we don't want
your help, you are independents" >"
we cannot admit you into our ranks.
The independents ~ as they are call
ed, are as true conservatives as any
of those who wish to exclude them
from the party-and far tTuer to Vir-
ginia and the interests of her people
than those who formed coalition
with radicals in 1871 to defeat the ma
jority of conservatives in the Legisla-
ture, and thus fasten upon us. as far
as was in their power, a fraudulent
contract" to run for thirty-fou
years, swindling the people out Of
millions of dollars. We want no more
such contracts" nor anything to do
with the "contractorsn of them.
There is a fair prospect in Tennes-
see of an adjustment of her debt at
fifty cents in the dollar, with four or
five per cent. interest. Then why
should Virginia be required to increase
her debt by compromising the interest
ttOice to please traitors within her
borders and shylocks outside ? That
is what some of those "preservers of
the conservative party" want.
OBSERVER.
December, 1877.
THERE is q vein of good humor in