The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-10-23
The Lesson Of Ohio.

1t is policy to deal fearlessly with all pub
lie questions and transpirancies, whether it
be popular, for the time being, or not
There is nothing to be gained in deceiving
by placing a strained and irrele-
want construction upon current events, and
hence it is ourpurpose tolook at the result Of
the Ohio election in the light of plain, UNI
vanished truth. The readers of the VIR-
GINIAN are familiar with the fact that we
have argued time and again that a solid
South, and the methods employed to make
it SO, would certainly create solid North,
and that in this arrayment the South had
all to lose and nothing to gain. When
President Hayes entered upon the duties of
his office, he formulated National policy
designed to liberalize public thought, abate
sectional feeling and destroy sectional po-
litical organizations. He counseled and
acted in concert with represent alive South
ern men, conceding more than many of his
own party thought was right, and encoun-
tering the fierccst opposition from some of
the leading minds of his own political
household. For time it seemed that these
conciliatory advances of the President were
to be met by a corresponding National SEN
timent and feeling in the South, and that
the conservative policy operating would
disintegrate parties North and South, wipe
out sectional lines, and restore general po-
litical determination, irrespective of geo.
graphical limitations. Unfortunately for
the country, the advances made by the
President, and the spirit of Cancellation
manifested, were misconstrued into weak
ness on his part by the Southern leaders and
Indifference as to the consummated events
OF history and the binding force of funda-
mental and statute laws corresponding with
+ them. Resting under this delusion, and
taking counsel of the slumbering hates
which had only been suppressed but not
eradicated, a partizan committee was Or
ganized to open up the question of his title,
which had been adjudicated by tribunal
Of Democratic suggestion and creation, fol-
lowed up by the most revolutionary decla-
ration as tolegislative action to enforce COM
pliance with the mischievous purposes an
nounced. The demand was made that all
enactments growing out of the war and
giving effect to the results of that bloody
conflict must be wiped from the statute
book and that in the struggle for this OBJ
ject, she who dallied was bastard and he
who doubted would be damned" The
worst andmost inscriptions and reckless of
the Northern Democratic leaders, were
permitted to shape the programme to con-
summate these results, while the great
body of the Southern representatives gave
in their adherence, whether Yoluctantly OF
willingly, it matters not assuming the re-
sponsibility proportioned to their numerical
strength. They had it in their power to
control the action of their partizan caucus,
but forgetting the manifested kindness Of
the President, the forfeited friendship and
support he had incurred by reason of his
policy, of at least one-half of the party
who had elected him, they actively and ag-
gressively co-operated in every step to eff
feet the extreme results proclaimed, to rev.
olutionize the legislation of the country,
paralyze the government and disgrace the
President. The result in Ohio is the clear
presentation Of Northern opinion concern
ing that programme. 1t is the Northern
answer to the menacing attitude Of the
Solid South. 1t is the Northern verdict
upon the attempt to force that programme
to its end by the threat of starving the gov
eminent to death. 1t is the Northern an
swer to the South's proposition, through
the Democratic party, to prohibit any
employment Of the army in support of the
civil authority. 1t is the Northern answer
to the desperate efforts of that party to wipe
out the National election laws, and place
the ballot at the mercy Of the repeaters and
ballot-box suffers. 1t is the Northern en-
dorsemcnt of the Presidents vetoes of these
Democratic projects, and warning to the
Democratic politicians that the distinctive
political ideas, once arbitrated by the sword,
which array the South in an attitude of me-
mace to the National Constitution and laws,
can never again assert supremacy in this
land. tits the indicated judgment of the
country that this is a Nation, and that the
National Constitution and laws are SUI
preme, and the avenue to peace and quiet
and prosperity is the recognition Of this
paramount and all absorbing and essential
truth.
The pregnant lesson inculcated by the
recent election in Ohio, as to the points we
have mentioned, isno less forcible and trans
parent than the instruction it imparts as to
question of finance. Surrenderieg the ira
ditional policy and central principle of the
old Democratic party, the modern organi
cation set its sails to catch every breeze and
to gather in all elements, however discor
dant, to mass them against the Republican
party. To do this it had to array itseli
against the wise monetary system that had
been devised for the maintenance Of Ma
tional faith, the safe conduct of the business
of the country, and the restoration OF con.
fidence in all industrial pursuits. With the
same nconsiderativeness, the same absence
Of thought for the good of the country
and the arrest of agitation, which had
marked. its relation to legislation growing
out of the war, it assailed the policy of re-
sumption and sought to throw Instructions
in the way of its accomplishment, formu
llating and crystalizing its opposition in the
nomination OF an open and extreme inf1a
ZIONIST for Governor IN Ohio. Their fore
most statesmen, 50 greedy for the spoils Of
office and SO infatuated with the expectan.
cy of power, compromised his life long re
cord on the subject of finance, and gave in
partial adhesion to the wild notions o.
Ewing, in the hope that this surrender Of
principle and dalliance with eXpedients
would win a partizan triumph. The rebuke
administered on the 18th, not only settles
the 'Ohio idea' as to national finance, but
the author of it, and closes the candidacy
of Senator Thurman for the Presidency. II
reaches further and settles the pretensions
of Mr.. Hendricks and all other western as
pirants afflicted with the Presidential
'sbee," and gives assurances, almost