Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-10-08
THE SAFE COURSE.

Said a gentleman few days SINCE
"While I intend to vote with the Read
tiers in State affairs, in this Presidential
race I shall vote the regular Democratic
ticket. and then if the State should go for
Garfield, 1 won t have anything to reproach
myself WITH" This is certainly the safe
side. Nothing can be more uncertain than
the success OF ticket which, like the In
dependent, depends for success on the
votes to be secured from two opposing po-
iitical parties. Its success is open to many
checks that never beset the ticket of a
regular political party organized on princi-
pies at issue in the pending campaign
The Independent ticket has no principle
the success of which is staked upon the
election of Hancock. He might be defeat
ed Tomorrow and the REIMBURSEMENT Of the
State debt would not be retarded by that de-
feat, and he might be elected by an over
whelming majority and its accomplish
ment would not be accelerated. In short, il
has nothing depending on either Hancock
or Garfield, and its cause has no root In the
struggle now being made by the Ma
tional Democratic party to free this coun-
try from the rule of Republicanism. Its
chances, therefore, are correspondingly I'M
certain. Those who are conducting the
canvass in its behalf well understand its
difficulties. At one Court House you see an
Independent canvasser talking about his
ssSimon Pure Democracy" and at another
you hear an Independent canvasser an
nouncing his willingness Ito consolidate
with the Devil. if necessary, to beat the
Democrats" With a right bower, con-
sisting of the colored Republican voter,
the situation of the Independent ticket is
all the more critical. Any sudden charge
made by the National Republican Com
mittee on any day, even up to the eve OF
the election. led by great national orators,
and with the usual election appliances,
would strip the Independent ticket OF its
colored supporters to the last man. The
colored voter is never very reliable when
engaged outside Of the Republican PAL
ty, and when he hears the National Re-
publican dinner horn blow we shall see
him trooping back to the people that ''set
him Free" His presence in the INDIE
pendent ranks impregnates its chances for
success with doubt and uncertainty.
On the other hand, the man voting the
Democratic electoral ticket, whether he
be Readjuster or Funder-so be be Dem
scrat-is safe at every point. He is voting
on a question wholly disconnected with
our State matters; he is voting with the
great National Democratic party, in whose
ranks he has always stood; he is voting
with party that has no outside entangle-
ments, no doubtful 'sallies"-he knows
that the man with whom he is touching
elbows is safe man and he is voting with
a party in which every man is already at
his allegiance and has no other party ale
glance by sudden return to which he may
dlsorganize everything. If Garfield should
through this unhappy division, get the
electoral vote Of Virginia, he has nothing
to reproach himself with. He has not
thrown away his vote on ticket, put out
weeks after, to beat the Democracy, and
the only hope of victory for which depend
ed on an uncertain alliance. In short, be
has thought, sided, and voted with the Ma
tional Democratic party, and no man next
November can have anything to reproach
nimsalf with who has done that.