Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-11-05
THE RESULT IN THE STATE.

we pointed out TO our readers last week
that the success of the Independent cleo
toral ticket in Virginia was an impossible
ity. Dealing with the figures we stated
that it had lost thirty thousand votes by
the sudden and active appearance in the
field of the Republican party, and thirty
thousand more by those who had left to
recognize their allegiance to the National
Democrat y. and that out of the eighty
thousand votes cast for Readjustment in
Virginia last year not twenty thousand
would be left for the Independent ticket.
Our statement has turned out to be exact
except in this particular 1t now APP
pears we we're too liberal in allowing that
ticket twenty thousand. How SO expert
enced politician and adroit a campaign
manager as Gen. Malone is, could have
been so thoroughly deceived as to his
strength, we can't understand; it appeared
to us that even novice in campaigning
should have foreseen the result after con-
sidering the causes that operate on mems
minds. We do not believe for moment
that, as many assert, the Independent
campaign was run on buster simply. The
shallowest of political managers land Ma
hone Is far from being one of that sort
would not have tried so transparent an
! effort and courted such ridiculous de-
feat as has befallen that wing-or rather
| that wing feather of the Democracy. We
| take it that the General has been led into
his error by lack of knowledge Of the tenn
per of the people, by exaggerated lnforma-
ton from his enthusiastic lieutenants and
| by erroneous inference from the vote polled
by the Readjuste1s last year. The great
| mistake that he seems to have made, in
| common with many blind and unreasona-
BILE regular Democrats was that he gave
| the Readjusters Of Virginia too little cred
it for their staunch Democracy and loyalty
to the great Democratic party of the ma
tion. 1t is great disaster tu a political
leader and one made in the face of many
opportunities to have recuped himself
after the first error. Inc offer of comprO
mise made by the Democracy in Septem-
| Der; the chance to withdraw the ticket
were both opportunities which might have
concealed his weakness and saved his rep
| utatiOn for sagacity.
| But leaving the Independent leaders to
| explain their own defeat, and doubtless
we shall have many explanations from
them made in various shades Of temper,
let US look into the future little. If we
fall into the error that this Is to be the
end of the Readjuster party we shall make
disastrous mistake. A very large Dem
regular ticket this time will, in State af-
| tiers, be again in line with ReadJusters.
| The question now is whether our leaders
cannot devise some means to get this debt
| question out of the way; whether they
have not wisdom enough to bring to the
front some plan of REIMBURSEMENT on which
both wings Of the party may agree-some
| new plan which will not be compulsory on
the creditors, which will not be objection
able to the more conservative of the Read
| justers and which will maintain the credit
of our people alongside that of the people
| of other States. With settled debt. the
intelligence of the State massed in one
party, and Virginia sharing in the general
prosperity now being showered all over this
land, ours would be happy people undis
turbed by internal feuds and presenting
to the world the picture of population,
at peace at home, Industrious, respecting
their obligations and deserving of its re
spect. -