Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-04-07
Virginia's DishOnOr.
From the Boston POST

- "
booming cannon and a growing 1905
ter at the head Of its columns in
shameless jubilation over the pas
sage of the REIMBURSEMENT bill by
the house of Delegates. 1t is filled
with a spirit of vulgar cxultation
over the dishonor Of Virginia, and
it wishes to call the attention of as
large portion of the country as it
can command to the fact that the
Old Dominion has forfeited her
right to the respect and confidence
of honorable men, and must contin-
ue partially disgraccd member of
the great family of States until she
atones for what she has done, The
Wig with many a flourish OF
phrase, with many a wordy but
meaningless generality, undertakes
to say what the Rcadjusters have
accomplished. After reciting a
number of spread-eagleisms it con-
cludes "And finally they have
prepared the ReadJustment bill-a
measure which attains, at last, the
equitable settlement demanded by
our circumstances and by the peo-
ple-and they have passed it by
constitutional malorities in both
branches of the General Assembly,
against all the combined influence
of parties, backed by the corrupt
and un INSCRIPTIONS intrigues of
the money power No one would
gather that the act celebrated with
all this obscuring verbiage was re-
ally nothing at all but the mcanest,
most dishonorable and most con-
temptible act that State can be
guilty Of nothing less than bald
Reputation justly characterized by
the Governor Of Virginia as Choir
rid crime;'' but that is just what it
amounts to and that is the thing
over which the Wig and its con-
stituenls are singing victorious
paeans.
Of course this will have to be ac-
copied for the present as the voice
of Virginia. Where it final We
should Indeed be hopeless of that
good old Commonwealth future.
But there is splendid leaven which
will act as a constant influence up,
on the moral sense of the people Of
that State and redeem a reputation
upon which the smirch of foul dis
honor has been placed by unGlial
hands. The conservative elements
which have striven to avert this
dark disgrace will strive still to re-
claim the good name that, if not
lost, is sadly astray, and we have
sufficient faith in the people to
think that in the inevitable reaction
they will see their present error and
follow wiser, safer and more honor
able counsel. That which the Re-
adlusters have done cannot be talk
ed into responsibility. There are
no euphemisms strong enough to
hide the garish knavery of the act ;
and one of its most lamentabte incl
dents is that some Republican pa
pers OF standing even as far North
as Boston exult in what a CONSCIENCE
less majority has done. 1t is a Re
publican victory so far as the decid-
ing votes and influences were con-
cerned, but it also victory for
evil, for instability OF government,
for insincerity of promise, for disrc-
gard of all honorable obligations,
When paper is so saturated in its
partisanship as to exult in these
things because they are the success
full accomplishment OF its party's
aims, it should stop short and de-
vote itself to a season of introspec-
ton and patience. Its influence to
that extent has become danger
GUS in the community.