Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-02-25

STA UNTON, VA.
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. Is. 1881.
WHAT SHALL BE THE ISSUE IN
VIRGINIA.
The issue in Virginia is becoming rapid
ly simplifed. Even in the early spring we
can plainly see the matter to be decided
in the late fall. With a little more time
we shall see the question standing bare
against the political sky stripped Of all
complications. The increase of taxation
has been long since disposed of; all parties
except, we believe, the Republican, have
agreed that in no event shall the people be
required to pay any more money. The
public school question is also out of the
field. The Henkel school bill, the good
management Of the Auditor under its
provisions, and the general creed of all po-
litical divisions that the schools are to be
taken care of, settle that. The remaining
question is the rate of interest that the
State can pay under the new assessment
and how the creditors will consent to set
tie. 1t is worse than folly to leave the
last named-the consent of the creditors,
out of view. The naked truth is that
without this consent any settlement fixed
upon by Virginia will be futile. 1t will
be worse than futile for it will but be the
beginning Of harassing proceedings in
Federal courts, from the lowest to the
highest, the end of which will find the
Commonwealth in all probability in a
worse condition than she is to-day and
with heavier and more clearly defined
burden on her back. So far, the view of
the matter held. as we believe, by the
Democrats throughout the State.
But as greatly simplifed as the ISIS ue
is in the above some Of the Republicans of
the State are still further reducing it. The
drift of their policy, as made public by
some of their most prominet public men,
is to put the issue squarely between the
ignorance and intelligence of the State
They have begun to say that the debt
question is of no importance compared
with the ssSupreme question: of taking
all obst acles away from the admission OF
the colored vote by abolishing the pre-re-
quisite payment Of the poll tax as quail
fication for voting. On the other hand
the Democratic Central Committee of Vir-
ginia promptly meet this issue and in effeci
declare that the supreme issue of the day
is to keep the intelligence of the State in
the ascendancy IN the management of its
affairs. And, in truth, both of these
Republicans and Democrats are right. The
real struggle in Virginia this campaign is
as to who shall rule the State-the Repub-
hcan party with its mass Of llliteracy, OF
the Democratic party with its conceded
majority ofIntelligence. It is no question
as to whether Readjusters, as party.
shall take possession of Virginia. 1t would
be better if 1t were, but it is whether .
mass of eighty thousand men, nine-tenths
of whom are illiterate, shall be in the as
cendancy. If the Readjusters should Goa
Lessee with the Republicans they would soor
be hewers of wood and drawers of water
in their ranks. They would be used for
brief season until the llliterate voters now
debarred from the ballot box by the CAPT.
tation tax could be rehabilitated and re-
stored to the Republican party, and then
they would be cast aside, as of no further
use. If, as the Republicans claim, there
are fifty thousand black voters who will
be made available by the repeal of the pre-
requisite capitation tax, then after thai
they will have no further need Of Read
juster aid. This is no surmise, it is the
inevitable out growth of political events
an oft told tale IN party history. Mex
fall Readjuster aid will be welcomed to re-
affirm the repeal in the legislature. Once
more after that, in 1882, it will be well
coined to carry the constitutional amend
ment before the people, and after that al
is ended. Thereafter there will be ont
hundred and thirty thousand Republican
qualified voters who will never be con-
trolled by Democratic ally who. with
out their aid, has not polled over thirty
three thousand votes. The rose colored
picture of the triumph of Liberalism il
Virginia will be blotted out by the substi-
tuition of Republicanism-not the Repub
licanism of Pennsylvania, Ohio and Mas
sachusetts, but the Republicanism of Vir-
ginia, South Carolina and Louisiana. The
credulous Readjuster who thinks the Re.
publican party OF the State wants an in
fusion Of new element; is DESTROYS of
white leadership of different kind from
fhof II hos ho6. ic oov To hoo
honors hith erto enjoyed bv old party lead
ers upon new men-will find out his mis-
take. There will be abundant room foI
him in the party, it is true. but it will be
at the tail of the procession. This in case
Of success; in defeat his reflections will be
sufficiently poignant without our adding
any suggestions to increase their bitter
ness.
If this is to be made the supreme issue''
by the Republicans, aided by the followers
of Gen. Malone; if the real matter at
stake in Virginia is whether fifty thousand
non-tax paying blacks shall be admitted to
the privilege of voting on the taxation OF
the property of the farmers of this state
without paying one cent of tax them
selves, then it is not very hard for citi-
zen to decide where his ballot shall be-
cast. If any of our Readjuster friends
have any doubt as to how their property
may be taxed by this irresponsible element
they need only to tax their memory enough
to recall the project of negro Republic
can-Readjuster member of the Virginia
Senate to have college for blacks in the
state. Exactly how that proposition was
choked off by his fellow Readjuster politi /
clans, we cannot now recall. but we remem-