The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-10-20


their right to direct public affairs to the
great damage Of the constituent body. Con-
scisus that they cannot appeal to their re-
cord to sustain them In their desperate
struggle, they have invoked all the enginery
OF denunciation, personal defamation and
partizan hate, to arouse the prejudices and
passions Of the people, in the hope OF thus
directing the popular mind from the inter-
ests which directly concern the masses. Re-
viewing the past fifteen years, there is
scarcely " prominent measure that can be
charged to their credit. The people have
felt the harmful effects OF their admihistra-
ton. They have realized that year after
year incompetency and profigacy have dis
tinguished the reign Of that faction which
assumes to reflect the better sentiment Of
the State, and asserts Its claim to monop-
oily Of the honor, the intelligence and moral
worth Of the Commonwealth. They never
had q proper conception of the condition
and wants Of the people. and whatever the
cause, legislation was enacted into laws up
on grossly exaggerated facts, that operated
to impose unjust burdens and environ the
State In complications from which it is diff
cult, if not almost impossible to extricate
her. From 1866 to 1879, the record shows
one continuous line Of oppressive and inap-
propriate legislation. There was no thought
for the people. To attain power by appeals
to passion seemed to be their highest am
bition. Until 1877, when the Republicans
retired from the contest for State officers,
for the purpose offorcing State Issues Co the
front. it was impossible to provoke a discus
sion Of questions vitality affecting the well
fare Of the masses. Maladmin istration in
the basement offices was believed to exist
the penitentiary was an oppressive burden
upon the taxpayers the public schools
were furnishing for want of the sustenance
the Constitution provided for them and
almost every important interest of the Com
monwealth was either neglected or made to
subserve partizan purposes, to the end that
the party in power might be the more Sc.
curely entrenched therein. The intelligent
reader will remember well how gloomy " as
the condition of the State during the years
from 1871 to 1879. Year after year the
public obligations were augmented through
default in interest; year after year the pub.
lie schools diminished in numbers, the
teachers sent unpaid and growing feel
ing Of distrust, IL not hostility, was en-.
couraged against the system. The asylums
for the insane nd the deaf and dumb Snd
blind were left without adequate means Of
support to carry into effect the object Of
their creation; our iails were oyerrun with
the victims of mental diseases; and even
the machinery OF government was so paral'
yzed that it was difficult to keep it In mo-
ton. The treasury was utterly bankrupt
There was not enough Of revenues to pay
the cost OF the Legislature. and the States
credit had gotten so low that the banks're-
fused the loan of few hundred thousand
dollars to meet the urgent demands Of the
officers and agents, whose services were
necessary to perpetuate the various depart
ments OF the government. Assets had been
squandered, which might have been util-
lied to lesssn the public debt, and in every
relation, directly bearing upon and affect
ing.the interests Of the people, theimost fla.
grant abuse Of power and disregard Of the
public welfare were manifested.
II our readers will recall the history OF
the past ten years. and how they were in
the habit of roundly denouncing the party
that was so false to its trust, they will re-
cognize the truth Of this picture, They
will remember too. the agencies that were
employed to perpetuats power in the hands
Of those who thus 30 grossly abused it,
When these wrongs were exposed. they
were met by denunciation Of the carpet
baggers, scallawags and negroes. A per-
feet torrent of epithets and villiflcation was
poured from every stump-speaker and eve
ry newspaper, and the horror ofl''negro
rule" depicted ia such hideous colors, that
the people forgot their own wrongs, and
absolutely believed there was danger OF a
few uneducated colored people dominating
over twice their plumber OF educated white
people.
BY such means the Democratic Conserva-
tive party, which had gotten power through
the support Of Republican administration
and Republican votes. deluded the people
and perpetuated It's ascendancy. But the
persistent exposure Of its neglect Of duty
the burdens it was pil;ng up and the ut
ter disregard manifested fer the interests
of the people, aroused q spirit OF resent
ment and revolt. ard in 1879, this received
shape and form In the revolving element
getting control Of the Legislature. While
the State debt and It's growing burdens I'M
der an oppressive tax levy was a primary
consideration in effecting these changes,
there was below this deep feeling OF dis
satisfaction with the methods and admins
ton of ths Democratic party. The people
felt that they could not do worse than
to throw off party that had Inflicted so
many wrongs upon thems epd defying the
chronic appeals to passion and prejudice
and the Invocation to their fears Of 9ne-
gro rule" they asserted their right at the
ballot-box to the engagement Of their own
affairs. The exposures which followed and
the economies institpted are familiar to onr
readers. They have beer all in the intsrr
est of the people. The schools have been
advanced ia every respect. the credit Of the
State sufficiently restored to Inspire conf
dence for local current expenses; public
officers made to realize that they are the
servants Of the people and not their mas
terss and every department Of the govern
ment Conducted so as to contribute to the
public veal. This is the kind of rule that
the overttEaw from power OF the
Democratic Conservative party.
We ptsapprehend the INTEL lgsrce and
Of the voters and ,tsT-payeEf
Of Virginia. II they viii reverse this order
Of things In the canning election and re-
nand the management OF ali the greet in-,
terests OF the State to the faction whose
they so recently condemned,
II we mistake not they will properly re-
pyi<s the assumption that the politicians
constitute the ''real people, Of Virginia,
md that those who bear due proper
Hon ri the hurdeas of government are