The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-06-02
Too Much Qualification.

the whole it is rather discouraging to the
Re-adjusters, for there is nothing so ''suc-
cessful as success" whatever may be the
causes, not directly traceable to party
strength, which contributed to that success.
The offices filled are those in which the peo
pie have direct home interest. They are
associated with their personal business and
daily affairs, and have no direct political bear
ing except when held by INSCRIPTIONS and
unprincipled and corrupt men, which, as far
as our knowledge goes, was not and is not
the case. When the people are satisfied
with the immediate adm inistration of these
offices-when they personally know the in
cumbents to be honest, efficient and accom-
modating, it is very difficult to bring party
machinery to work with entire complete
ness. Take the county of Augusta, for in
stance. in the clerkships. No fault could
be reasonably found with the clerks or
their deputies. Efficiency and integrity
could not be denied them. The business of
the people had been satisfactorily attended
to, the records of the county, where the IT,
tie deed to every mans property is in
scribed, have been kept in perfect order
10 have made a contest against these Of
ficers. would have been the utmost folly,
fer it would not have commanded one
fourth of the Re-adiuster strength OF the
county. In most of the counties, we pre-
sumo, this very state of things existed. The
blunder was in the Re-adjusters making an
effort to turn out such of these officers as
did not agree with them in State politics,
but who were acceptable ministerial officers
in every other respect. In Rockingham
county they made nominations against two
eff lent clerks, and one of them at least
personally very popular. The defeat OF the
Re-adiuster candidates was by no means
measurement of the strength of the two
Democratic factions. The mass of the peo-
| pie who do not expect or ask office. could
see no reform or good to come from
change, and consequently the Re-adjuster
strength could not be concentrated on the
| Re-adiuster nominees. The effect abroad s
the same, however. 1t goes out that the Read
justers were defeated in one of the strong
holds of the party and where one of their
most prominent leaders resides, who is also
one of their two congressman. Under all
the circumstances, the contest was closer
than we expected it would be, and exhib-
tied strength in pure party devotion,
which was paramount to every other consid-
Grafton, that We did not expect to find. In
Rockbridge county the fact we have men
toned as to party policy was recognized.
The two clerkships were held by Funders.
They are good officers, however,a and while the
Re-adjusters had heretofore carried the coun-
tyin several of the mere party contests in the
county, a convention of that faction de-
clared against the expedency Of making
nominations.
We have no doubt similar relations and
influences prevailed in many counties of
the State, where it was impossible to con-
centrate party strength. Hence it will not
do to assume that the result of the election
in returning most of the old incumbents, in
the position of county and circuit clerk
ships and supervisors, was a fair test of the
strength of the two factions. If such as
sumption is made the basis of calculations
for future contests, those making them may
be deceived. and we think, most likely, will
be. certainly there were very many men
who are decidedly in sympathy with the
Re-adjusters, that voted for Funder candi-
dates for clerkships and supervisors, while
there were no Funders who voted for
Re-adiusters, where there were Funder can
didates out.
We make these statements in the direc-
ton of suggestion to both of the Demo-
cratic factions-for the Funders that they
do no not send off their sky-rockets too
fast, and for the Re-adiusters that they do
not get down too deep into the ash heap
A contest for Governor and Legislature
will be an entirely different thing. In the
struggle for each of these Departments of
Government the Re-adjusters have the ad-
vantage in this-the Funder Governor has
not exactly pleased the people, and as there
has never been Re-adjuster in that posi-
ton since the Re-adiuster party was fully
organized, the tendency will be to make a
change, in the hope of improving in the ad-
mnistration of that office. AS to the Leg
islature the advantage is with the Re-adjus-
tiers in this: The Re-adjuster Legislature
the only one we have had-has effected
many salutary reforms in the management
of the peoples interests. The officers they
placed in the basement department have
proven efficient, and exposed many short
comings of their Funder predecessors
The penitentiary, instead of a cost to the
people of 100000 or $40, 600 annually, has
become self-sustaining, and may in the near
future, produce small revenue to the
State. The public schools have had re-
stored to them a large amount of the money
unjust.y and unconstitutionally diverted
from them the number of schools largely
increased; their efficiency improved, and
the general outlook for them far more flat
tering than at any previous period of their
history Large revenues detained for years
from the Treasury in the hands OF county
officers have been drawn into the Treasury
by stern methods and a distinct demand
| ludG Lie laws IuuSG Ue pcClCO dilQ oDCh cue
These things are all to the credit of the Re-
adiusters. in their two years control OF the
Legislature and the appointments of that
body. They have left their impression up
on the public mind, and for the same rea-
son that Funder clerks have been supported
by Re-adjusters, many voters classed as
Funders will vote for continuance CT Re
adjuster supremacy in the Legislature, and
a change in the office OF Governor.
There was no measurement of strength
between the. two Democratic factions in the
result of the recent election, and the as
sumption that Republicans favored coali-
ton with the Re-adiusters, as general
thng,is equally erroneous. In some local
tiles or precincts there may have been
something of the kind, but throughout the
State, we venture the opinion, that as many
Republicans voted for Funders as there
were Republicans voting for Read
The Republicans pretended to no organiza-
ton, throughout the State, and where any
| - tLot l,,n11 tod for