Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-04-15
FRIDAY MORNING. APR. Is. 1881.

FRIDAY MORNING. APR. Is. 1881.
1t is plain, as far as indications and
open avowal can make it, that the triang-
ular fight in Virginia is to cease and that
men must range hereafter with one of the
two parties-Republican or Democratic.-
REIMBURSEMENT may be set down now as a
party cry rather than an issue; that agita-
tion has borne it's fruit, an United States
Senator, and the Republican party has
gathered it. Whatever may be the good
qualities or the Objectionable ones that he
may possess, Gen. Malone has passed out
of the range of discussion as far as his
connection with the Democratic party.
State or National is concerned. He has
passed over the river to the enemy. For
one, we were sorry to see him go, for we
liked the man though we could not praise
his methods. AS party man he was &C
tive, energetic, a good organizer; for the
rest he was pretty much like all other men
who make politics profession, and had
his successes and defeats like the rest of
them. He was neither infallible nor in
vincible as his blunders and disasters have
shown, and any man of ability who would
pay the same close attention to the work
in hand that Malone did would have been
match for him. Without depreciating
his qualities as campaigner, we could
name several men in the Republican party
in Virginia and many in the Democratic
party who can cope with him successfully
That he will be allowed to take the leader
ship of the Republican party here without
resistance, open or covert, by the old lead
ers is unlikely, and if his terms are not
made satisfactory and endorsed by high
authority at Washington, something like
rebellion may be expected.
This is the leader under whom the Re-
adjusters of the Seventh of July are invl-
ted to enlist. For what? First of all to
leave the Democratic party. Next, to form
an alliance with the Republican voters of
the State-you know who and what the
majority of these are. Next, to elect leg
islature which shall choose another Dem
ocratic' Senator to go to Washington and
vote with the Republicans. Next to par
Gel out the Judiciary of the State and 9TH
er positions, among the coalition. Then,
after getting firm the saddle. to put Vir-
picture will be repudiated by many con-
scientious Readjusters. for they believe
that the design is to get the State under
the control of their own party. But no
example has yet been given in politics
where large majority ever followed a
small minority. In the U. s. Senate to-day
the Readjuster minority of one has had to
go over and vote with the Republican ma
jority of thirty-six. In Virginia the small
Readjuster minority of last November will
have to 60 to the Republican majority of
eighty-four thousand. In a coalition of
voters Of different political faith the major
ity must carry the most weight, reap the
larger benefit and eventually absorb the
minority.
Now in the first place, even if the COZ
templated alliance was not repugnant to
the Democratic Readjuster for manifest
reasons, he cannot show the slightest neces-
sity which compels his entering into it.
All his proper ends can be attained in the
Democratic party as we'll as in the Repub-
lican coalition. Every Readjuster in the
State can afford to wait until he sees what
the Democratic party in convention is 60
ing to offer him. No one presumes to de-
ny that recent events have materially
changed the possibilities regarding the set
Element Of the state debt. If the creditors
will accept any other terms than those
they last accepted, surely they will accept
them as soon from the Democratic party
of Virginia as from coalition. There is
no hurry in the matter; and 1t is much
easier and safer to examine the ground
carefully before taking political step than
it is to recover after taking a false one
OF course we are speaking to Readjusters
We have many warm friends among them
from whom a. final separation in politics
would be exceedingly distasteful to us. In
looking back over the predictions of this
journal with reference to the final ont
come of this s'independent'' movement
we see SO many that have been realized
that we hesitate with pain in making an
other-that those who 60 with this coali-
ton with the Republicans in Virginia have
cast their last vote for the men and princi-
pies of the Democratic party of the nation.
We are afraid its realization is inevitable.
Stop a while and think of it. However
YOU may be deceived about old political
affiliations being resumed after the settle
ment of the debt, be SO no longer. That is
delusion; the coalition you are urged to
20 into cannot settle the debt and never
will, but it can repeal the capitation tax
prerequisite and admit food Of ignorant
voters and that is the issue the Republican
party of Virginia will fight this campaign
on. The Riddleberger bill is the very least
that is in the thoughts of the mass of illit-
eracy that now composes the bulk of the
party which you, a Democrat, are invited
to leave the mass of the intelligence of the
state and join.
To prevent being deceived about the p2-
litical situation in Virginia by the number
of county meetings Of General Mahone's
friends which are endorsing him, we
should remember that the very same re-
ports preceded the lnglorious defeat of
his Electoral ticket last November, and
even deceived the General himself into is
suing the following unlucky prophecy:
COMMITTEE ROOMS,
READJUsTER ORGANIZATION, I
RICHMOND, October %, 1880.