New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-06
T{RGINIA BOTRBONJSM.

1t remains for the Republicans of Virginia to
determine whether the Bourbon Democracy
shall be defeated not. The Bourbon Con-
vention has nominated Major j. w. Daniel for
Governor, and adopted platform reported by
General Taliaferro. 1t is unnecessary to say
that these military titles refer to service on the
wrong side in the war of the rebellion. On
that score the Bourbon faction has no advan-
tage with Republicans. Neither is Major Daniel
personally man of transcendant merit or
ability. The Bourbon Democracy Of the South
can be broken, and in Virginia, if the Repub-
licans please to do it, and upon that single
fact will turn all the interest and Importance
of the campaign.
In their platform, the Bourbons seek to put
themselves before the people as the only
honest, debt-paying party. Those who have
studied the recent political history of Virginia
know that the claim is not well founded. The
platform itself proves this, Notwithstanding
its sounding phrases. For it proposes a new
settlement of the public debit but upon
such basis that the present rate of taxa
ton shall in no case be increased. The
purpose is moreover definitely explained thus :
owe pledge our party that we will use all
"the lawful and constitutional means in our
"power to secure settlement upon the basis of q
Z" three per cent bond" Now the State of Vir-
ginia has made several Settlements" already.
The trouble is that the State has not kept the
solemn pledges made in any one of these set
Elements. In 1879 final settlement" was
made once more not by a Republican Govern
ment, but by Legislature and State Govern
ment controlled Throughout by the Bourbon
Democracy Yet that party repudates that
agreement and rests all its so-called zeal for the
public faith upon the possibility of driving
creditors into cOnsenting to new bargain,
still less fair to them than the extremely lib
eral arrangement made in 1879.
1t is not important to go into the details of
this local question, except to point out the
fact that neither the Bourbons nor their Dem
ocratic opponents have any clam upon Repub-
lean support or sympathy in respect to the
matter of the State debt Both have
been in the wrong; both, SO far as
we can discover from their latest DECLARE
tons, are now in the wrong and if it were in
the power of the Republicans to defeat them
both, and if the debt question were now the
one OF paramount Importance. it would be the
duty of the Republicans of Virginia to assert
their principles and elect candidates of their
own. But the fact is that this is not now the
question of paramount Importance, and if it
were the Republicans know that they have
not the power to defeat both of the other
parties.
Despite extravagant claims sometimes made
by the advocates of separate Republican action
in Virginia, we believe it true beyond reason
able doubt that the Republican party has not
strength enough to elect candidates of its
own. part of its voters are already COM
mitted to the support of the anti-Bourbon
ticket. 1t is probable that large proportion
OF them will in any case follow Mr.. Lewis,
and they believe that in doing SO they are
doing the best that they can for Republican
principles and w3pr the interests of the
Republicans OF Virginia. The fact that
many are already committed in that
direction, beyond the possibility of change,