The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-09-01
What Should Republicans do in the
Present Canvass?


What Should Republicans do in the
Present Canvass?
SHALL THEY SUPPORT BOURBON DANIEL OR
Liberal CAMERON?
Editors Of the Valley VIysnaan
The Lynchburg convention, or rather the
Lynchburg conventions, having met and adj.
iourned, and both having determined that it
was lnexpedient to place a Republican ticket
in the field, the question now with those Re-
publicans who favored Republican ticket Is
-- WHAT IS THEIR DUTY
under the present state Of affairs? And that is the
question which shall very briefly discuss without
reference to which of the two conventions at Lynch
burg was the regular one and without reference to
whether not 1t would have been advisable to have
nominated ticket.
PrdcticalIy these questions of regularity and ex-
pedtency are now or no consequence,
FOR BOTH CONVENTIONS
concluded that 1t was tnexpedient to nominate
sequently Republicans may firmly believe that the
ought not to have made nominations still the only
practical question for their consideration Is,
WHAT SHALL WE DO UNDER THE EXISTING CIRcUM-
! STANCES?
only three courses are left open for their adopt
ion, viz:
lst. They can vote the Bourbon ticket
End. They can refrain from voting
Sd. They can support the liberal ticket
4 Now the only alleged reasons which have ever
heard given for adopting the two first named cours
cd, are two and they are as follows:
Z ist That Republicans cannot consistently support
the position which the Read1usters take upon the
debt question.
leaders of the Readjuster party has been iltbe-
raj that We cannot trust their present liberal pro-
LESSONS.
In reply to the first Of these reasons, contend,
without fear Of contradiction, that one may
CONSISTENTLY VOTE THE CAMERON TICKET WITHOUT
- ENDORSING THE RIDDLEBERGER BILL: so
that is to say, no debt paying ticket being ia the
Held, one must make up his mind on other and
different grounds. He must choose the candidates
least Objectionable to him. standing the platform
least Objectionable to him.
Upon the debt question, we find both Funders and
Readjusters occupying the position that they are
unalterably opposed to an increase of the present
rate Of taxation, no matter what conceivable state
of affairs may arise
Consequently. we ind that neither Of them are
debt-payes in the of recognizing the debt as
fixed by the various Funding bills, and making pro-
vision to provide for the interest at per cent
The Readjusters, however, having this advantage
of position, viz. that they honestly believe Vtr-
ginia's debt to be certain amount and propose to
pay that amount without favoring any class Of
creditors while the socaled dept payers agree upon
a larger amount as due from the State
But PROPOSE TO PRACTICALLY REPUDIATE IT,
If the present rate of taxation does not meet the
demands Of the interest and sinking fund.
Now how can a Republican who believes in debt
paying In the real sense Of the word, have much
choice between these parties this question alone
Consequently when he makes up his mind as to
BELIEVING THAT THE COURTS
will eventually settle this question.
Any one then believing that the amount of our
State debt is that fixed by the various Funding bills,
and that the contracts made under them are ire
peaable, must see at glance that he cannot affect
the debt issue way or the other by voting for
against the Cameron ticket
Consequently he must decide his political course
without reference to the debt question
The second reason urged why Republicans can
not support the Cameron ticket is, as have said
RladiuRtarS sincere their ljb6Fa1
professions, because they did not always hold those
sentiments.
for any sensible person to take, Yet have heard
numbers Of Republicans giving this as their sole
reason for hesitatlng to support the liberal move
ment.
AS well might the older members of the church
refuse to commune with the more recent converts
the ground that they (the new cOnverts) had not
always held the same sentiments which they pro-
fessed after conversion.
And just here let me say that am not contending
that Col. Cameron, and those acting with him, are,
or even profess to be, converts to Republication,
but this do say, that they are
HONESTLY AND SINCERELY ADVOCATING SOME GOOD
REPUBLICAN PRINCIPLES;
and that they are sincere, no one who knows the
character of the men leading this liberal move
ment can for moment doubt.
The charge then that the Readjusters not
slhcere in their liberal professions because they
have, at some time III the past
ADVOCATED DOCTRINES OPPOSED TO REPUBLICANISl1,
Is, you well know, Mr.. Editor, one which cannot
u
1t has, from time tmmemorial, been recognized
that men have right to change their views upon
public questions and the greatest and most Illus
trtous Of them have done so ever since our great
Government was founded, and doubtless long be-
fore.
Henry Clay at OF 9 time opposed the United States
Bank on the groul Id of the unconsttutionality OF
Its charter later in life he It's greatest advo
cate.
Daniel Webster was an advocate of free trade as
long his section simply commercial COM
munity but after the war Of 1872, the New England
lures, and Mr.. Webster became the great advocate
of high protective tariff. And coming down to
the present, we find that
THE PRESENT TALENTED CANDIDATE OF THE FUNDER
= DEMOCRACY,
until nominated for Governor, advocated in
in the present rate of taxation, If necessary
to meet the States liabilities, while now he stands
upon platform every plank of which he says he
endorses) which
DECLARES AGAINST AN INCREASE OF TAXATION UNDER
ANY AND ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.
So If Mai. Daniel is sincere when he declares
against increased taxes, why is not Col. Cameron
equally sincere in declaring in favor of the repeal
Of the poll tax restriction upon suffrage and for
free schools and other liberal measures?
Especially is IL to be presumed that the Readjus-
tiers are sincere
WHEN THEIR INTEREST LIES IN STANDING BY THEIR
LIBERAL DECLARATIONS.
Political parties generally do what they suppose
is their interest to do especially If that interest
lies in the direction Of standing by their declared
principles.
I presume, therefore, that no Republican need
have the slightest fear about the Readjusters not
standing up to what they have both placed in their
platform and advocated upon the stump with SO
much courage and consistency.
conclude, therefore, that there is but course
open for those who love Republican principles to
follow, and that Is to support the Cameron, Lewis
and Blair ticket. They must feel impelled by their
principles to vote in favor of the Readjusters as
between them and the Bourbon Democrats for the
reasons:
LIST. The Readjusters are the friends Of the free
schools, shoao by their votss cast in their auor
upon eUeTy occasion and urlder all circumstances.
End. They favor a free ballot.
3rd. They favor the abolition of the whipping post
4th. They opposed TO sectionalism and in favor
Of letting by-gones be by-g cones.
There are other and obvious reasons why we
should give the Readj ulster Liberal ticket our
cordial support, but these, or any of them, 1t
seems to me, would be sufficient to determine any
as between the two tickets.
Let us for a moment see also what representative
Republicans in the State supporting this move
ment ohO haze been ai,odys, and under all circunl
stances. debt payers Of the strictest sect thus show
their debt paying principles by giving support to
the liberal ticket.
We find amongst the white Republican debt pay
ers, Judges R1ves and Hughes Senator EARLY, of
Albemare, Collectors Brady, Rives and Bolts, and
Dr. G. x. Gilmer, say nothing of host of others;
but only name few representative men amongst
the colored men who have always been extreme
debt payers, some of whom have proved it by their
votes In the legislature. We have Hon. Peter j.
Carter, Senator Stevens, Hon. Ross Hamilton, and
Hon. Marc r. DeMOrt1e.
conclude, therefore, If any Republican can't see
his way clear to support the Cameron Ticket it is
not because Of his
DESIRE TO ADVANCE PRACTICAL DEBT PAYING,
but for some other reason which has heretofore
been kept secret, at least not made public, and
which would not commend itself either to the pa
Lriotism the good judgment either of the Re-
publicans of Virginia or OF the country at large.