The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-08-17

HE inOsl Interesting tnlnS Just AT
present, in the field of politics, is the
situation in Virginia. The Repub-
lican Convention, which met at
Lynchburg last week, split on the
subject of forming coalition with
the anti-Bourbon or Readjuster wing
of the Democracy. One hundred
and sixteen delegates endorse the
coalition, and refuse to nominate
candidates, while the remaining fifty
six refuse to endorse the Readiuster
platform, but make no nominations
of their own. In short there are no
Republican nominees in Virginia,
and by far the larger part of the
party will support the Readjuster
candidates. The Republicans being
in a hopeless minority as against
united Democracy, have taken the
lesser Of two evils, hoping by this
means TO wrest the control of Vir-
ginia from the Bourbons and thus
gain a foothold in the solid South.
Perhaps the following short descrip-
ton of the situation may prove of
interest to those of our readers who
have failed to master the true in
wardness of Virginia politics:
There are three tolerably distinct
political organizations in Virginia
to-day, the largest styling itself the
Conservative Democratic party, and
claiming to be Democratic as to Ma
tional affairs and conservative in its
State policy. We say this is the
largest party because that is its
claim, and because it unquestionably
does represent the old Democratic
or Bourbon school of politics.
The next party in magnitude is
the Republican party, which includes
the greater part of the freedmen and
a considerable Caucasian element.
Its organization is defective, and its
fortunes have been variable for many
years. 1t is able to carry certain
districts on Congressional and local
questions, but has not for many
years succeeded in electing q State
official With the Democracy work
ing together, the Republicans are in
a hopeless minority. But within
the last four years divisions in the
old Democratic party have given
considerable encouragement to the
Republicans. They had some ex-
pectation of carrying some part of
the electoral ticket last fall, but that
expectation was not realized. The
new departure of General Mabcae
has practically split the DemocrJcy
of Virginia in twain. And since t.le
Malone branch of the Democratic
party gained control of the State
Legislature, it has shown DISPOSE
ton to accord fair dealing with re-
gard to the colored citizens. 1t de-
clares for equal civil rights and
privileges, fair vote and an honest
count, together with educational
advantages TO be extended TO all
without respect to color or previous
condition. This party is known as
the anti-Bourbon party, and it is
unalterably hostile to the Bourbon
stock from which it took its depart
ure.
An important iOes! question in
Virginia is the disposition TO be
made of the State Indebtedness. !
The BourbOns claim to be the Debt
Payers as against the snti-Bourbons.
who are called Readjusters. The
Debt-Payers declare that Virginia
owes a certain sum, and that il ought !
TO be paid. But for sixteen years |
they have refused to increase the
tax rate, and they have nominated
for Governor a man who figured as
a Greenbacker for several years, and
who is charged with having held
that .he Federal Government ought
10 assume the payment of the State
lebt, since it destroyed property in