Daily Republican., 1881-08-06
The YlrgiEia BOurbOns

Even if the Malone com binati"n tick
ct should not be successful at the al
preaching State election, he will hav
gained great victory over the Bonfbo
Democracy by compelling them to TAX
an advance step and declare in favor c
principles which but a short time agt
were wholly repugnant to them.
Who before ever heard Of the Virgin
in democracy declaring in favor q
s'equality Of rights; exact justice to al
men special privileges to none free
dom of religion freedom of the pres
and freedom of the rson. Also Of ;
pure, upright, non partisan judiciary
elections by the people, free from fore
and fraud" This is important, ant
embodies the first article ofthe Bourbon
platform adopted at Richmond OF
Thursday last. Such principles a.
these, if carried out, robs both the Re
publican and the Readjuster parties o
their distinctive principles. Nothing
more is left to do in old Virginia.
The day has indeed come when th'
lion and the lamb lie down togethe
without the lamb being inside the lion
But are the Bourbons sincere? Such :
sudden conversion to the principles o
free government and exact justice Il
all must be tested before it can be pre-
nounced genuine and deep seated. We
are apprehensive that the people will be
slow to believe that the Bourbons really
mean what they say in their platforms
Of glitterins generalities.
We still believe that the sufferers
from the injustice of the Bourbons will
still trust the parties who show their
faith by their works, and have com
PEELED them to adopt liberal principles.
Such resolution would never had been
adopted by the Virginia Bourbons, did
they not need Republican votes 70 en-
able them to pull through at the coming
election.
In the second resolution of the Rour-
bons Shey have all at once become ex.
trenlely honest and they again get down
on their marrow bones begging for Re.
publican votes. They say "Lhe main
tenance of the public credit Of Virginia
is the essential means of the promotion
of her prosperity" When did the
Bourlons find this out? Not until at
ter they had bankrupted the State by
refusing to pay her creditors. Not un-
til after Malone and his party Read
J ustei the debt, and agreed to pay what
Virginia honestly owed, and leaving
West Virginia to pay the balance, be-
cause she hone.tly owed that. The
Bourbous have become very honest all
at once. The debt, they say must be
paid, but in the same resolution they
agree to pay three per cent. instead o!
six which they at first promised hel
creditors. But how do they propose to
pay off this debt? TIE last paragraph
of the resolution let's in the daylight.
They say: "The Conservative Demo-
cratic party pledges itself as part of it's
policy not to increase the present rate
OF taxation. This is equivalent to.'say-
iEg that they want the debt paid, but
they do not intend to raise any money
topay it with. When the city of Will
ninE'en contracts local city debt in ex
cess Fl the taxes raised to pay it off, the
debt is added to the amount of money
needed to meet the appropriations til,
next year and only recently the tax rat,
has been raised from $l.10 to Sl.35 or
the 500 to meet that debt. Our Viii
lnington Democracy are more homes
than their brethren in Virginia. Yes
the Eorrbons are very anxious to pa,
off the public debt of Virginia, bu,
people must not he taxed to do so. W.
wonder how many debt paying Repub
iicaus snch a resolution will win ovel
to the Bourbon Democracy. The ques
ton to be propounded to these max,
believe honest Virginians is, why die
they not pay off their debt when they
were IN power? 1t was under them th
debt was created and they detaulted il
paying even the interest on the debt
Had lhey been honest they would hav,
paid it off and have been done with it
The Bourbons may be honest but i
they are it has lately come TO them
The conversion has been as mraculou
and sudden as was that of Saul on hi:
way to Damascus, but we are incline,
to think that the whole thing is bogu
aud intended only to last over the mex
election. The farce resolutions woulG
not ba complete without saying sone
thing about the efficiency of the public
school system tor the education 0
both white and colOred children
me sane party that resolve'
g pay off the pubic debt but was op
posed to raising money to pay it OF
with, has res DIV, that the school sys
tenn shall be maintained and they evil
take the most ilectua! means for TIN
faithful execution OF the same by an
plying to its support all the revenue
set apart for that object by the Consti
tutiOn or otherwise" 1t has not beel
forgotten how that during Bourbon rul
the bic schools Of the State decrease,
about one third in number, in chidrcl
AID in means for their support, ard i
will not he forgotten that under Read
iustrr rule this lost and repudiatea on
tbird WAS r-g3iucl. The Malone part,