Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-11-18

affairs it has been supreme. Its manage
ment of these affairs has been as conser-
vative, wise and honest as can be shown
in the history of the government OF any
State in the Union. Two evils it has had
to contend with that were insuperable-
the curse of slavery and the blight of war
Had Virginia always been free State it
would now stand by the side Of Pennsylva-
MIA in prosperity; had the question OF sla-
very in her borders been settled by the pur-
chase of slaves instead of war she would
still have been prosperous. 1t has been the
fashion to lay on the Democratic party a
state Of affairs which grew out Of and is
the natural sequence of slavery. 1t mar
rowed the mind and enfeebled the muscle
of all men. Thinking men recognize this;
shallow demagogues praJe about it as ii II
were the work of a party. Some OF the
<wealthiest and most prosperous States II
America have become so under Democrat
ic control and under it the national gov
eminent itself became great.
Its place in Virginia will. for the next
two or three years, be filled by the Rea' :
juster party. 1t is an organization which
according to its founders, had but one pul-
pose. the settlement of the State debt. IT.
mission is not so regarded however, by IT.
Republican allies to whom it is indebte
for success. By them it has been looked
upon solely as an instrument to breaE
down the Democratic party and to turn
Virginia over to the Republican party.
Those expectations have been greatly e.
couraged b, the refusal Of its members S.
far elected to the posts of representatives
in the two houses of Congress to act
with the Democracy. Some of these expec-
tations are so clearly set forth that VT
note them. They are the utterances OF
Republican papers. The Wheeling "ln-
telljgencer" says: "As we read the signs
of the times they will hereafter act will
the Republican party, and the present in
dications are that Virginia is now quite as
likely to vote for the Republican candidate
for President in 1884 as is the State o.
New York" The Philadelphia Bulletin
announces that: "In Virginia the Repre-
sentatlves of Republican principle
swept the field.'' The Washington
Republican which is sort o
organ at the national capital for tht
Virginia Readjusters asks: ''Are MOI
these the results to which every patriot
looked forward from 1861 to 1865? Has
our party any nobler work before it thai
to aid in bringing the whole South int
line with Liberal Virginia" The New
York s'Tribune'' and ether leading Repuh
lican papers hold the same language. This
is where the Republican party expects the
limited number of Democrats who are YET
in the Readjuster party, to land. 1t is foi
this and this only that Republican aid
was given so freely. 1t was under 10 be
lief that the men who control that organi-
cation are superior to or will govern Vir-
ginia better than the Democratic part,
has done it is not that the Republican
citizens will get more privileges than tbs :,
have had for there is no way to give thenl
more by any legislation that Can be devls
ed; it is not that they " ill adopt any lln'
of legislation by which Virginia's pros
perity will be revived at any faster rat
than under Democratic control, for undt,
that control her advance has surprised
the nation; it is not that the new
party will pay more interest or principa
of the public debt SO much of which il
held in the Northern States, for that part,
is pledged to forcibly cut down both-it il
for none of all these, but solely for tn
breaking down of Democracy and the add
ton of eleven more electoral votes and hall
dozen Congressman to the Republican
party.
The whole of the talk about a new life
to be injected into the veins of the Ole
State, new spirit to be infused into heI
people is all the purest bosh. The blood
IN her veins that has pushed her to The
front so rapidly since the war has beer
Democratic blood and her spirit has been
Democratic spirit. Look around at all
the new undertakings set on foot in ou'
State since 1865 and see how many mem
bers of the Readjuster party are prominent
in them. The apostles of the new life theory
are political frauds. The hange in Vir
ginia simply means the admission to place
of men who could find no opening while
in the Democratic party, and now by 4
coalition with Republicans have been able
to prize crack open. The Republican
aid that has been gwen has been given for
a price and the leaders will have to pay
that price. They reap the benefit and they
will have to pay. but they must not calcu
late upon too many white Readjusters 60
ing on their bond. Their faithful allies
will always be with them. but in 1884 they
will learn that there were many Demo
cratic Readjusters who were sincere and
do not propose to be carried into the Re.
publican party.