The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-07-21
The Election of Last Year.

denies the VIRGlNIAN'S statement tnat, Out lOr
the misrepresentation of correspondents of
northern journals, Virginia would have been
placed in the Republican column. A simple
of the facts, will 60 far, we be-
lieve, towards convincing impartial minds Of
the correctness of the claim we made.
From the time that each party in the State
to make preliminary preparations
for the Presidential campaign, the process of
sapping and mining the Republican organi-
cation began, or rather the forces were put in |
operation to prevent the reorganization OF the
Republican column, which in the election pre-
ceding had been disbanded. In April 1880,
when the Republican convention was called
to meet in Staunton, the novel spectacle was
presented of four days and nights contest
for the privilege of placing Republican cleo
toral ticket in the field. 1t should be remem-
bered that this was a convention called to
voice Republican sentiment, and give those
who desired an opportunity to cast their
votes for Republican candidates, and yet even
at that early date, SO widespread was the
treachery within the ranks, that it was only
by majority of two votes that the convention
was enabled to carry out its primary object.
Malone working through his Republican
allies, with his recognized lieutenants on the
ground to oversee the job, did everything that
could be done to prevent the nomination of
Republican electoral ticket. His efforts
were aided and allotted by the correspondents
of northern journals who sent column after
column to their respective papers, lauding the
impression TO northern minds that the Repub-
licans of Virginia were insignificant in them
selves, and would be unable to hold up their
heads as an Independent organization. Every
day during that long four days struggle was
the convention RECALLED with alleged opinions
upon an abandonment of the organization in
Virginia and its absorption by the Malone
wing of the Democracy. Then, as now, it was
claimed that the masses of the Republican
voters would follow wherever the new apostle
of liberalism (9) would lead, and the claim was
fortified by the same endorsers upon which
the Philadelphia Press and those who agree
with it, now so confidently rely. In other
words, the prominent individuals who are now
assuming to speak for Republicans, were busy
then in the interests of Malone and his
faction, and are enrolled in the same service
again.
In the April convention, by the most heroic
efforts, the Republicans were enabled to place
a ticket in the field. They entered upon
the canvass with determination to win. But
the labors ofthe aforementioned corr espondents
had impressed the minds of the northern
Republicans with the belief that the fight we
were making here was utterly futile. The
idea of Republicans carrying Virginia was re-
garded as preposterous, and deaf ear was
turned to our appeals for help in money and
speakers. The statements of small office hol-
ders, without influence with Republicans or
any one else, and under the control of Malone,
were accepted as true whilst the representa-
lions of those who had right to speak for the
party went unheeded. With an INSCRIPTIONS
enemy tn front, with men in our ranks trying
to serve two masters with neither assistance
nor sympathy from those in the north from
whom we had right to expect both; with
our own people impoverished and bound down
by the infamous capitation tax fixed upon
them as much by Malone and his followers as
by any others ; IN short,against odds which no
political party ever before commended, the Re
publicans of Virginia gave battle and pressed
the foe to the wall at every point. Near the
close of the contest, and just three days before
the election, circulars were spread broadcast
throughout the State announcing that by or
der of the Republican National Committee, the
Republican State electoral ticket had been with
drawn, and its support transferred to the Re-
adjuster ticket. AS in the case of the Morey
letter, this last desperate resort of Malone and
some of the traitorous Republicans who are
now his faithful followers, accomplished what
everything else had failed to do-the defeat of
the party in the State. Coming as it did at
the end of the canvass. in spite of the
rigorous means employed to correct it, the lie
penetrated to regions which the truth could
not reach in the limited time, and effected
what the Readjusters aimed at-the defeat OF
the Republicans and triumph ofthe Democrats.
1t was apparent to General Malone and his
prominent .ieutenants early in the canvass
that their ticket was destined to an utter de-
feat and rather than that Gen. Garfield should
receive the electoral vote of Virginia, they
; preferred to see it thrown into the Democratic
scale. To accomplish this they resolved to
initiate the example of the Morey letter and
by foul means rob the Republicans of what
they were justly entitled to-
In spite of these overwhelming odds, the
Republicans came within 1900 votes of cap
turing the State, and succeeded in polling near
ly three times the vote ofthe faction to which it
was proposed to sell them out. In round
numbers the vote of Virginia stood: Demo
Gratis, $4,000 Republicans, $4,000; Readjus-
tiers, 81 ,0c0.
Now let US look for moment at the proba-
BILE result, had the Republicans of Virginia
been sustained and upheld by their brethren
of the north. Had such been the case the cap
itation tax would have been paid, and men
capable of presenting the Republican cause
would have made an effective canvass in the
State; thorough organization, such as the
Democrats had at every hamlet, would have
been perfected, and the result would have CIV
en- the electoral vote of Virginia to Garfield
and Arthur Take for instance the county of
Augusta, one of the largest in the State, and
the banner Democratic county. where the Or
ganization was as near perfect as human agen-
cies could make it. In this county, the Re-
pubicans also had close organization, the
thorough system of which, enabled them to
tell, almost to man, their strength In 1876
the Republicans of Augusta cast 1917 votes.
During the year Immediately preceding the
last election, 200 colored voters left the county
to work in iron and coal mines and 300 were
DISTINGUISHED by failure to pay the capitation
tax. Here then was clear loss on the color
ed vote of 500, to offset which there were
about IT'S colored voters who attained their
majority after 1876 and about 25 colored who
moved into the country This estimate, and
it is made from actual figures, shows loss of
300 colored voters and would have reduced
the Republican vote Of the county to 1917.