The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-08-04
Virginia Politics.
A FoRcIBLE REPLY TO THE HON. FRED DoUGLAss's
RECENT LETTER.


RECENT LETTER.
Editor Of the American:
In the National Repu5licas,'s issue Of the 18th
INST, appeared letter the signature OF freder-
lex Douglass, addressed to John Amber smith,
of Washington, who is remembered in Virginia Tor
refusing to vote for the Civil Rights Dill while rep
renting the Third Virginia district in Congress- to
which he was elected by negro Republican votes.
In his enigmatical epistle Mr.. Douglass makes two
propositions to the negro voters of Virginia.
1. He advises them to vote for the Democratic
Readjuster nominees. Sin view of all the circum
tn existing (the negroes will do well to
give their voice and votes to the Oemocratic) Re-
adjuster party.
q He advises that they do not vote for repudia-
ton. in no wise wish to be understood as adopt
ing any theory or Of reputation In any
form or fashion" What the circumstances
listing in the State which warrant the negroes vot
ing the Democratic Readjuster ticket? Is 1t tho
alleged inability of the State to pay her debt the
effort of wing of the Democratic party to get the
offices, and their intention to repudiate thirteen
million dollars of the States Indebtedness? The
allegation OF inability is without foundation in
fact, or else the outcome of ignorance Virginia
was never in a more prosperous condition than
now Her people are experiencing ali agricultural,
railroad, commercial activity never before realized
Money can be borrowed now for 6 and per cent.
that three years ago could hardly be had at III and
10 per cent. Steamboats,, railroads and other car
riers during the crop season have been unable 10
transport from our wharves and the banks OF our
rivers the produce of the land. The hum or 1nuus-
try fills the air The new enterprises manufactor-
les extensions of railroads in every part OF the
State; and the building of lines of commercial
communication enhancing the value of lands
and labor and giving still greater facilities Tor the
transportation of products This, in truth, Is the
financial aspect of our surrounding circumstances.
Yet in the face of these facts Mr.. Douglass, who,
doubt not does not own one dollar OF taxable prop
erty In the State advises the negro voters to Vote
for who favor repudiating a portion OF the
State debt-per to vote for reputation.
1t will not do say that these repudiators, If in
power in the State will abolish the yrannical laws
the whipping post and chain gang-which they
helped to enact especially for torturing the negro
voter. They have made no promise to do SO, either:
will they If their action at present, where they
have control, Is any guide or index, it ought 10
be, of what they Will do. The mayor of our city
and the judge of our corporation court are both
leading ReaduterS, and yet the course OF the form
er towards the negroes is much harsher than that
of his Bourbon predecessors Messrs. Whitehead and
Tucker He has imprisoned them without authorf-
ty of law ordered them whipped for trivial offences
sentenced them TO the chain gang for no crime and
drawn line of separation between criminals on
of color. The LATTER the judge In the selec
ton of jurors, of which the law makes him the Sc
lector, have in two years found only two negroes
worthy or competent enough to serve on JureS :and
neither Of them represent the intellect, wealth OF
moral worth of the negro citizens. while a large
number of cases tried in his court involved the
rights and liberties OF negroes. speak of such
things whereof knoW,and OF such as Mr. Douglass
resident of the District of Columbia is igno-
rant Of We also have Readjuster state Senator
who, with all the other senators Bourbons and
Readjusters-voted a censure upon the Judges Of
the Supreme Court of the United States for their de
cison in maintaining the names of negroes moi
disfranchised for crime n this State the whipping
post and chain gang works d1sfranchisement) mus
be placed upon the jury list. Are these circumstan
IVY eAA>
Democratic ticket? The promise of a fair election
and an honest count has proviso; the vote mus
be for a Readjuster- The repeal of the capitatioI
tax is another of their promises, with proviSo tina
the negro must vote the Readjuster ticket.
Mr.. Douglass advises that they do not vote fol
Reputation. How can they vote for men who favol
Reputation Without voting for reputation? IL
our republic men vote for ''principles, but men al
the representatives of principles" 1t was thi,
guiding star that led the negro to vote for Garfield
instead of Hancock. What principles do the Read
5usters represent? Why, of course, States Rights
and Repud1ation and system of peonage for thu
negro voter and an improper Interpretation of thu
war amendments.
The wealth and intellect of the negro race in vir
gna Enough they had no hand in the contraction c
the debit favor, from a sense of state and race
pride and honor, under all circumstances the pay
ment of the States honest debt and the mainte
nance of the Republican party organization
throughout the State 1t is next to, If not the chic
object of the Readuster party annihilate the Re
publican party in the State, and this is evident b.
their persistent refusal to coalesce with that part
as well their refusal to acknowledge the organi
cation. Now should thirty thousand voters be al
hve or seven thousand of the thirty thousand ar
negroes and Republicans Why should not tn
Readjusters follow their leaders course in the Uni
ted States Senate and come and vote with tn
Republicans? Had the election for members OF tn
Legislature been held last November, the Republi
cans would have elected thirty-two members of tn
House out of one hundreds the Readjusters, five
and the straight out Democrats, sixty three. Now
/ ask, ought the Republican organization to b
abandoned? or ought thirty-two go to five, gainin
neither rights nor justice for its individual mem
bers? If the repeal of all the obnoxious laws cou
be effected by repudiating the State debt, would
be proper even then, to thus obtain equal rights
the expence and delriment of those who loaned tn
State their moneys? Can the negro afford to ARA
capital against him for the sake of repealin
laws that allow bad men to deprive him of hi
rights? 1t is my opinion that the negro will &c
rights much quicker by pursuing straightfol
ward, honest course than by attempting to secur
them by helping to defraud others Of their rights
and hope the negro voters of Virginia will renal
true to the principles of the Republican party, an
that they will abide the decision of their part
council. JOSEPH I. WILSON.
Norfolk, Va, July 18th, 1881.