National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-27
Virginia Sill Loads.

In the Virginia local elections held on
Thursday there were present the usual
features ofsuch contests. Personal friend
ships and aversions, issues belonging to
the community and to neighbour and
nowise affecting either State or national
politics, usually control local elections,
These influences were felt in the recent
Virginia elections in the usual way,
though in a few localities q larger signiii-
canoe belongs to the results.
In Richmond there was no contest, the
Readjusters declining a hopeless fight for
municipal control, just as the Democrats
used to do in the old days when Rich
mond boosted itself to be the very
Gibraltar of Whiggism." At Peters
burg, at Lynchburg, and at Norfolk the
conditions were different, aud familiarity
with the Virginia situation easily dis
covers the reason of the obstinate con-
tests in those cities, and the significance
of the results. Lynchburg and Peters
burg are the homes respectively of Major
Daniel, late Democratic candidate for
governor, and Of Governor Cameron
by q singular coincidence each gave
its townsman majority of 0SG
votes last November. Petersburg was
splcndidly organized by both sides
during the gubernatorial fight, while in
Lynchburg the Bourbons only were or
gani2ed. At the municipal election on
Thursday better organization and coali-
ton of the anti-Bourbon forces in Lynch
burg reduced Major Daniels handsome
majority of nearly thousand to little
over two hundred. There can be no
mistaking the significance of the Lynch
burg contest. 1t was made distinc-
lively on national issues; the color
line" was frautically urged by the
local Bourbon press; the stock cal
umnies upon Malone were reiterated;
Lynchburg was implored to con-
denim the coalition of Republicans and
Readjusters, and to condemn the Read
iustcrs and their leaders for supporting
Arthur's administration. AS the result,
Malone and the Arthur administration
came very near capturing -hlynchburg,
and there is little doubt Of the speedy
accession to Liberal political principles
of community which has heretofore
been citadel of Bourbonsm, and which
is the home of one of its most gallant
and eloquent apostles-its late candidate
for governor.
While Lynchburg almost surrenders to
the first serious attempt to carry it against
Rngtphpfic,,, DnInrplt,rr, fhn hp,,,a ,f
Cameron, repeats its November verdict
for Liberalism by sweeping Readjuster
victory, after contest of great activity,
and, under local surroundings, giving the
Bourbons better chance than they will
ever have again in the gallant "Cockade
City" In Norfolk the contest ended in
drawn battle. Save in Lynch
burg, nowhere else were the Bour-
bon methods more viciously employed.
Race prejudice was the staple argument,
and in the local press were declarations
every day intended to make available
that sentiment which has heretofore i'm
PEELED the Southern white man to keep
the negro in political bondage. Such ut
terances will make fine reading for Re-
publican orators before Northern audi
encestwo years hence, when Bourbon ora
tors are protesting that their brethren in
the South " freely accord to the negro all
his political and civil rights" When
will it dawn upon the Bourbon mind that
political thuggism towards the negro can
not be practiced in municipal and State
elections and be atoned for by hypocriti-
cal rhetorical platitudes in the platforms
of national conventions?