The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-12
The Cause.

IA
ssaes have been discussed and the people
had their minds drawn to the vast interests
involved in the result of November next,
the true nature of the questions to be de-
cided has been exposed, and the popular
consciousness stimulated and popular un-
Outstanding expanded to receive the truths
as they have been presented. Set phrases
of invective against Mahonism and Bossism,
have only come back to plague their in
ventors. Coarse and insulting epithets
have spent their fnry in vain. Sangu mary
resort and hostile messages designed to in
tmidate. or for the authors to escape from
the force of the arguments and facts which
have overwhelmed them, have been proper
lv met, while the Cause has been marching
on and on. drawing to it the sympathy and
support of the masses, as it has been re-
yealed to them that it is their welfare and
their rights which are being pleaded. Ma
honism ard Bosssm are simply inventions to
conceal the relations of parties to the great
principle of human rights-a principle that
underlies our whole political structure
which was proclaimed in Magma Charter.
waited the Maytlower across the ocean tossed
the tea chests overheard, inspired the Decia-
ration of independence and permeate the
great chart of American Liberty which
| stands as the rock upon which our Repub-
ican Institutions are founded. 1t is the
cause of human rights, of a government OF
the. people, by the people and for the peo-
| pie, and it would march on were Malone
and Wise and Massey and every candidate
become food foI worms.
This great Cause is cOnspicuously pre-
scented in this canvass. by comparison OF
the records of the parties to it upon the
measures and ideas which underlie the
| rights and interests of the people-the pub
ic schools and free ballot. The facts and
| history OF the adm Illustrations in Virginia,
| as they relate to these vital and pregnant
questions, are familiar to all They need
40 elaboration or specific detail of argu-
ment. Under The Bourbons the one, frame d
and designed for the enlightenment and ele-
vaton of the masSes-to prepare the rising
generation for an intelligent exercise OF the
oallotand proper understanding of govern
ment and its mission, was sapped and mined
and absolutely paraly zed, until Its final DIES.
truction was i'm fair way OF consummation'
Public sentiment Mas becoming poisoned
against it. because of the failure in the OPP
| oG In, h,r of IN
methods adopted TO destroy its usefulness
and defeat its designs. Under the Liberals,
this great public benefactiOn has been res
cued from decay and ruin, inspired with
vigorous life and usefulness, and is now
sending its vitalizing and refining influence
throughout every iamiication of commu-
nifty reaching to the hovel as well as the
palace, shedding its benign favors up
on the poor and rich alike. and preparing
the youth of the Commonwealth for the
duties of citizenship which they must soon
assume. 1t is shaping higher destiny for
the Commonwealth is cultivating a
purer and more catholic tone for the social
system-it is building up obstacles to the
|
panacea against crime and misery. 1t is,
IN short, sending abroad the influences
which are destined to elevate and ennoble
popular thought. the warp and wool OF in
tellgent and enlightened government, and
expose and explain what Republican gov
eminent means.
party or a faction that would scheme
and devise and legislate to pervert and des-
Free Schools. would naturally and log ically
pas to an assault upon the ballOt-the de-
Tense of the citizen against the designing
and corrupt, who would distort govern :
ment from it's proper ends, and subordinate
popular interests to selfish aims. There
was cruel consistency in the means en-
ployed to undermine the school system and
The devices inst ituted to restrict and cor
rupt the ballot. An intelligent, free ballot
is the direst enemy of despot ism, whether
the cmanation of court house rings or the
product of more enlarged and dang erous
com binations. An ignorant constituency
are slaves at best, and it was to keep the
people ignorant that the ballot might be
corr upted and perverted. that the public
| schools were the prey of the faction that is
now seeking to regain power in Virginia,
claiming to be the best people" yet strik-
ing at the very base of good government,
and forging the means by which the
primary purposes Of our institutions
would be defe ted. TIE Liberals again
came to the rescue in defence of IA free and
fair ballot. and they hinge their success in
| The approaching election. upon the merits
| of the defence they make of the rights OF
| all the people as respects the ballot. The
restriction was designed to accomplish what
no bia>e and magnan imous people would
ever haye essayed. First. il was IA palpable
act If bad faith, and Justly exposed the
State to the proach of the world for hav-
| ing forfeited the pledge given in 1869; and
second, it was designed to degrade the
poor irem of both races and deprive them
| of one class of privileges. while there were
imposed upoE them the obligations of citi-
zemsiip where hardships and sacrifices had
| % lie eIuNItuf Du IL dtlC lDoltdu VI CllICl
| into the spirit and intent of the Constitu-
! tion which conferred free and untralneled
allut. and honestly grasping the situation
and meeting its demands, aiding and SYM
paJhizing with those. who, from no choice
| or fault of the irs, had been deprived OF the
proper ira ling for the intelligent use Of
| this boon. the Bourbons shrank from the
encounter, and plotted and schemed to
circumvent The obligation assumed, and
defeat "a paramount provision of the Con-
stttution.
| 1t was this wrong and injustice that the
! Liberals intend to correct, and it is because
of this purpose that popular support is in
| creasin and the force augmenting VIII ich
will bear down all opposition to a Free Bal
lot.
These quest ions are vital to the welfare
OF the Commonwealth. They lie at the
base of all free and enlightened govern
ment, and as the people comprehend them
are they moving themselves in opposition
to the faction that would. from its past histo-
~ prove inimical to the healthy existence Of
both. and obstruct the operat ion of the in
1nennps tjowIno from them