The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-07-27
The Perverse Democracy.

wrong time and wrong at the right time
Mr.. Pendleton, the Junior senator from
Ohio, is an illustration of this. In 1868.
when it required courage and statesman
ship to face the situation and do the right
thing at the right time, he was found advo-
eating the policy of dishonoring the credit
of the government. The nation had passed
through trying ordeal, in defence of its
life The blood of the bravest and best had
been poured out upon hundred battle
fields to vindicate the integrity of the
Union and perpetuate Republican govern
ment. In the gigantic struggle there was
no count of the cost in mere dollars and
cents National life was reckoned more
precious than filthy lucre, and the grand
aim to preserve that subordinated all other
meaned himself in that sanguinary conflict
we do not know-whether he was of the
Vallandingham school of Democratic poll
ticians or not, we are not prepared to say
But the time came to test the craftsmanship
of the Countrywide moral courage of those
who presumed to form and lead public opin
ion, and when none of the incentives OF
martial glory and fame were present to
arouse sentiment and direct action. The
Union had been preserved at AL enormous
cost of blood and treasure. The nations
faith and credit and the peoples courage
and patriotism, had carried to a successful
conclusi ion the gigantic conflict, and the
duty had to be confronted of maintaining
that public faith in the calm and quiet OF
peaceful times. 1t was then only ques-
ton of dollars and cents-the simple ac-
Acknowledgement of the debt the country
had incurred. and the duty to pay it as it
| had been incurred. Mr.. Pendieton was
not equal to the occasion. lie WAS proni-
| nently mentioned in connection with the
| Democratic nom ination Tor the Presidency
| upon his estimate of what the government
! should do in relation to the obligations as
| sumed by reason of the war. His states
manship and moral courage Were expressed
in the widest greenback heresies, favoring
| the payment of the national debt in green
1
credit of the nation. 1t was crisis in our
national history as pregnant with vital in
| terests as that which sent mourning to ale
most every hous ehold and moi>ter Ell the. land
with human blood. 1t was in effect the
preservation of the national life that had
been saved, and Mr.. Pendleton was found
leading the column that was organized
to deal deathly blow to that life. He
was both intellectually and morally unequal
to the occasion and demonstrated TO the
country then that he was an enemy of his
| government mercenarv politician and
not a misunderstanding national char
acter of less value and Importance than the
mere dross of gold and silver. Others had
given up their lives upon the altar of their
country. He was not willing to submit to
| the necessary material eXactiOns and hard
| ships to maintain that for which snca sac
rifices had been made. This was his posi-
ton and that of the Democratic party in
relation to the obligations of the govern
ment, when facing the huge debt which
had been incurred, and which public faith
and national integrity demanded should be
met and discharged dollar for dollar in the
currency of the world.
Fortunately for our national character,
the Republican party was equal to the oc-
casion and the crisis. 1t boldly met the is
sue. Without equiYocation or hes station it
declared the debt, which had been con-
tracted as the price OF national life, should
be held as sacred as the object for which it
was made. and that every dollar of it should
be paid in gold. For ten years the two
great parties of the country confronted
each other on this issue-the records of Con-
gress- much more expressive, substantial
and enduring than party platforms-show-
| ing the Republicans for maintaining ma
tional faith and the Democrats for violat-
| ing it. In every national contes' this was
the relation of the two parties, until in 1879,
the policy of maintaining national ia it'll
was brought to a cOnsummation-the re-
sumption OF specie payment effected. and the
courage and patriotism of the American
people indicated
Now, when the national debt has been
brought under easy control-when the credit
OF the government stands without a parallel
in the history of nations-when the public
reven ues are in excess of public demands
one hundred and fifty million of dollars
when taxes have been Observation-Disclosures
expanded and developed, and unparalleled
prosperity regning throughout every sec
| tion of the country. as the result OF the
| policy and courage of the Republican par
ty in dealing with national credit, we find
| the Democratic party proclai lining for gold
| and silver as the currency OF the country,
and Mr.. Pendleton and his political asso-
ciates protesting that the fundamental
principle of Democracy is to uphold nation-
| al faith through sacred observance of ma
| tionai obligations. After the battle has
| been fought and won in defiance of their en-
nifty and opposition, they join in with the
| victors and claim equal share in the tro-
| phies.
And so it is as to all the important pub
| lie questions and interests affecting ma
tinnal character. The Democrats are
"IouS dG INC particular Time WHeu Ciley
should be right, and right when the courage
and patriotism of others have demonstrated
the right in the face of their wrong, and
when it would be madness to persist in the
| wrong.
We find further illustration OF Demo
cratic perverslty and cowardice in its pres
ont policy of Virginia. When it had the
power to be honest it preferred to be dis
honest. And now when its intidelty to
public trust has brought its reward in. the
utter defeat and decentralization of the par
ty, and power has been wrested from its
control. it assumes to pose in the role of
debt payers. and seeks to make the country
believe that its defeat has been the defeat
of public honesty apd integrity in the
State, when the fact is that its persistent
policy of defalcation in the payment of in
terest on the public obligations, thus
augmenting the debt, was working out GER
tain and inevitable reputation. 1t was
practically and radically wrong when it
had the power to do right, and now it pro-
fesses to be right when it has been stripped
OF all power, because of its consistent and
reckless WrOng-dOing.