The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-03-09
PartiZan Malignity.


is fair in politics, and not even character is
to be respected in the wild scramble for
place and plumber. Nor are the weapons OF
detraction and calumny exclusively en-
ployed by one party against another, but
where there are conflicting ambitions, mem
bers OF the same political association mag
nifty every fault and avail of every sus-
picion to smirch the names Oftheir competl-
tors, and conspire, in secret, to undermine
and destroy reputation There is no
thought of the effect OF such malignant
conduct upon the future life and prospects
of the assailed, or how far the Happiness OF
immediate friends and relatives may be in
volved in the results sought to be accom-
plshed. The main object is to strike down
an aspirant, let the methods to do so be ey-
er 40 dastardly and the consequences ever so
ignominious.
We take as an illustration Roscoe Conk-
ling. Wehave never been an ardent admi-
rer of anything about Mr.. COnkling except
his splendid intellect and his upright public
life. We have an impression Of him. not
from a personal acquaintance, for this we
have not, but from certain austerity and
dogmatsm which attach to him as public
man, These have not won upon us nor
caused our feelings to warm towards him
like to some other public men. We have
simply looked at him from afar, and calmly
guaged his abilities and his usefulness to
his party and the country. Because this
gentleman, who all concedc to be able and
honest, happened to differ from the late
President, as free American citizen he
had a right to do, it is assumed by the pro-
fessed friends of President CART Id that Mr..
Conkling should receive no recognition or
countenance from the administration of
| President Arthur, or from the Republican
| party. The rural press from the late Pres
| ident's own State, assail the ex-senator in
the coarsest and most vulgar TRADES, and
Journals of national reputation and promi-
nent Republicans all over the country resort
to all the methods known to cynical criti,
csm and malignant denunciation, to damn
! Mr.. Conkling in public estimation. IG is
not calm, impartial reason, or devotion to
principle which is the source of this dis
creditable and indefensble warfare. 1t is
base. malignant, fendish prejudice. which
would trample down virtue, if it stood in the
way. that vice might triumph, if vice were
associated with the end in view. Are party
integrity and purity advanced; is political
orthodoxy indicated the general welfare
subserved, or any great public good encour-
aged by such conduct? No. These are not
the objects sought. 1t is to remove obstruc-
lions to selfish schemes, and secure persO-
nal ends. regardless of the public v cal, that
being secondary and subordinate.
The same may be said of ex-senator
Blaine. who to-day holds so prominent a
place in the esteem of the American peo-
pie. He is bounded at every step by men
of his own party association, and every
public act and almost every public utter
ance distorted to his prejudice, for the pur-
pose of weakening his popularity, that
some one else may be the gamer. 1t is
not to promote any public interest that this
is done, but it is reckless, insane ambi-
the. party, to country and society is forgot
ten, that faction may be subserved and
the partizans of faction rewarded.
In our own State we are daily cognizant
of the extremes to which partizan consider
alton drive men, and the mendacious
means employed to advance partizan in
terests. We find whole party assailed
as mercenary. unprincipled and corrupt,
because it is doing precisely what its as
sailants did when they were in power
Officers placed in power for political cause
are teing removed for political cause, and
yet the faction that first inaugurated the
policy and executed it with rigid severity,
fills the air with lamentations and be.
means the public Generalization and per-
fidy which would justify the once pro-
methods that have been taught and practiced
against it, now that it is in power. 1.-THE
yillany thou teachest me, / will execute,
is the moral presented in one of Shakes
peare's characters, and this. it would seem
has been the guage of partizan morality
OF each in its turn. 1t works hard upon
the No inority, but the minority OF to-day is
the majority of tomorrow sometimes, an
this is the only compehsating consolation
that can be drawn from it.
In the Leg islature. the Bourbons who
outrageously gerrymandered the State ten
years ago for partzan purposes, are how
raising terrible howl because the Read
justers are about to give them a dose OF
their cwn med cine. and the benefit OF
Shylock's code of morals. They complain OF
The great wrong that is to be inflicted upon
the people, because the Congressional dis
tricts are to be so arranged as to give the
majority of the people majority OF the
congressman. and average representation
by the very same rule which they them.
selves instituted and enforced. They, too,
filled every office under the State govern
ment. whether legislative, executive or ju-
dicial, by their own partizans, and now
when similar policy is adopted by their
political opponents, and they realize the in
convenience and unprofitableness of it, they
are impressed with its injustice. Alb
stractly and upon its merits this policy is
not to be approved. but it is the result OF
the doctrine that has been taught by those
who are now made the victims, and conse
quently there can be no genuine, disinter-
ested sympathy expressedfo them.
1t ought to teach the lesson that even
handed justice is the best policy; and
further, that all the virtue, all the intellect,
and all the capacity for public position, are
not confined to one party-that there is
courage, integrity and capacity in one par
ty as well as another, and, too, there is a
spirit of retaliation and revenge in one like
In the other.
1t would be better for communit y, better
for the State, better for the nation, that
this spirit should be exercised. and higher
ambition and aspiration control in the ad-
ministration of public affairs and the dis
tribution of the favors of government
But SO long as one party deems it essential
to its existence and supremacy that it
should inexorably apply the partizan rule
to which we refer, then it will follow as
the night the day that the other will do the
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