National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1882-05-30
The Norfolk Victory.

The Norfolk Victory.
BY the imperfect and dilatory informa-
tion given by the Bourbon agents Of the
Associated Press in Virginia, the Liberals
of the country were deprived for more
than a day last fall of indulgence in
proper exultation over the glorious
triumph of Cameron. The same policy of
repressing news damaging to the sinking
and desperate cause of Bourbonism seems
to have been practiced by the same
sources rs to the local elections of Thurs
day. On Saturday THE REPUBLICAN,, in
moderate phrase, stated the sum of those
elections as one of enduring disaster to
Bourbonism in the Old Dominion.
Deceived as TO the result in Norfolk by
the telegram, we spoke of the election
there as drawn BATTLE" when, in fact,
it ranks with the result in Petersburg in
significance and in splendor. The vote
was very large-probably the largest
ever cast in the old "borough of Nor
folk" The contest was bitter to the last
degree, for Bourbonsm always fights
desperately when it reaches its "last
ditch" and the result another triumph
for the gallant Lamb-hero in politics rs
in war. Since the Liberal party was borh
in Virginia Norfolk has been u point to
be fought for at every election.
Carried by the Readiusters several
times by maiorities of less than fifty votes,
the dashing canvass and personal popu-
larity of Cameron in the old city where
as mere boy he had labored as an editor,
aided by the admirable local canvass,
gave him in November majority of more
than four hundred. To reverse the No
vember verdict at the spring election was
the dream of the Bourbon leaders. The
Bourbon press begged and promised and
threatened by turns. "Africanization,"
Bossism," Stalwart alliances" and all
the other silly outCries of u moribund
faction without decent argument or ex-
cuse for its wrctched existence were urged
with agonizing iteration. But to no avail.
An eXultant Liberal and eX-confederate
writes to us of the result rs follows: "Nor-
folk has been finally lost to Bourbonism
1t is now and forever both Nirginiar
city and an American city-a stronghold
of patriotic Liberalism, citadel com
manded by William Lamb, to be held by
him with the dauntless spirit which held
Fort Fisher until he fell bleeding in the
trenches. ALL hail gallant old Norfolk
Unmcasured euogy to Mayor Lamb for
hisnoble civic triumph, hereafter to be no
less renowned than his herosm in war"
But why did not General Groner tele-
graph The REPUBLICAN, of the Norfolk
victory? Why did Sam Kimberly keep
us in suspense, and what was Frank
Slade doing that he permitted his Wash
ington friends to believe for whole day
that he was sitting on the "ragged edge
of pitiful majority Of fifty votes? For
that was what the press telegram said
would probably be the majority for the
Liberal ticket. Nothing but the sweep
ing victory won by the "boys" would
excuse such neglect of distant friends.
Colonel Brady, too, at Petersburg, has
deliberately courted the resentment Of
THE REPUBLICAN, by his failure to tell us
on election night how thoroughly the
Cockade City" Readjusters had "wiped
out" Bourbonism. Still we shall have tc
forgive the ''cute little man" whose iden-
tifcation with so good n cause as that o.
Virginia Liberalism and whose sleeples'
energy foretoken its continued triumph.