The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-02-09
The Facts.

Several weeks ago we stated that the
amendments voted on in
1876. were published in every Democratic
paper il the State by order of the then
Secretary of State, and that the VIRGIN
IAN, which had probably the largest eircu-
laton of any weekly paper published in Vir-
ginia was excluded from the favored list.
solely because it was a Republican journal.
The statement, as to the publication of the
amendments. was incorrect. We wrote
from memory. and without referring to our
files to test the accuracy of our remen-
brance The denial of that statement has
caused us to refer to the facts, and we find that
the Constitutional Amendments of 1876
were published in but one paper and that in
Richmond. but that in 1874 the Governors
proclamation, giving publicity to an act
providing for submitting to the people tile
proposed amendment to the constitution,
in relation to county organization, was
published as we had first stated. 1t was
that which had been impressed upon our
mind. for we remembered to have made
paragraph of it at the time, and to have
pointed to the exclusion of the VIRGINIAN
as an illustration of the prescription" by
the Democratic party for opinion s sake. Ii
was part of the programme not to inform
the people of the effect and purpose OF the
DISTINGUISHING amendment adopted in 1876
as a party measure, and consequently the
medium of the press was ignored, and hand
bills substitute d, to be posted at the Court
Houses of the respective counties. 1t was
known that paratively few people would
read the proposed amendment in that form,
and as no discussion of the articles TO be
made part of the fundamental law was es-
sayed by the Democratic press, it was nor
difficult to secure their adoption through
the pressure OF machine arrangement. vol
ing upon them as part of the Conservative
ticket. The Conservative ticket OF that year
was Autographed and sent out from Rich-
mond to the various county organizations.
to be used. and were used, for the purposes
of that election, and in this way the constr
| tutional amendment relating to the pre-
payment of the poll-tax as a prerequisite
to voting was adopted. The N1RGINIAN
was the only paper IN the State that dis
| cussed this amendment and exposed its
mischieyous nature, the Conservative press
ignoring it. and relying upon party ma
chinery to carry it through.
| The mistake we made was as to date and
the particular amendment adopted in 1876
| The object of the reference was to remind
the Lynchburg Virginadn that ''proscrip-
| tion'' of the press was first introduced and
| practiced by the Conservative party and the
| fact of the evidence of this appearing in
1874, in perspicuous manner, adopted by
| the Governor and Secretary, instead of IN
| 1876. does not in the least weaken the state
| ment we made. or the charge preferred.
| The spirit manifested in that act was that
| which controlled the policy of the Conser-
| vative party until its disruption. So far as
| the 95. 900 Republican votes in Virginia were
| concerned, they might as well have lived in
| the lava beds. They had representation 10
ShN NO"S-N>
eminent. Every supreme. circuit, county
and corporation Judge was of one party
faith every office of profit or honor was
conferred upon party favorites, and it was
| only when taxes were to be collected or the
public roads worked that the Republican
constituency was recognized as citizens OF
the State. The machinery of State Gov
eminent. the press, the bar, the pulpit,
were all united and massed on one side, and
even the social and business circles invaded
| by the fell spirit of party prescription, to
prevent an honest expression of opinion at
the ballot-box. The VIRGINIAN, Tor years,
was the only paper in the State that stood
out against and defied this avalanche of par
ty venom and malice. We knew the people
were not in sympathy with the proscriptive
| intolerance which co ntrolled party leaders,
and so believing persisted in the work of APP
pealing to their reason and better nature
and exposing the wrong doings of the party
which so mercilesssly subord mated every
| interest of the State to selfish partizan
ends, until finally the break came and
emancipation day dawned. We have now
an assurance for the future and prospective
recompense in the new dispensation which
| is at hand, liberalizing methods and
thoughts and inviting to Virginia the enter
prise of the country, as return for the
bitter strifes and disheartening prescriptions
and prosecutions through which we have
passed in the last decade. If the party
which the people have placed in power but
proves true to its trusts and institutes the re-
forms the popular voice has demanded, all
that we have contended for will be real
lied. and we shall rest content in the con-
sciousness of having done our duty under
difficulties and aided in etfecting rev.
olution that means death to Bourbonis N.
and active life to Liberalism.