The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-12-07
In 1874 the following Northern States

THURSDAY.
In 1874 the following Northern States
gave Democratic victories, and the Repub-
lican Congress of fifty odd majority was
turned into Democratic House of about Is
majority: Colorado, 2,l60; Connecticut,
30,455; Illinois, 30.445; Indiana, 1882 /;
Massachusetts,. 6.035 Nevada. . ,5S4; New
York, 40 ,415; New Hampshire, ,465 New
Jersey, 10 1888; Ohio, I7,2O7; Oregon. 500 !;
Pennsylvania, 4,579; Wisconsin, 357. Mr..
Tilden was counted out in 1876, and al
though the Democrats captured the house
again IN 1878, Hancock was undeniably
beaten by large majority in 1880. And
while next January. % States will have
Democratic Governors, "a States chose
Democratic Governors in 1873. The DEM
ocratic House can very easily upset Its
chances for success in 1884, and it will
have good deal of Republican encourage
ment to blunder.
The tariff issue, boiled down, is simply that
system of import duties which looks to the
building up of American industries and CIV
ing employment to American labor, on the
one side, and that system of duties which
would destroy American manufactures and
build up European industries. For twenty
years the United States have been operating
under the former system, resulting in grow
ing wealth each day and year and degree of
prosperity never before experienced. 1t is
interviewer into our Whole financial system,
and TO radically disturb it, would deIange
every industrial interest of tie country. The
simple apprehension of Democratic theory on
the tariff question being practically enforced
by Democratic Congress eighteen months
hence has thrown into disorder and an al
most chaotic condition the whole iron and
steel business of the North and West There
is lesson in this, that it would be well
enough for the business people of the coun-
try to study.
The Philadelphia Times is mistaken in
ranking Virginia with the whipping-post
States. The Liberals, in the last Legisa-
ture, repealed the law, and now Virginia is
free from this stigma upon her civilization.
The Bourbons resurrected it from the grave
where the better sentiment of the State had
once buried 1.-THE primary object being to
use it as an instrument,nOt so much for the
punishment of petty offences, as to dis
franchise the colored people. The Read
justers made common cause with the Re-
publicans in correcting this great wrong,
and also in removing tie dollar restriction
from the ballot which the Bourbons had
placed there. If the Times and those who
are influenced by it would ser iously think
over these important reforms which have
been effected by the Coalitionists and could
have been effected in no other way than by
coalition between Liberal Democrats
and Republicans, it will modify its judg
ment about Malone and Mahon ism
which is only another name for the forces
which consummated these wise benefac-
tions.
The Bourbon Democracy learns nothing
by the experience of the past, and is inca
pable of forgetting its old corrupt tricks,
which have heretofore disguised the coun-
try. The action of Gov. McEnery, of Louisi-
ana.Fi in the matter of Ex-Gov. Kellogg
comm ion, as member of Congress from
<sthat State, elected by an undsputed major
O ity, is an illustration. No less expressive
is the transparent fraud perpetrated in
Mississippias to the returns between Chal-
mers, Independent, and Manning, Demo-
crat. Chalmers was elected by clear
majority, but by an intentional misprinting
of his name, by some one in Tate county,
it is made to appear that Manning is
elected. Even Democratic newspapers,
which have a sense of fairness, condemn
the desperate devices in each of these cases
to cheat chosen officials out of what the
people have given them. In Virginia a
similar partizan blindness is manifested
Mr.. Massey proposes to contest the elee
ton of John S. Wise, when his majority i;
near 5000. Col. O'Ferrall is trying to make
out case to contest the seat of Hon. John
., Paul, when every one, who is disposed to
recognize the truth, knows that Paul was
elected by over 200 majority, and that g
fair expression of the sentiment of the
people would give him the seat by
1900 majority, at least. The exposure
Capt. Wise is max ing of Bourbon meth
DDS, convey some idea of why his majority
is not much larger than announced. When
the alms-house has to be emptied and
forgery and fraud perpetrated to swell the
Bourbon vote, it is not difficult to estimate
what the result would have been had there
been fair election.
The Vindicdt0r is concerned about four.
teen colored votes cast at Spring Hill fol
Wise and Paul, because, as is alleged, they
were not known to some of the Bourbon
strikers in that locality. This is moi
strange, if it were true. There were al
least IT'S negroes in South River District
who were never assessed until the Liberals
called attention to the delinquency, and
not less than 700 in the county in the same
classification. If the Bourbon officers Of
the law did not know enough about the
people to better discharge their duties to
assess the male residents of the county for
taxation, it is not surprising that they are
not acquainted with the fourteen voters at
Spring Hill. We would suggest to the V,n-
dictator that it lodge its complaint before
the United States Grand Jury OIL the 18th
inst, and it then might learn a number of
things of which it seems to be Ignorant
Careful inquiry might expose the motive
which omitted assessment for the capitation
tax of colored property holders, where
tax-tickets for real estate and personal
property were in form and duly paid. 1t
is true the man could have been qualified to
vote if this omission had not been made,
whereas the property could not. This
might affect an explanation. Be this as
it may, it would be the proper thing
for the fraud shriekers to do, were
they to put themselves in position to
expose what they charge, and bring to
legal punishment those who have offended
the laws. District Attorney D. S. Lewis is
instituting inquiry into such matters, and
the services of all Bourbons are especially
invited to aid him in the discharge of his
duties.
If the legal luminary of the VindecatOr
will read the following from section 5,
chap. s of the Code. it may dawn upon him
of ha 1ov