The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-08-31
en- Examnla ro Innitate

to give the weight of his influence i'll deter
mining the political result in this State,
next November. He said there had ex.
listed some cause for the general stagnatlon
in the business activities OF Virginia, which
prevailed for some years, but precisely
what that cause was he was not satisfied in
his own mind. The feeling prevailing
among the people had been Respondent
arising, as the person to whom we re1el
thought, from the unsettled condition OF
the public debt !; the dissatisfaction with
the operation of the public school system
and the partizan hates and prescriptions
which had been manifested so invariably In
every contest. 1t seemed to him, all lifetime,
that some policy might have been adopted
to remove this cause, whatever it might be
adjust the difficulties attending the adj
ministration of public affairs, and give the
people fair chance to bring the State up
to Il condition of prosperity such as her nat
ural advantages would justify. He was
convinced now that the source OF this de-
preston, distrust and discourage ment, was
the Bourbon party, and that is was his duty
to appropriate his vote to removing 1t from
power, and keeping it so removed, until IL
learned that there were higher interests to
subserve than the mere schemes OF rings
and trading politicians. He recognized
that there had been change for the better
that more hopeful feeling pervaded the
constituent BODY, and this could be traced
to sense of relief growing out of the set.
Element of the debt question, the improve.
ment in the public schools, and the legisla.
ton affecting revenues and taxes. The PEG
pile felt that they were Oh assured grounds
that they could make their calculations
for the future, and look forward for devel
opment and improvement commensurate
with their own industry and energy.
This frame of mind is not confined to the
gentleman to whom we refer. 1t is gener
al, and while some are lOthe to confess that
it is Ole of the results of change in party
management and State admin istratiOn, YET
they know that it has followed that change
and that no other reason can be properly
assigned for it. We had, up to 1879, to Ell
counter an increase of the debt each year o.
from 5000, 900 to $500, 900; to meet the de
mands of the tax gatherer, and yet see the
public schools languish and grow more in.
efficient every session to see the treasury
depleted, with credit SO impaired that no;
even temporary loan could be negotiated
for a few hundred thousand dollars, and al
the tendencies to even n more disastrous
and irrevocable condition. Nov the facts
stand confessed that he debt has been adj.
justed upon basis that all parties wish tt
see observed-the treasury is in a healthy
condition, on a reduced rate of alton
gressive oundatlon-confldence permeates
the whole State, ard the future holds out
them ost cheerful prospects.
These facts cannot be controversial. They
are history an not speculation. They stand
out to the gaze of all, and vindicat them
selves in that they are indisputable.
The revolution which has brought about
these results, was effected in the manner
that all changes are consummated in the
interest of the many. The People have risen
up aga inst the self-appointed leaders, the
court house rings and clans, who assumed
to be wiser and better than all others, and
usurped place and authority by sheer i'm
pudence and arrogance. w it'll office and
power in their hands, they took no thought
of the masses. So their ambition was graf
ified-their greed for spoils satiated, it mat.
tered not that the people, whose labor and
toll give the supports government, groaned
under burthens and were depressed and
discontenGed under doubts and unc erta in
ties as to the future. The few reveled in the
plenty of power, while the many toiled on,
sweated on, suffered on. answering to the
demands for the rewards of their labor to
the tax gatherers, with no assurance when
it would end-when the time would arrive
when balance sheet might be struck be-
tween taX-paying and taX-earnlng. First.
murmars, at this condition of things, then
open dissatisfaction expressed, and finally
revolt and Il desperate struggle for victory
1t came, and now every ramification Of bu-
sii ess and endea vor feels the effect, and the
people are conscious of emancipation from
the yoke OF the petty despots, who lOrded
it over them through the mach inery of the
rings
And because the people have thus as :
serted their rights and assumed control of
their own affars-have wrested power from
the hands of those who abused it to their
wrong, and condemned those who prOsti-
tnted trusts cOnfided to them, they are de-
nounced by these select few as the ''scum"
for the Commonwealth or the conservative
restraints OF government. From the time
the Apostles, chosen to preach the
glad tidings of a risen Savior, were ia
the carpenters of Judea, the common
people have been the agents of all great
reforms. The doctors and learned men
of the Sanhedrim. who reveled in the
mysteries of refining metaphysics, boosted
of their know ledge and made broad
their phylacteres, could not cOndescend
to accept the teachings Of the simple and
unlettered. Nothing but a bolt of truth
from Heaven, such rs Frustrated Saul of
Tarsus, could open their eyes and give
them to understand the yearnings and
wants of the people. And while we do
not live in an eof miracles and can eX-
pect no supernatural interp0sition to pen
citrate the selfish armor that surrounds
the insolent and arrogant "best people,"
who assume all the wisdom, all the virtue
and all the honor of the State, nothing but
the voice of the people, proclaiming their
political doom, will ever awaken them to a
realization OF their presumption, perver-
sty and inherent insignificance. For years
the people tamely and slavishly submitted
to the despOtic and ruinous rule of the
few, until the wrongs heaped upon them
became intolerable, and then measure OF
their power only was aroused to resent
the wrongs. They now know their
strength they now comprehend how I'M
true they have been to themselves, in sub
hitting to the injustice that has been in
Ilicted upon them, and will invoke this
reserved power to make an end to ring rule
and machine methods With a knOwl-