The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-22
The Bourbon Victory.

ations and jubilations of the Bourbons
over their victory in Virginia, they charge
that the administration of the State by
the Coalition has been corrupt, their
policy revolutionary, and their methods
and motives eXecrable. Notwithstanding
the catalogue of crimes alleged against
the defeated party, we are faced with the
fact that the Bourbons have accepted all
that the Coalition have done, except the
changes in offices which were effected on the
Inauguration of the administration of the
Coalition party. They accept the debt
settlement, the free ballot, the repeal of the
whipping post law, and above all they will
accept the two million dollars accumulated
in the Treasury under Coalition rule
They propose no change except to turn
out one set of officers and put in another.
When the Readjusters, or Coalition. took
charge of the government they found eve
ything in confusion-the treasury empty,
the charitable and educational institutions
in process of starvation. a large floating
debt hanging over them, the public schools
paralyzed, and the credit of the State so
low that upon it's faith small loan for ne
sessary running expenses could not he ne
gotiated The people were dispirited-
certainty and doubt weighing them down,
and in every direction gloom and despon-
dency.
The Bourbons will find, in resuming
control of affairs, all this changed. They
| will meet well-filled treasury,..the float
| Ing debt of the charitable institutions
discharged, the public schools healthy and
prosperous, full credit restored, the con-
dfion of the State encouraging and as a
result of Re adjuster administration, all
the interests of the people cared for.
What rational grounds have the people,
then, to rejoice? They are about to try
an experiment with Bourbonism which
has heretofore proved disastrous. That
party will have to encounter, at the outset.
difficulties it will be incapable OF overcom-
ing, consistent with popular favor. 1t will
have to face the coupons, and satisfy their
holders for the aid they gave in the recent
canvass. They will meet with demands
from the Railroads to reduce their taxes,
and these they cannot disregard. They
will have the opportunity to justify their
reckless, unfounded, wholesale charges of
corruption and protligacy on the part OF
the Readjusters. They will have to de-
monstrate to the people either that they
have been guilty of wicked ISLANDERS OF
mean to improve upon the public service
| In will not answer the purpose to eJec1
from few offices the present lncumbents
and give place to their own partizans. The
people will demand, in the calm OF the
coming year, that evidence of the truth OF
! their charges be adduced. They VII
watch with scrutinizing eyes the progress
of legislation and the results OF admins
tration, and reflect over all that ha:
been done within the past four years.
Their own interests will be the guage an(
| if there IS not something done to testlf.
that Bourbonism is better for the masses
for the peace and prosperity of the State
than has been Readjusterism, then thu
Bourbons willlbe called to fearful &C
count.
They will be required to pass upon bill
to reform the chancery practice, to chang
the method of judicial sales, to systema
tie road working. to protect the Interests
of the people against unjust corporation
action, and be compelled to make record
These are things which affect the welfare
| of the people, and the Bourbons will By
held responsible for failure to mitigate tn
wrongs they impose and be judged by thu
record they will make. They have the re
sponsibility upon them and they will hav
| to meet it to the satisfaction Of the con
stituent body. All eyes will be turne'
upon them. They will rest under cal
cium light and they can neither evade no
shirk the just demands that will be pressed
upon them. 1t looks as though they woult
| have q hard road to travel anu Jne VlcCor.
they have won prove a milestone aroun(
| their necks. Railing against the negro
abuse of Readjusters, infiaming the pas
sions and prejudices of the people, will no
avail in the crucial test to which they wi
be exposed. Epithets and passion vii
have spent their force-the masses will re
alize the reactionary effect. and, by reaso
of this, even more exacting demands wi
be made than have ever been imposed upo
any party in the history of the Common
wealth. And when the people find tina
their interests have been sacrificed to
cruel, barbarous prejudice, they will tur
upon the selfish plotters and demand t
know why they have been deluded and dt
ceived.
The mills of the gods grind very slowly
but they grind sure.