Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-07-20
FEW WORDS TO THE AUGUSTA
IN. EGATES TO LYNCHBURG.


Affairs. And here let us protest, for
ment, against the delusion that conser-
ism in politics is only another name
N indecisi0n and timidity. One Of the
st representatives Of conservatism in
atesmanship that this State has plo-
duced, ex-Secretary A. FL. H. Stuart, was
1.-THE author of the boldest political move
ment ever undertaken in Virginia, and
for the success Of which his countrymen
owe him life long debt of gratitude. 1t
vas movement assailed by the enemy in
is front and by friends in its rear, but it
ived to save the government Of Virginia
o her own people. We should like to see
yome one like him at Lynchburg next
week.
You gentlemen who 60 from Augusta
next week are intelligent and well inform
cd. You are not likely to be deceived by any
harem scarem superheated talk about
what will be the benefit of drawing the
color line. If you may have overlooked
the figures Of tho Last four elections IN
Virginia we will give them to you:
Majority against
Democratic party.
Election of 1879, Legislative. .........1s, 1853
IS 1886, Presidential. .....12, 1861
1881, Gubernatorial.. 11,716
1852, Congressman-at-
Large.."""..-. 1O. 14S*
You will observe that since Gen. Ma
hone awaited himself of the colored vote
he has steadily carried the State by ma
jorities ranging from 1000 to 900, and
you may as well conclude that there is
now little to be expected from the re-
turn Of those who left the Democratic
party to join him. The Democratic party
risks nothing by calculating that the men
who voted for John 5. Wise will prefer fol-
lowing Malone into the Republican party
to returning to the Democratic party.
That mortar is set. Where then shall you
look to divide his forces next fall? Ma
turally, the easiest place to divide is where
fracture has been discovered. The cleo
tions in Virginia in May last showed that
in local affairs the colored vote of Malone
may be divided. This state of fairs has
not existed heretofore. The colored man
wanted the repeal of the prepayment OF
the capitation tax, he got it and he got
himself free from both Malone and the
Democracy. In short, he became the mas
ter of his own vote. The first time he
had an opportunity of showing the result
of that Acknowledgement was in May last,
when he upset the Malone local pro-
pramme to greater or less extent in every
county in the Second Congressional Dis
trict.
We have pointed out to you in the cleo
tion figures in this article, that since 1879
the Democracy has been steadily lighting
an average majority against it in the State
of about 10000 votes. You have heard
many and various reasons each year for
our being in the minority, but neverthe-
less. there were the same old figures against
us at the end of each campaign NOW
what will you advise the Lynchburg Con-
yention to do about this. Are you willing
20 follow the old beaten track and come
But as h,aten as the track Are you will
ing to continue in the state of political
slavery to the Malone party that you now
are. prescribed from every position of
trust In a Commonwealth Of which you
bear the heaviest burden for its support
for that is where you are now Are you
willing longer to pay the expenses of a
State for somebody else to run +? Are you
willing on account of prejudice to have
less auesqht in the government of Virginia
than those yoM are prejudieed against.
Then if you are not willing to subscribe
your submission to these things try and
enforce some practical remedy for this
state of things on the LynchburG Conven-
tion.
You will find prejudice there to over
come in the effort? So you will. That's
trueI You will find there some men ours
ing their manacles, vituperative against
the men who has put them on them, writh-
ing in as dirty a set of chains as were
ever put on the Democracy of Virginia
and yet refusing to step out of the old
beaten track to pick up key that will
unlock them. You will find some who
had rather live under Coalition rule and
spend their time in curses on the rulers,
than set themselves free by the sacrifice
of some preiudices. Be careful that yoH
are not one of these. Be COOL Join in
the advocacy of no color line, no political
war on the black man, nothing that will
drive him away from Democratic candi-
dates next fall. You will probably be told
of something that will have wonder
full effect on certain sections. You have
heard that delusive song before. Avoid
it as you would anything else looking to
black plank. See that the utterances of
the convention are an invitation to every
citizen of this commonwealth to join you
next fall In preserving the liberties of the
whole people. Invite every voter white
and black 20 join in your efforts. The
. democracy of Virginia has suffered long
enough the times are ripe for new de-
parture and we most earnestly hope Lynch
burg is the place.
[*In the Presidential election tie Re-
publican and Readjuster electoral tickets
combined, obtained this majority over the
Democratic electoral ticket. In the cleo
tion for Congressman-at-large the COM
bined vote of Wise and Dawson gave this
majority over Massey.1
One of the most serious checks that Ma
hone has gotten in Virginia for years, was
given him in the May elections by the col
ored men of tho second congressional dis
trict, and yet it is proposed by some
thoughtless Democrats that against these
4. ~
ty, in Norfolk county, in almost every