The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-10-04

stIe QOC dgdlIlob bll6 WHlL6 hCpuUllCdllo.
Why Because the Readjusters and white
Republicans have simply demanded that
the rights the Constitution, and the laws
made in pursuance thereof, stipulate for,
ought to be conceded and enjoyed
without illegal conditions or embarrass-
ment. We pointed out, years ago, the
true policy for the people of Virginia and
the South to pursue. That was to live up
squarely to the spirit and letter of the
laws-to be as liberal, if not more SO, than
any other party, in the recognition and
practical enforcement of all the statutory
and constitutional requirements. Instead
of that the Bourbons attempted to live
backwards-to legislate to circumvent the
laws and restrict the privileges they were
intended to confer. It was and is because
of this that the negro is opposed to and
votes against the Bourbons. 1t is politl.
cal and not personal or social considera :
tions which influence him. The Read
justers, when identified with the Bour-
bons and a part Of the Conservative party
supporting it's policy and sympathizing
with its aims, were as much opposed by
the negro as the Bourbons were and are.
But when they declared for a change OF
policy-for the enforcement Of the laws,
in all their legitimate meaning and in
tent, the negro gave them active and
effective help. Are not the Readjusters
as white, as respectable now as they were
when they were recognized in the coun-
ellis of the late Conservative party?
Noparty can long maintain ascendancy
that does not recognize the fundamental
and statutory laws of the country. by
device and chicanery. it may succeed fol
awhile, but when it arrays itself against
the power and moral force of law, it must
sooner or later go down. The Bourbons
have no one else to blame than themselves
that they are not now in possession OF the
State government. In 1876 we warned
them of the folly and the danger OF the
dollar price on the ballot and the reSar
rection of the whipping post law. and pre-
dicted then that the time would come
when they would regret their reactiye and
proscriptive legislation. We saw as plain
| ly then as we realize now, that an organ
lied force of 100000 voters, contendins
only for what the clear meaning of thu
law secured. was too great tempta
tion for ambitious men to resist, if by con
ceding these just demands they could BIZ
advanced to power. An oppressed and
wronged minority is not particular about
the instruments placed in its hands by
which it may regain its liberty and enjoy
the rights that lawfully belong to it. II
win not sickle about the means, if the enc
aimed at is within reach. And so the Re
publicans, white and black, gladly struck
hands with the Readjusters in the accom-
| plishment of a common object-the en-
forcement of the laws and constitution Of
the country, as well as the obligations Of
the State. Some of them had been as bit
| ter and mean in their denunciation OF Re
pubIicans as the Bourbons are now OF the
Coalition. But when they determined tt
help us in the struggle orwhat we be-
lieved to be right, we cheerfully sponged
off the past and joined forces TO secure
that which alone we were powerless to en-
compass. ........s
The defeats and humiliatiens which the
Bourbons of Virginia have been made tC
endure, are directly traceable to theil
blind folly and perverse prejudice. John
W. Daniel saw the way out of the envi
ronments in 1881, and had he been per
mitted to declare for the repeal of thai
clause of the constitution which fixed
dollar price on the ballot, and the repea
of the whipping-post law, as he desired tt
do, it is quite possible enough Republican
votes would have been cast for him t.
have elected him Governor. But, no.
The authorities Of the party would maxi
no concession-even though the constitu
ton of the country demanded ito TIN
negro. The harsh, unconstitutional con
| ditions which the Bourbons had sur
rounded him with must remain, so far a
they were concerned, and upon this pro
| gramme the contest was conducted.
Was it wrong or strange that the Negro
voted against them? Can any fair, JUS
man say that the negro vote was cas-
against the Bourbons because they WERE
white men? They voted for white mel
| just as good as the Bourbons, to say the
least, whom they had once opposed whel
| they were of the Bourbon organization
They opposed the Bourbons because of TIN
unjust laws they had enacted affecting TIN
rights of the people, including the negro
and they voted against them for that AM
nothing else. They voted primarily as al
others vote, for or against certain pol
| icy and the interests to be affected by it.
| We concede the friendship that exist
on the part of the Bourbons for the ne
groes, in all the relations OF life, eXcep
political. They give the negro employ
ment and the negro returns full value il
labor for all he receives. The one is &C
| commodated as we'll as the other, and thi
relation would not be satisfactory If TIN
labor were inadequate to the pay or tn
pay inadequate to the labor. A persls
tence in this would dissolve the relation, ant
separate the parties because OF the self-ln
terest involved. This refers to the indus
| trial relations of society. The same re
ciprocity is found in political relations. l
is the same principle of self-protection.-
Were the Bourbons to practically con
cede what was right and prove their sin
certify by something else than platform ut
| terances, the negro vote would not be sol
id for either party. But SO long as Their
is war made upon the citizen rights guar
anteed by the constitution, which the ne
gro has been educated to believe ant
know are his, it is not unreasonable tt
conclude that war will be made back again
Let the Bourbons do unto others as they
would have others do unto them, in the
light of the constitution. Let them con
slider all the rights as citizens under the
laws, which they claim for themselves, and
forbear injecting, unreasonable preju-
dice into the politics of the State, and
they will find that the negro vote will not
be SO solid as they now see it.
1t is weak mind or a bad heart that
would seek to mislead the ignorant by the