The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-06-09
M. IIr,rI,,in I.,nIIiio,,.

elements which oppose Bourbon ruIe-ii
once more subjected to an intense cross
fire. The Bourbons were never so determ
ined to split the opposition. Many Repub
licans in other States, sympathizlng VIII
those Virginia Republicans who stand
aloof from the Coalition, are disposed Il
give It the cold shoulder. It is easy to I'M
derstand why the Bourbons become fiercel
as the year Of Presidential election
draws nearer, Those Republicans who
look with disiavor upon the Coalition oh
isct either to the attitude Of the ReadJust
ers towards the State debt or to the Politi
cal methods OF Malone. Can the coalition
stand against this pressure from the from
and the rear? Does ii deserve to stand
The Coalitionisis, Liberals or Readjusters
point to progressive record, tersely re
viewed by Virginia correspondent OF TIT
National Republican:
It, brilliant achievements are seen In thu
securemsnt oil lres ballot for every man ~
the State; In the fact that under read 1stmen
rule the number OF free schools white aud
tolored, has been Learly doubled; number o.
puplls, white and colOrtd, nearly doubled
number Of l. achers, white and colored, near
" doubled; length Of sessions OF schools
doubled; amount oil money expended on
schools double what the Bourbons expended,
and all OF the teachers promptly paid A
normal school established for the education
of colored teachers; three hundred lunaHcs,
white and black, taken from the common
law n
10 rot and Gle, and placed In comt1rtable
Asylums where many have been and many
more will be Gu ed; FIVE times as many miles
NJ rsiIroad huit In The State In four years Of
readiuster rule Ms In twenty OF Bourbon Fun,
der rule; five times as much capital tnvesteo
In Virginia In four years OF readj ustmen'
rule as In quarter Of a century OF previous
Bourbon government; the tide OF emigration
turning toward instead OF away from Vir
ginia; her children being educated as be-
comes a great commonwealth; all Glasses Of
her Peep contented, prosperous and happy'
This Is record which represents value
to the State and to the country. 1t is in
line with the aspirations OF every progress
i've State. 1t represents the triumph Of
untring effort ever ceaseless hostility.
Under Liberal rule the emancipation and
eairanchisement OF the negro means some
thing; his vote has been counted and his
children invited. to the public schools
There has been nearer approach than
before to eQality before tho law. Many
Republicans believing that State, as vel
as an individual, ought to pay its debts,
are opposed to the Readjuster view OF the
debt question. II there be any difference
as between the Bourbon Funders and the
Liberal Readjusters it is in favor OF the
Readjusters. The Bourbons have pre-.
tended to be DESTROYS Of paying oil, and
have paid nothing. The Rcadjusters have
said that the State could not pay all. and
should ray what 1t could. Neither posi-
ton is creditable to the Safe. but some
thing is better than nothing.
1t lis not, however, the debt question
which lies at the bottom Of the division
between parties in Virginia. That question
is a mere pretexf, as GreenbackisSa is
elsewhere. The dividing line is drawn on
State and National politics, having no
relation to the debt question. We know
what the State was and what It did under
Bourbon rule; we know what it is doing
under Liberal rule; we know that the new
ia infinitely better than the old. This
radical change could not have been brought
about by the Republican party single
handed and alone" That party was not
strong enough. and 1t was not growing last
enough to hold out hope to the present
generation.
There were Virginians hostile to Bour.
bonism who could not have been brought
by a straight cut into the Republican party;
they took fright at the name, and to bear 1t
meant in many localities social ostracism
and business ruin. The Liberal movement
seemed to afford an opportunity to accom-
plish substantially the same thing under
another name aud in roundabout way.
Malone had the will and the push OF q
leader. lie had been dashing soldier OF
the Confederacy, q consideration Of great
value to leader in that field. He pro.
posed broad policy in conformity with
the amended Constitution OF the United
States. He was the right man at the right
time. Under his leadership the Bourbon
party was divided, stripped OF its discon-
tented supporters and defeated. This could
not have been done by stra ightout Re.
publican party.
We approach the time when We shall go
into presidential contest. II the Coalition
stand till then it will support presidential
electors pledged to the Republican nomi.
ness. It is possible, even probable, that
the coalition electoral ticket can be carried
through. Nobody will pretend that there
is a ghost OF a chance for straightout Re.
publican electoral ticket in Virginia. Re
publIcaus in Virginia have no choice but
to join with all who are opposed to Bour.
bonism or to be overwhelmed rs they al.
ways have been. Though the Coalition, II
II survive long enough, will be brought
about state OF affairs moro favorable to
the Republican party IS such. Meanwhile
the Rcadiusters are with us on national
questions, and there is no sacrifice Of prin.
ciples.
The Coalition party deserves to live un-
Ill Il shall have accomplished Its mission,
which is nothing less than the overthrow
OF Blurhonism in Virginia, where Bour.
b,nism Is found In rank form.