The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-09

The Vind6cdtor pleads justification fol
it's death-bed repentance on the negro
question by instancing the refusal OF the
VIRGINIAN to support Greeley in lS72,and
the bolt of Senators Malone and Riddleber-
ger from the Conservative party in 1877.
We cannot see the kinship of the actions
mentioned with that of the Vindicdtor. The
VIRGINIAN led the assault in Virginia
against the capitation restriction on the
ballot, the whipping-post law and in sup
port of more efficient public school pol
icy. 1t was the only paper in the State
that fought the adoption of the constitu-
tional amendments in 1876. which imposed
the dollar price on the ballot. in which it
had the sympathy of every Republican,
white and colored, in the Commonwealth.
Subsequently, Senators Malone and Rid
dleberger and the Readjusters were
converted to the justice of the VIRGIN
IAN S views, and with their aid the re-
forms were effected, despite the bitter and
relentless opposition of the Bourbon press.
including the Vimdicator, and the whole
Bourbon following. Senators Malone and
Riddleberger and the VIRGINIAN led in
the contest for these reforms. involving
so much of value to citizenship and so
much of peace, progress and prosperity for
the State. 1t was a stubborn struggle for
the right, but it was eventually successful.
1t required courage to encounter the meth
DDS and prejudices and passions of those
who ranged under the Bourbon banner,
but great victory was achieved in repeal
ing the obnoxious statutory and funda-
mental laws, which inflicted so much
wrong upon the people of the State The
Vindicotor had no part nor lot in that VIC
tory. 1t was among the vanquished. 1t
has been whipped into an acknowledgment
of the right Of what it opposed, and while
we congratulate it upon it's forced repen-
lance and full acceptance of the situation,
we cannot recognize its claims to the hon
ors which properly belong to those who
led in the struggle for The emancipation of
the sincerity of its contrition ana given
the evidence of its good faith in fruits
mete for repentance. 1t reminds us of
Falstaff's sudden resurrection from as
sumed death on the field of Monmouth,
when Selling the dead body of Percy, who
fell at the hands of Prince Hal, but which
FalStaff lifted to his shoulder and marched
off with as the victim of his own proves.
After the battle has been fought and won.
it is not seemly that the vanuuished
should come in and claim the trophies. nor
is it tolerable. We accept its repentance
as the confession of it's own wrong and
that of the party it represents, but it's
cheekiness must be taken only for what it
is worth.
Think of it, people of Augusta The
Staunton Viadicotor, opposing all that the
Coalition have done for the relief and
of the white and colored cit
liens OF the State, and now guilty of the
effrOntery of adopting it as it's own. We
will. we presume, hear no more of the
"best people, " the white mans govern
ment, " the ''civilization of the age and
like Understanding phrases which were
wont to be employed by our contemporary
and the enchanting orators of the Bourbon
stripe to arouse race prejudices. in order
to perpetuate the wicked expressions and
wrongs inflicted by that faction and iusti-
fed by the indicator. Appeal is now
made to the colored voter, Help Cassius.
d sink 1t is no longer.the ignorant
md deluded negro, but the fellow-citizen
whose vote is wanted to restore to power
he faction whose stock in trade IN to this
lime has been abuse and denunciation of
,he negro and all who have demanded for
him his rights as they are guaranteed by
5he laws and constitution of the countrv
The great advertising merchant of Phil
,delphia sold last year goods to the amount
t $lO.OO0,0O0. He expends annually
zoo, 900 in printers ink, and that amount
rings him clear profit of 81 GOO, 900.