Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-05-11

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sTAUNTON. va.
FRIDAY MORNING, MAY II. 1883
THE COUNTY ELECTION.
We can hardly think Of any reason, that
it will be satisfactory to himself to recall
In ease Of defeat, which can justify sin
gle Democrat in Augusta county in lack
of interest In the success of the Democratic
county ticket. II he he Indifferent to the
success Of his party in the present he
should recall some Of the results of the
success of the Coalitionists in the past.
One is the prescription Of him in every de-
psrtment of the administration Of bis
county, his State and his country. How
ever well qualified he might be, there ism I
q position be it ever 80 small that
they would appoint him to, or would not
remove him from, if be were in it. SO far
has their hatred OF the Democracy carried
them in this county that last fall they &C.
tually sought to have the whole vote of
the county thrown out, because the ma
iority had been east against Coalition
Congressman. They have stopped at
absolutely nothing in their efforts to crush
out you and your party, and now when
you have them in your power in Augusta
you should zee that the crushing process
is ended.
u.ho ,,,e, ~vho ora now oski00 far uour
votes to defeat Democrats with are Coall-
tionists and supporters Of Arthur. Some
Of the candidates who are running against
Democratic nominees are the proml-
nent and active and bitter party leaders
of tho Coalition in the county and have
been 30 for years. They would vote for
the bitteresr Republican in their ranks
before they would vote for you, for even
the smallest Office in the gift of the people
of Augusta. And yet you, Democrat,
are asked to vote for them on account of
their excellent personal qualities. Your
excellent personal qualities are b!otted out
by your Democracy, and they would bury
you under the heaviest majority they could
rsll up on you. but theirs you are asked to
take as q substitute for good politics.
What does it matter to you what the
personal qualities Of these candidates are
IL their political qualities are those OF ven
emous hatred and un sparing prescription.
Prescription All, you don't have far to
20 to find it, it is right here at your doors.
Ii anybody ought to know by sight and
bitter experience what political proscrip-
.tion is, 1t ID the people of Augusta county
within whose borders, more than IN any
county in this common wealth, have Demo
cratic officials heads fallen. slaughtered fol
being Democrats. Official heads, yea Off
cial feet a. well; for this prescription went
down to hunt tbs very shoemaker from
his bench. The very fact that man was
. Democrat cost him his bread. And
now those who joined in this hateful pro-
scription ask the Democratic people OF
Augusta county to give them a public
Office nay more, they ask that they shall
defeat Q qualified Democrat in order tn
give them position.
And what are the ofices wanted for
IL it that they may be better administered
in the interest Of the majority Of the peo-
pie of this county Hardly The majority
Of people in this county is Democratic and
the object Of capturing these Offices is to
administer them in the interest of part,
which represents adecided minority of the
voters and still more decided minority of
those who have any permanent interest IN
the county. And they are wanted for this
much more Augusta is as well known
throughout Virginia as Democratic
county as Richmond is as Democratic
city. It would be boom for the Coalition
to be able to announce that Augusta
had been carried for the Coalition" by the
election Of even one officer on the general
ticket. No amount of explanation could
explain to the surprised and disguised
Democracy Of Virginia how this Demo-
cratic county could elect Coalition Off
Ger on the general ticket.
1t is fact, that We suppose none Will
dispute, that the government Of county
should be controlled by those most inter-
ested in it that a majority of the people
should exercise the right Of conducting its
affairs. The county of Augusta on the
most thorough and exciting canvass is
Democratic by over seven hundred MAORI
ty. By this We mean the county, leaving
Staunton out. We presume that this large
body Of citizels can furnish officers to this
county in nowise inferior to those to lie
found in the minority. A large portion of
the government Of this county has been
taken away from that party by the action
of the State Legislature. Its county
Judge, who has much to do with admins
ter:ng the business affairs of the county,
is not in political sympathy with the ma
iority Of its people, nor are his appointees.
But there still remain to the public many
important offices. How long these will hr
theirs to dispose Of they cannot tell-s
brief period, il the Republican Coalition
gets complete control Of the State. But
at all events these Offices are the property
Of the Democrats of Augusta m0so, to fill
with competent Democrats. Will they dc
iI, or will they hand them over to be filled
from the ranks of party whose county
committee coolly proposed last Fall to the
State Board of Canvassers to disfranchise
the aohole people of Augusta on an infor-
lily, for the existence Of which member
Of their own party was responsible. A
Acknowledgement which was asked for
without the faintest suggestion that there
had been fraud. or that the vote of the
people of Augusta had not been cast hon
estly and in accordance with custom OF
many years standing. That is a sample
OF the spirit of the party, which cannot BIZ
wiped out and shows clearly, though not