Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1883-12-05
Democratic majority lsSS..............1.9O3


the late election they gave Democra-
tic majority of 1908, making q Demo
cratic gain OF 4,545, which is about one
fourth of the Democratic majority II
the State, and nearly one fifth of The
total Democratic gain az compared will
the last election. These counties con
tain only about one eighth OF the po-
pulation of the State. One eighth o
the State, then, In counties where tht
purity Of the election is not impeacheC
by the widest Coalition partisan, ha:
contributed nearly one fifth Of the tota
Democratic gain. What caused this
revolution of public opinion in these
sixteen counties?
That is a story which The public vii
never hear from General Malone. II
may be well for the representatives Of
the Den ocra'ic party briefly to rccitt
it. In the first place, Virginia is bN
history and conviction a Democratic
State. The miscarriage Of the Demo
cratic party in the elections OF the las
few years WAS solely due to a division
in its ranks which bad been produced
by difference Of opinion on The State
debt. That vexed question alone gave
a PLAUSIBLE reason for the formation o
the ReadiuSler party. But the State
debt is no longer a political issue. By
the resolution Of The Democratic party
at the ir last State Convention 10 acqui
esce in the settlement made law by the
last Legislature, and pronounced con
stitutional by the Supreme Court Of The
United States, that question has beer
taken out ofpolitics in Virginia. Will
the removal of this issue the only pro
per reason for the existence OF the Re
adjuster party disappeared.
What, then, could be more natura
than the immediate return Of all tht
Democrats in its ranks to their ole
party allegiance
But that return was quckened b.
the spectacle Of the unnumbered woes
the ambition of one man had brought
upon the State, and the apprehension
Of worse evil 10 come, from which acci.
dent alone had just saved the Common
wealth.
A Legislature pledged BY lis majority
10 advance TO obey every mandate O
a party caucus; that caucus sitting on
" TO register nd transmit the DEGREES
Of its master; the executive and judi
ciAi o ffices greedly seized BY the dicta'
tors personal adherents; blind loYaltl
to one man set up as the cole lest O
fitness for position Of trust; The asyllm'
for the insane, those touching monu
ments Of public charity, and the free
school 81 stem, that uobler monument
OF tie public wisdom, thrown in Il
swell the dirty heap OF party spoils-sC
much Of this wild revel of mock states
manship has passed into history. Wha
was threatened Encouragement Of con
gressional districts and judicial circuits
repeal of municipal charters, usurpa
ton Of the powers long vested 10 chau
Gerry c)urts TO control, through the!l
own commissioners, judicial sales o
lands-all this was intended TO x,con-
firm, and perpe luale the power Of th,
autocrat, this new Dr.. FrancIl.
Well, here are the causes of the re-
volut!on Of public opinion among one
eighth Of the purest and best voters il
the State. Is not the inference irress
tible that the same caucus produced {
like charge in the remaining seve Z
eighths
Why 60 about 10 look for secondar,
causes when these great primary eau
SEES are staring all tie word in tht
lace?
The truth Is that all the condition.
coucurred which thinking man recog
niz.d as the necessary foGerunners OF
the downfall OF The coalition. The up
rising of the people OF New York aud
Pennsl lvania last ear against "bOss'
ism" aud Other vicious methods 10 poll
tics; the marked ,uccess OF The Demo-
Gratis IN the local elections last spring
in this STATE; the recent Democratic
triumph III Ohio; the steady and pre-
destined march of the Coalition parll
into the arms of the Stalwart II pIb
llcans; tie patriotic fervor animalinl
the Democratic ranks and kindllng il
old and young very cOntagicn OF pub
liz spirit-all the portents of the politi.
cal skies plainly foretold that Virgins
would prove true 10 her Democratic
traditions.
The peaceful revolution has come
TO doubt its coming would have been
10 despair of free insiitutions-to doub
the justice OF the final judgment Of the
people.
In the address Of General Malone,
systematic murder aud bloodshed are
charged 10 Charles City, Halifax, Han
over, Floyd, Augusta, Madison, and
Lee counties, and 10 the town OF Dan.
vile.
In those counties Except Madison
the CoalitiOnsts polled 2,49G more
votes than 10 1882, as follows:
1882 1888
Charles City................. .... 4Sl 6ll
Halifax. ................ .......2,6lI 1881
Hanover. ........... 1908 ,63a
lloyd. So. COS 1,2Ii
Augusta, including Staunton.... 2,479 2,69t
Lee. Observation-Disclosures. 1872 1921
Totals 1898 1924
They carried Charles CITY, Lee, aud
FloYd-the latter county by a majority
increased from Is in 1882 70 295 in
1888. These figures rather suggest,
what will be found TO be the truth, thai