Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-31

every child in the Commonwealth, of what
ever color, may secure the benefits of a
free education.
sIXTH-No MIXED SCHOOLS.
We oppose the mixing of the white and
colored races in the public schools, and the
placing of colored trustees and teachers
over white children, and are in favor of
preserving the school organization for the
two races as separate and distinct as posi-
BILE, giving to the colored people for their
schools all the preferences and privileges
which we demand for the whites, including
colored trustees and teachers, and making
no discrimination in the distribution OF
school fund on account of color, and we
pledge the Democratic party to adopt all
necessary legislation to pefect this plan as
best for all concerned.
sEvENTH-sTRIcT ECONOMY.
We demand and will exact strict econo.
my in all the branches of the Government
State and Federal-and that the number
of officers and the amounts of their salaries
shall be reduced and kept within the mini
mum requisite for the due performance OF
the public service.
EIGHTH-RRAL CIvIL-sERvICE REFORM.
We demand such real civil.service reform
as will make merit the test of official fit
ness, and exclude the loathsome system OF
bargain and sale of Office, and the partisan
preference for the ignorant, vicious, and
corrupted, which is now the disgrace of the
State and Federal Governments; and we
denOunce the sham methods which have
heretofore been practiced, and which have
rendered examinations, Investigations, and
trials new sources of corruption and new
objects of just derision.
NINTH-oPPosITIoN TO BossIsM.
We are infexibly opposed to the system
Of bossism which BELTS only the minions OF
tyrant, which is at war with every prin-
ciple of honor, manliness, and republican
freedom, and has been but recently intro
duced in Virginia only to corrupt, degrade,
and disgrace her.
RING RULE IN VIRGINIA.
We denounce the ring now in power in
Virginia and masquerading under such dis
guises as Liberal and Coalitionist, and
charge it before the people
1. For betraying the Democrats who
voted the Hancock electoral ticket put forth
as the only true Democratic ticket into the
hands of the worst political enemies of the
people.
| 2. For supporting the partisan vote OF
the United States Senate whereby the re.
moval of disabilities of an ex-Confederate
was prevented.
8. In seeking to establish servile and
subsidized press by requiring official publ
cations to be made in partisan journals,
without regard to their circulation or fit
ness.
4. For multiplying offices and increasing
salaries to reward favorites.
| 5. For attempting to take the business Of
the people out of their hands by creating
more than one hundred new officers to be
called commissioner of sales, and at the
same time refusing to allow the people to
elect them.
| 6. For attempting to legislate circuit
judges out of Office before the expiration
of their terms, and dishonoring the judici
airy in many Instances by the selection Of
judges VIGOROUSLY corrupt and ignorant.
Z. For making the public offices, which
should be public trusts, the spoil of fac
ton divided out by favoritism, without re-
gard to merit.
s. For making the asylums of the insane,
deaf, dumb and blind, the State University,
the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical
College, the Virginia Military Institute,
and the entire public free-school system
parts of vast machine of partisan power
and plumber.
! 9. For attempting to gerrymander the
congressional districts of this State in out
rage of fair representative expression.
10. For attempting to band together and
incense the colored race against the white,
through leagues and religious organizs-
tions, and by false and infamous appeals &c
the worst passions.
II. For flooding the polls all over the
State with illegal and fraudulent votes
manipulated and counted by corrupt Off
Gals
10. For resorting to mean and trivial
technicalities to count into Office delegates
representatives and officers who were re-
jected by the people.
49, For claiming the conscience of legis
lators by exacting written obligations from
them in advance to support all measures o.
the ring, dictated by caucus, regardless o.
their oaths to support the Constitution.
IA. For concentrating the powers o.
Government-Statea and Federal-into the
hands of corrupt and intriguing oil
garchy, subordinated to the power of 6
ringleader through the machinery of {
pledge,,bound caucus, and exercising these
powers with shameless tyranny.
THE INDEPENDENT SENATORS AND AUDITOR
We applaud and thank the independent
Senators Newberry, Lybrook, Hale, Will