The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-22

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ed far and near by bourbons as an insolent m
rising of the blacks against the whites.
simultaneously with these occurrences the
crack of the bourbon weapon engaged in polifi
cal murder resounded, and the bourbon knife
sunk deep in the counties of Charles City, Hall
fax Hanover Floyd, Augusta, Lee and else
where. minglng with sabbath day sympathies
from the bourbon capital, ana the race cry was
shouted with brutal ferocity intense enough
to make Virginia the rival OF any southern
state in her record of bloodshed and lawless-
ness.
These, fellow citizens. were the means resort
ed To- The effects were all that the,Dulldozers
could have hoped for.
Murders, deliberately planned and executed
WIN femofseless malignity, were presented 70
ana southwest as the unavoidable self defense
W tnese wolves against their lamb assailants-
" lIlout the means of informing themSelveAOI
tne oaseness OF these falsehoods, thousands OF
ouI party, de!uded and deceived Welded to ali
and In the region where these feionies were
permitted, the murderers themselves nSraded
tnnsa nf armed to the teeth under the pre-
Dany1lle, where Cameron received in lSsI Votes
numbering 49, and Wise in 1883 received Sal
rolled, but rs votes were cast for the eooiStfn,,
candidate, whose n life was threatened, and
and paid for by the party of honor and inteiii
gence. W.
jacent to Pittsylvania, the policy of purchase
as well as rioting prevailed, and while the
methods were little less violent. they were
with a colored voting population of 1914 against
3O54 whites, after giving John S. Wise 548,naa-
1883. And Charlotte, with a black voting popu-
lation of 2,055, and white population Of ], S9e
after giving John y. Wise 762 majority in 1882
gave bourbon majority of 800 in 1888. That
these majorities were honest no sane man will
imagine. How they We're brought about will
in due time be made apparent.
The above are only samples OF the methods
resorted to by the bOurbons. Bribery and cor
ruption appear to have been the order of pro-
ceed1ngs generally throughout the state.
In the history OF politics in this state the re-
cent campaign is, thank God, without prece-
dent, and to the forbearance and long suffering
OF me readJusters, to- this alone Is due the fact
that this state is not now bathed i'll blood.
TO me, as Virginian, former slave-oWner-
and an ex-confederate. the saddest feature OF
this reign OF terror is the sufferings it has in
hicted upon the negroes here. This unfoytu-
nate people have had a fate as black as their
home and country and enslaved bv whites
they were then freed from bondage both WITH
to them, they are SiiSe tfuWpluntatilY accorded
purposes, by the beneficiaries of their toll for
centuries. Unless such outrages be punished,
and their perpetrators branded as they deserve
we may we'll despair of the maintenance of.state
or popular rights, for both have been violated
and degraded. ,r
The result of these outrages has been to add
the crime of murder to the already long, listof
bourbon offences. The responsibility for the
crime rests upon the leaders of that faction
who by tncendiary appeals intiamed the brutal
perpetrators to commit these deeds.
Inat the reaction Will come, anQaIlaI swiftly
and completely, is not o matter of doubt. 1t Is
true that bOurbOnism has gained O triumph upon
a campaign of falsehood and deception, by APP
pealS to passion, and by q barbarOus resolve to
shed as much innocent blood as was necessary
to its success. 1t is true that by fair means and
by foul 1t has procured temporary majority
And yet it is equally true that the majority of
our people are conservative at heart, and aDhor
falsehoOd and violence.
Already the voice of those who were doluded,
beholding the injury they have done their OVID
interests under the false excitement by which
they We're inf1amed, begins to be heard; Al,
acted with this revolutionary faction, men be-
gin to realize that the desperate agitators and
promoters of these outrages cannot be trusted
10 control the deStinieS OF Il peaceful common
wealth. Already the voice of the nation Is up
lifted againet this awful outbreak in a state
heretofore regarded as peaceful and liberty 10y
ing. Already the cry of This way, Freeman,
has become known as O moeking threat tnat'
unless you are a bourbon freeman, your lie,
your liberty, and your enjoyment OF your pollt-
zeal rights are at the mercy of band as lawless
as highwaymen and as desperate as outlaws
The motto of bourbonism, interpreted by the
blaze of their weapons, reads "Unless you are
bourbon freeman you shall be the bourbon's
slave bourbon made corpse
If this be overdrawn where is the first word
of ceasure from any so-called democratic source
i'll or out of the state, of the crimes which are
but feebiy set forth in this recital?
Under these circumstances what course shall
readjusters pursue henceforth Is it true, as
asserted by our enemies, that we are hopelessly
crushed? Are we todisband, cowed and demon
allied, and leave the field in the undisputed
make terms of peace and surrender with our
foes, while others retire in sullenness silence
and submission, to await q more propitious OPP
portunity for reorganization and resistance?
Fellow citizens of the readjuster party, Tor my
self, and speaking doubtless on behalf OF thons-
ands of Virgnians as true and as brave as any
OF our sons, while deploring as much as any ono
the disaster which has overtaken our cause,
am thankful for this opportunity to proclaim
now, surrounded by temporary clouds and dark
ness, as boldly and detiantly as when our cause
was bathed in sunshine, that our hearts are
firmly and forever fixed in the immutable prin,
cipleS of liberty and human right, as announced
by the liberal platform and that the nght snali
go against the bigotry and violence ofDouf-.
Donsm as long as it shall please God to spare
our lives for the struggle.
When we began this contest we were up
minority. Those who enlisted under the ban
her of REIMBURSEMENT came to no victorious camp
to win laurels in o campaign of certain Victory
and they made no terms that defeat shoniu
grant them their discharge. They came 10 u
standard which had no victory emblazoned up
ON it they enlisted for the war; and, to-day,
gathered around it in its first defeat, they can
yet read upon its battle-scarred folds splen-
did tale OF victories which they themselves nave
won, and reform for triumphs more glorious
than any that have gone before.
The scope Ct the Readjqster party has enIai an
issue local, and to some extent unpopular
brings, it has widened its sphere, and while Its
original object has become less prominent, is
of HdtiOndtism, of human rights, Of liberty, Of
peace, Of manhood, Of Republican government,
haze been forced upon By the fierce onslaught Of
to be national, and it has the sympathy of every
man in this nation who loves liberty and alb
hors the prescription and bigotry of caste, lass
and race prejudice which is the life of bourbon
ism.
For myself, as your chairman from the outset
of this struggle, l have conceived that the true
duty imposed upon me by the spirit of our party
was to wage undying war upon bOurbOnism
not only as it opposed the debt settlement; not
only as 1t is the enemy of education; not only
as it is imbecile, heartless, and waSteful in ad-
minStratiOn not only as it is the enemy OF
free suffrage but as it is the enemy of that true
dlm0Cr1GV which means that hnmhl6
weak shall participate In and be protected by
the administration of the government as well as
the powerful and strong. y
In the effort to perpetuate caste, class and
race rule by crushing out by force, fraud or 9TH
the bourbons have made gulf between them
selves and the readjuster party which shall
yawn forever, for they cannot bridge it, and we
will not.
Let the fight proceed. If we are to be in the
minority in the future, it is a minority strug-
CLING for principles as strong and holy as when
| they were backed by q majority. The manhood
which sustains them in defeat proves a sinceri-
| ty and devotion which in due time must and
| will be crowned with triumph, But whether
| future triumphs come or not, the blessings we
| have secured for Virginia are fixed and indes-
tructible. Our enemies stand before; us
| We know that they are our foes and the foes
| of our commonwealth that they have In the
past paralyzed her energies, robbed her treasu-
| ry, defrauded and dWarfed her free Schools,
| strangled her suffrage, brought national hate
| upon her, adhered To no principle, ana made
wa NTH any rsnegIde tb o haVe at last
| umphed is only by murder and Dloodshed That
| have disgraced the State. We know That we
have asked for and given no quarters In the pas t.
that we will accept none, and promise non e
now.
| We know that with bourbonism before us we
| have an enemy to fight, powerful and DANCE T.
| ous to the interests of the state. We know that
masquerading in the stolen livery of demOcfa-
| cy, il is no true representative of demOcracy
| either in principle or personnel, and believe
| the rea6juster party WILL when 1t next meets in
council, unite oldially and thoroughly with oul
| friends, state and national and make cOmEnOn
cause with them against the bourbOns, theiI
aiders, counsellors, and abettOrs, state and ma
tional, by whatever name they may be designa'
ted.
l repeat. therefore, that the struggle against
bOurbOniSm is to be renewed forthwith and IL
the death, and, as your chairman. call upon
every loyal readjuster in. Virginia to rally 40
the old standard and reform to fight new
battle against their old bourbon foe in the ma
| tiOnal campaign of 1884.
! Bearing in mind the old watchword of free
| ballot and fair count, we have q right to de-
mand aud expect support from the state, and II
| need be, from the federal government, in be-
| half of the rights of man, guaranteed by boti
| governments, and put at stake to procure tht
ascendancy of an INSCRIPTIONS party that STICK
| les at nothing to acquire power. pa, \ /.
WILLIAM MALONE, Chairman
| Petersburg, Nov. H. 1888. z
| LIST OF LETTERS
| Remaining in the Post Office at Stanton Au-
| gusta County, Va, NOV. ~ 1000