Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-09-25
fFrom the Fincastle Herald.l
- H0RsaC. u Reynolds.
FcHY HE Lent THE CoALITIONIsTs-AN OPEN
} BETTER, rBEPLETE WITH STRONG POINTS.

w NoODBoUHNE, BoTETOURT COUNTY VA, I
i.4 { September s, 1888. :
BsRgamia Hadea, Esq, Fincastle, Ta.:
My Dear -Sir--Having been assailed as a
traitor to my party and its principles, / beg
to say word to you as my friend and rela
i've, and through you to my.brother.Read
justers OF Botetourt, in viudication of my
self. | shall endeavor to give you a plain
statement of facts without any feeling of
malice or bitterness towards any man or
set of men with whom 1 may differ upon
political questions.
1t is known to you thatX. was an original
Readjuster, and for over two years held an
important State office, which was rendered
me as Readjuster, and which office l re-
signed at a time when 1 had the warmest
and most positive assurance that I could
retain it if desired to do so. I was Re
adjuster after the straitest sect, according
TO my understanding of Readjuster princi-
PIES, and under similar circumstances
would still be q Readjuster. I was in favor
Of q settlement of the debt question; in
favor Of sustaining our school system; of
giving to cur aSylums the necessary aid
for their proper maintenance; in favor of
abolishing the capitation-tax as prereoui-
site to voting, and in favor of such reforms
as were necessary in order to give us gov
ernment Coy the people and for the people,
| was opposed then and am now to rings,
cliques, Bourbonism, and star-chamber
edictS. was opposed then and am now to
trading upon the cupidity or ignorance of
the colored man for selfish purposes. Twas
III favor then and am now of giving to the col
ored man all the rights and privileges to
which he is entitled under the law and op-
posed to pandering for his vote by creating
the hope and aspiration of becoming social
ly and politically the equal Of the white
man-hopes and aspirations that will surely
culminate in the most deplorable events:
for the social and governmental rule of the
white race brooks no peer from another and
inferior race. The Richmond WHig claims
and I acknowledge the claim-that the
''Readiuster party has done all that it prom
ised to do, and more, and has been Of great
benefit to the material interest of Virginia;
then you would ask why 1 resigned my of
fee and left the party? I answer that |
resigned my office first, because was tired
of public life and preferred my home among
the mountains to any Office, and because [
considered the mission of my party as fill
ed, and that there was no longer any need
for its existence, and I could in no way and
in no sense be connected with party that,
after having accomplished its high purpose,
was being led into the Republican ranks. I
most highly respect the man who is a Re-
publican UpoR p1iRci6le, and want all such
to have a free vote and fair count; but as
nay principles are more Democratic than
his, I can't go with him; and tell you now
that the present struggle for State suprem-
acy is a simple contest between Republican
ism and Democracy, and the disguises Of
Readjusterism and Liberalism are only used
to lead you into the Republican ranks, there
to serve the purposes of a selfish ambition.
National Republicanism and Republicansm
in the northern states is widely different
thing from Republicanism in Virginia.
There it means craftsmanship and respec-
liability, tn many sharp practices in State
craft and general feeling of distrust of the
South and disposition to degrade and
fleece her people by a system of taxation
chat is unequal and unjust, and by claim
ing for the southern negro political rights
and social privileges and rights which they
scorn to allow him among themselves.
Why should the tobacco which | grow be
subjected to high rate of taxation whilst
the various articles Of New England man.
ufaeture are encouraged and protected by
q tariff? And where IL all the North win
you find negro revenue collector, negro
legislator, or a negro congressman? Three
iOurlhs Of the Republican party in Virginia
is composed of negroes, and already they
are elamOrous for Office aud their speakers
talk flippantly about heir rights and pre-
dict speedy termination of all race preiu-
dice. Give them school trustees to overlook
white teachers in white schools, aud in a
little time you will have mixed schools.
Straight haired pale face alongside of nap
py-headed cuffy, and each imbibing knOwl-
edge from the same-pure fountain; and then
now long do you suppose it would be until
society would present as many variegated
hues as the rainbow? Does the picture
please you? Ifnot, Iprayi you, my Read
iuster brethren, to let no delusion, no syren
song, no personal pique or prejudice, induce
y0u to forget the duty you owe to your
children, your state, and to yourselves, by
Joining hands with this Republican party.
5-has taken the Caucasian race, with the
light of Heaven beaming upon its counte-
nance, many centuries of progressive labor
to reach the present state of civilization: l.
has taken a long time to get from hand la
boz 20 machine labor: from a bride. path to
Il railroad; from q horse mail TO lOcOmo-
tive, telegraph, and a telephone; from a
tailow dip to kerosene and Gagged lightning;
and how can it be expected that q race Of
people *taken out of state Of bar
barism and held in slavery for more than
two hundred years should be capable Of
making laws for and debating to the white
man? For these reasons | cannot leave
the Democratic party and go to the Repub-
licans; and if that be treason to my party,
to my State or to myself, then indeed l
deserve the name of traitor. l have recent
Tv-, rrCEn ,,Nkal HI
member of the last Legislature, who said
the only trouble with them was the fear
that should the next Legislature be Demo-
cratic it would undo the good work which
had been done by the Readjusters. In an
swer to that say that to undo that work
would be to falsify the solemn pledge of a
great national party in convention assem-
bled, and to violate well-known and fixed
principle in human nature. The benefits
arising from the settlement of the debt
question are enjoyed alike by Funder and
Readiuster, by Democrat and Republican,
aud no one ever heard of a set of men that
voluntarily assumed a pecuniary obligation
after being legally relieved of it. 1t is q
folly and delGsion to suppose that any
Legislature will ever undo the settlement
of the debt question. The settlement is
final Then where is the necessity for the
Readjuster party longer to exist 3? 1t orig
mated in a necessity and has served all the
purposes for which it was formed, and being
wholly and entirely State party and no
| longer having necessity for legitimate ac-
ton, its elements should gravita5e to their
respective places in the two great national
parties, Democratic and Republican. Let
those who prefer the Republican party and
the Had of woes it brought upon the South
join that party, and let them have "free
vote and fair count" but | implore all
those who think that the principles of the
great Democratic party are better suited to
tlle social and material interests of the
| South, and are unwilling to become the as
sociate Of the negro, to rally under the white
mans flag that tloated from the masthead
of the first pinnace that touched upon the
| shores of this continent, and under its folds
a mighty empire has risen, whose founda-
ton was laid under a. Democratic flag and
by Democratic white men, who for more