The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-01
The Immaculates.

We don't profess to be very well yersed
For that reason it be very stupid in
us not to be able to distinguish the moral
difference between Il man who exhibits
three-card monte OF any other gambling:
game and the man who plays it; between
the man who deals the cards in draw poker
and the man who plays them. We have
an old, fogy kind of notion that gambling
is gambling and that the law so regards it.
OF course, however, there must be a wide
difference between the two. Our Demo-
cratic friends who ought to be authority
on such matters, if experience contributes
to qualification, are Mortified at the idea
of Edgar Allan's moral delinquencies
eleven years ago, whilst they have nothing
whatever to say about the criminal indict-.
ments against their most prominent lead
ers for just as grave offences against the
| law in the very same line and at much
| later date. 1t would be just as fair for
! our speakers to decline to meet Judge
Christian on the stump because Judge
| Christian was once fugitive from JUS
| tice for gambling, as it is for them to pre-
tend that because Edgar Allan once VIC
lated the law he must forever be con-
demned. Let those who have taste for
such dirty work go to the criminal records
| of Augusta county and the city and see
| how many of the pharisees who are raising
this howl about Edgar Allan, have been
I Just as guilty morally as Edgar Allen ever
was. Adams prosecution was political
persecution, but they escaped because the
law in Virginia against gambling has never
been rigidly enforced, except when it
was necessary to make an example of the
culprit for political reasons. There are
gentlemen in Staunton to-day who well re-
member the time when Judge Christian
| fled from the city and, for weeks evaded
| the officers Of tile law he had violated in
gambling. .That,was years beffsqre Judge
Christian went.On the bench,T butsno one
ever thought of bringing that against him
when his name was proposed forsthe high
est judicial position in the State. Nor
| do we mention it now for the purpose
of injuring him, for we know it will not
| injure him, and we would not refer to it
| if we thought it would. He has long since
doubtless repented Of his folly, just as
Edgar Allan has repented of his. But in
the name of common fairness, in the name
of all that is just, how can men who have
violated the law long since Edgar Allan
did, undertake to read him a lesson ON
morals ? Are they so pure that they
can cast stones without fear I? Does
gambling elevate Democrat to the lead
ership of his party, whilst it renders a
Republican unfit for the association of
gentlemen People who live in the most
brittle of glass houses should be careful
to avoid rock fights.
The voters of Augusta will not be de-
ceived by any such claptrap as is sought
to be made out Of Edgar Allan's gambling
They know the reason why there was nc
discussion last Court day. They know
that the Democratic speakers dared not
meet Allan on the stump. He is entirely
too familiar with the political history OF
Virginia since the war to make it com
Portable for Democratic opponents to cross
him in discussion. His mind is perfect
magazine of information, and with his
brilliant gift of oratory, there is not {
| Democrat in the State who can stand be
meath his scathing fire, and you can't fine
one of them who has the courage to at
tempt it..