Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-08-24

The StaunC0n INDICATOR 3 views OF
family ara very extensive and far reach
ing. Under those views it would not be
hard to prove that in 1860 (sayl, or in
1889, not fifty families, but a half-doZen
families actually either held every office of
honor. profit and trust in Virginia, State,
city, county, or had the disposal of them
for their special strikers, whips, drivers.
SC. We mean this to include United
States Senators, Congressman and Federal
officers, as far as these were within the
control of the so-called Conservative par
ty. The VINDICAToR ought to recOllect
that we are all cousins through ADAM,
and again through NoAH-even if we are
no nearer kin.
AS to the fact, however, that Bour-
bon family oligarchy dominated this State
before the war, during the war. and since,
till the Readjusters began the Revolution
of 1879, nobody of any intelligence can
doubt it. The fight now is between this
oligarchy, with its understrappers, retain
ers and menials, and the masses of the
people who scorn such government, even
if it acted fairly. instead of robbing, OPP
pressing, degrading and insulting the peO-
pie as it always has done and always will
do when in power. Even now, struggling
in the article of death, the ruling passion
of this detestable oligarchy displays itself
most Extensively aGainst common self-re-
spect.- Richmond Wig.
Precisely But that is no answer to
this:
Here is the LIST of official favors enjoyed by one
family alone in one county in the Btate-Augusta:
]. First Auditor of the State.
2 Superintendent of the W. l.. Asylum
8 County Treasurer, (appointed)
T. Special Collector of the Railroad back taxes,
(appoined)
s. Clerkship in the First Auditors Office
All these placed in one county and given to one
family connection in this county-Augusta. "Con-
trast this with Bourbonism'' Mr.. Riddleberger!
The fight is now to be made against the
ne,O "oiigarchy' whose reign does not
affect the Democracy as much as it does
the 'understrappers. retainers and meni-
ais" who are debarred from their legiti-
mate share of the spoils and who though
working and sweating through elections.
National, State and Local, are "relegated''
to the ''fve cent counter" when the divi-
sion of the spoils comes along.
The hereditary Office holding, which be-
came SO much practice in the old Dem
ocracy of Virginia, became so by virtue
of an assumption of superiority, which
was as offensive to the people as it was
contemplate and without foundation in
real merit. 1t has been severely and justly
rebuked by the defeat of the party which
tolerat ted 1t, and will never find repetition
or countenance in the Democratic party
of to-day. Bat that the Coalition party
should have so early IN it's history con-
tracted the same disease WHICH helped to
SOW the seeds Ct defeat in the Democracy
is token of approaching dissolution,
which even the audacious denominations
of Senator Riddleberger cannot hide. His
party has the hereditary disease and must
go to the hereditary burying ground The
people of Virginia have made up their
minds not only hereafter to support the
government, but to share in the govern
ment.
1t seems hard for the Coalition to I'M
derstand that they are not fighting the
De mocracy of 1870. You don't think that
the men who went to the Lynchburg Con-
vention are the same sort of men who used
to sit quietly and let all the offices 60 to
one set of families; do yon? If you are
as blind as that, you are already defeated.
They are a different sort of men and you
will find it out in November.