The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-10-25
Political Delirium.


tied to keep his courage up while passing
a graveyard. The whitened bones of the
Democratic party strew every pathway in
the State and Nation. Our contemporary
has been contemplating this sickening and
saddening scene for SO long a time, that
by an extraordinary effort he has screwed
himself up to the point of trying to throw
off the gloom and in a mood of desperation
to affect a cheerfulness in the hope of in
spring confidence in his doomed cause
He opens with double-leaded paragraph
announcing that the information received
from Bourbon headquarter justifes the
statement that they will carry both
branches of the Virginia Legislature, and
have i'll each good working majority By
what system of grapevine telegraph such
tidings were conveyed to the headquarters,
we are not informed. We, however, heard
this two weeks before it was communi-
Gated to our neighbor, accompanied with
the assurance that when the Legislature
thus composed, convened, Gov. Cameron
would be impeached. But unfortunately
for the confidence thus expressed by our
Informant, another gentleman, whom we
know to be reliable, stated few mo-
ments afterwards, that the saddest and
sorriest looking set of politicians he had
ever seen, was to be found about ssDemo-
cratic Headquarters in Alexandria
a deep gloom seemed to have settled on
the whole concern, from which he con-
cludedthat BourbOnism in Virginia was
in it's last gasp.
Not satisfied with the sensational double
leads as to Virginia, the Vindscator gives
the solemn assurance that the death of
the Republican Marty in the United States
and the advent ofthe Democra into ma
tional power shouh furnish by their cause
some instructive hints to the victorious
party" Not only Aas our neighbor an
propriated Virginia, hut the entire Nation
to the Nep Democracy in advance of the
verdict OF the people. The very extrava-
gance OF the assumptionvobs it of all ra-
tional sincerity and evideices that our CO.
temporary is in conditioned political di-
lirium, that nothing but the sober sense
) OF the people expressed at TIE ballot box
, can dispel. We have too mucA confidence
in the intelligence of its own seaders to
, think that they share in his exalted frenzy,
and that as wild as they sometimes be-
come they will not be affected by Tue craze
that triumph for free whiskey II Ohio
has occasioned
= 1t must, indeed. be a desperate stase of
affairs that could cause our sedate and
modest Court street contemporary to flyoff
the handle as he did last week. No wild
| colt OF comet ever dashed through space
more recklessly than he careers over the
political arena, and jostles out of place
all the calculations of the modern prophets
and seers. He sweeps Virginia with one
i corner of his eye and gathers up the whole
, Nation with the other, and by an extraor-
: binary stretch of imagination lays both
} down as trophies at the feet of political
. invention that he calls the ''new Democ-
! cy' Not in the whole range of current po-
litical literature have we ever encountered
: more rosy and romantic dispositions than
the VindicatOr has furnished, and never
t probably will we ever be called upon to re-
, cord sadder case of misplaced confidence
5 than that which will befall our neighbol
in November, 1883 and November, 1884,
!, Valley Railroad.
The completion of the Valley Railroad
to Lexington is suggestive. This long
looked for event opens up a field for thought
as to what is the ultimate purpose of the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, in respect to
the trade of the Valley and South
west. 1t is stated in the newspa-
pers that the Richmond and Allegha-
! ny Railroad will soon pass into other
hands, and will be made to form a line of
communication with Kentucky, and thence
J connect with some Of the western systems.
i 1t is not stated what corporation is con-
templating purchase. 1t is certainly not
, the Baltimore and Ohio if the destination
} OF the enterprise is such as is stated But
with the Valley Railroad completed to
Lexington, and the Richmond and Allie
ghany road finding connection at that
: point and thence running to the mouth of
Craig's Creek, it would appear that if the
Baltimore and Ohio Company ever intend
to reach out for the abundant trade of
Southwest Virginia, now is the time. Its
purchase of the Richmond and Allegheny
railroad, would secure completed line
to the mouth of Craig's Creek, and with a
charter already in existence and available
from the mouth of Craig's, through Craig,
Giles, Russell and Scott counties, it would
command one of the richest mineral, pas
toral, timber and agricultural districts in
the South. Not only would it have this
splendid section tributary to it now, but
the entire Valley of the James would be
brought into close connection with the
main Valley stem, drawing in rich
trelghtage in all the products of that
prolific region. To make the road from
Harper's Ferry to Lexington remunera-
tive, there must be something more than
the local trade and traffic, Immediately
along the main stem, to do it. A connec-
ton, such as we have suggested, in the
purchase OF the Richmond and Allegheny
road and the utilization of the charter from
Cralgs Creek, through the Southwest,
would open up the iron, coal, timber, &c.,
OF that section, invite capital, induce fur
naces and other industrial undertakings.
and thus build up commerce that would
amply repay the outlay for the improve
ment.
We have not the space this week to dis
cuss this suggestion as it should be, and
we only advert to it at this time, as oppor-
tune in the history of the Valley Railroad.
We are very sure, if an examination were
made OF the region of country from the
mouth OF Craig's to Scott county. and the
connection that could be made with the
coal fields of the Flat top region in Nc
Dowell and Mercer counties, West Vir-
glnia, it would convince any reasonable
mind that no such unoccupied territory for
a railroad exists in the South.
REMEMBER THAT SATURDAY is the last
day OF REGISTRATION. REGISTER at once
and vote for Fulcher and Hamilton.
Ben. Butler, in recent speech in Bos-
Ill