Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-03-21

sentative IN Gn6 virginia senate IneSe
were the sort of cases unseated. To the
honor of the Democrats, be it said. no
Frazier and Lady case stained the pages
of their Election Committee 3 reports. If
all the men we have named were legal
members of the legislature, then is legis-
lature OF the representatives of the Vir-
ginia people 10 longer possible, and the
State would save time and money by hav-
ing VIM. Malone name who he wants in
the legislature, and having Chester A. Ar
thur designate the dead-head places on the
navy yards aud other Federal pay rolls, of
men commissioned to conduct the empty
forms Of election.
1.-THE funds in the Treasury dedicated
to the payment of interest on the public
debt invaded ?" On the contrary they
have been appropriated distinctly and by
acts to the payment of the public debt
800, 900 month. The Democrats have
made the Riddleberger bill secure as far
as State legislation can make it SO, and
provided TOR the interest u,lder that bill.
That was two things the Coalition never
did.
"PartiZan investigations of public
Offices to find pretext to make places for
Bourbon henchmen ?" Was it not worth
while to spend time and money to find
out that the institutions of the State were
run in the interest of political party ?
Did not the Virganian Itself demand an
investigation at the W. Z. Asylum here
of the awful crime or accident viii ch
had occurred therein. Has our cotem-
porary read the committees report Of the
loose management at the Central Asylum
investigation of the transaction where a
verdict of $4,000 damages against the
State mad been gotten for alleged breach
of contract by some of its most prominent
case ? Does it propose to stife the voice
of the people, or listen to it ? If not stif1e
it, would it not have granted the investi-
CATION demanded by the people into Judge
HA"yo VI oOoOpo0ivs cO JuoU ouou UuO LII
resigned before he would be investigated;
of the people into Judge Claiborne, of
Franklin. SO just that the man resigned
before he would be investigated into
Judge Goodwin, of Portsmouth, resigned,
and Judge Shumate, of Fauquier, re-
moved F? Does our cotemporary not know
that it is the high duty of representative
body to listen to the people and investigate
where they complain. This is not a
Malone government, it is the peoples
government where the people cannot be
subordinated to one mans will. What
remedy would the people have, where else
can they look, but to the representatives
they send to Richmond. With partizan
Governor who appoints boards, with par
tizan boards who appoints officers, and
with partizan officers who, administer the
affairs of public institutions how can the
people be heard How can all these
= Ulcers be made accountable, how can
wrongs be righted, if not by Investigations
ordered by the representatives of the
people ? 1t did not need any ''investiga-
tions" to vacate the offices in the various
institutions. That was done in 1882 and
with the hearty approval of our cotempo-
rary, soithout investigation or complaint of
any sort. In the language of Senator
Bailey, the eminent Coalitionist. "they
were turned out that our men might be
put H." The Coalition did not import
any new and improved breed of mental
prodigies into these offices that it should
require an ''lnvestigatlon' to put them
out. The Democrats might simply have
adopted the plan endorsed by the Virqin-
IAN in loS2-expulsiOn without complaint
of incompetency. partizanry. or misman-
agement.
The legislature of Virginia has had no
''malign or r1ercenary ends" in view. 1t
has firmly and cautiously gone to work to
do what the people sent it there to do-to
destroy every vestige of the former One
Man rule in the State, that the constitu-
ton would allow it to destroy. This work
has been done with dispatch, economy
and conscientiously, and with no $50 900
extra session saddled on the people as the
Coalition did In 'S2. If 1T has failed in
some things, it is because among so many
men some weak backs will always be
found, but the legislation which reached
the form of law has been in the interest
of the people of Virginia. of self govern
ment, of honest government and of cheap
government. and with an eye to the preser-
walton of the people from ever again falling
into the hands of One Man. Where Judges
have been competent, it has said SO and
refused to remove them, where public
officials have done their work faithfully
and legally, its committees have said so.
where elections have been fair it has re-
tanned the benefciaries in their seats
without regard to party; but where the
of all these things have been
proven with judges, officials and legisla-
tors it has had the nerve to put Its hands
boldly and unsparingly on the men. That
It's record is Fearful" is perfectly true.
1t is fearful to the Mahoneites. 1t is fear
full to every public officer who has not
and honestly administered
his Office. 1t is fearful to men who lave
been crowded INTO public positions for
which they had no qualification beyond
the fact that they were active partizans.
1t is fearful to party which had counted
On the possession of the election machine
ry of Virginia to hand her over to Arthur
next fall. 1t is fearful to the politicians
of the Coalition party. But 1t is not fear
ful to the People.
If the opinions of respectable Republican news
papers are to be regarded, there is a strong and
growing current in favor of the nomination of Pres
ident Arthur at Ghicagn. tia 2rd of lima