The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-03-13

organization, to compromising them at ;
time when they had no tangible assurance
or not sufficient to justify them, as they
thought, in surrendering to those who hai
never cast Republican vote, OF beer
practically in any other relation than the
bitterest maligners of Republicans because
of their fidelity to party and principles. But
things have changed since then, and now,
there is no sound reason or defensible pol.
icy in carrying the arrangements and diff.
ferences of 1881 into the canvass of 1884
Those who favored the Coalition, whether
of one faction OF the other, are now COM
mitted substantially to all that the other
wing of the Republican party contended
for, and if less Of personal feeling and
more of devotion to the Republican party
were the animating motive, there would
be but little difficulty to overcome to unite
all who should be arrayed against Bourbon
Democracy in the contest upon which we
are about to enter. In the presence Of is
sues we regarded as proper to advocate
and essential to the ends of justice to
adopt, we have heretofore dismissed all
minor considerations as to regularity of or
ganization and legitimacy of authority and
united with those who were striving fol
the same object we were. We are pre-.
pared to do so again. Organization with
us is means to an end, and therefore We
are not disposed to contend for. a technical
and immater ial right at the expense of a
cause we deem just and righteous. We
had no computations in 1881 when we sup
ported the Coalition and co-operated with
an organization, the manner of the
formation of which we did not approve,
nor do we think others are justified in
a stubborn assumption of Legitimacy
when the question involved is open to con-
troyersy. to say the least, and the interests
involved of such Importance and such char.
acter as should command the, support OF
all. "Vox Populi" and those who may sym.
pathize with the statements he has made
and the views expressed, may congratulate
themselves on the success that attended
the. canvass Immediately succeeding the
conventions of 1881, but they should not
forget that a favorable result would then
have been impossible without the cooper
alton of those who were .identi led with
the Holcombe Hall body, and believed that
it represented the regular organization of
the party. Success then was dependent on
the course of those who disapproved of the
manner of the formation of the Coalition
of 1881, and success in the contest of
1884, in this State. may be equally Deepen
dent on like cooperation. This impor-
tant fact does not seem to have duly inn
pressed our correspondent and those who
think with him, if we.are to consider the
freedom Of criticism and latitude of asser-
ton which have recently found their way to
the public. The Republicans of Virginia
have submitted to much that was wrong
and endured much that was unjust, but
because this has been the case in the past,
it should not be presumed that it will al
ways be borne. 1t is possible for the Con-
ventipn which has been called to meet on
the 23d. of April to remove cause of dis
trust and inspire confidence, and it is pos
sible for it to arouse resentment with the
masses Of the party that would prove disas-
trous to it's plans and overwhelm in defeat
those who may be rash enough to presume
that there is not point where forbearance
ceases to be virtue. Let a manly effort
be made to bring all together who should
be united-reconcile conflicting views by
mutual concessions, and a fair and just re-
cognition in all things Of those who haye
just claims to recognition, and with this
spirit prevailing and practically asserted,
an unbroken font may be presented in
November next, and the electoral vote Of
Virginia given to the nominees of the
Chicago Convention which meets on the.
Sd of June.