The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-08
The Stralghtouts.

WHICH eIIeCJeQ Jno IunQamonCal reforms
the Republicans had declared for as part
of their creed, is lame and impotent.-
The primary thought with Republicans
throughout the country was the emancipa-
tion Of the ballot from the unconstitutional
restrictions the Bourbons had placed on it
the repeal of the barbarous whipping post
law and the protection Of the public school
system from the hostile legislation which
was sapping it's vitality. All the blather
on the part of the Bourbons about debt
paying, was known by every intelligent
man In Virginia as mere cant and deception
and no one knew it better than the gem
tlemen who framed the resolutions adopted
by the Straightout Republican Conven-
tion. Yet these gentlemen, or those Of
them who made pretense of a canvass in
1851, 1882, and 1883, under what they called
Republican auspices, hesitated not to give
encouragement to the Bourbons by run
ming separate tickets, or Withholding their
support from the Coalition candidates,
knowing that Bourbon success meant
death to all liberal political sentiment and
the perpetuation Of the wrongs which had
been inflicted upon the people by Bourbon
legislation. President Garfield understood
the questions at issue just as the Coalition
lists understood them, and he gave his
counsel and the influence of his advice to
consummate the Coalition. 1t may be
truthfully said that it was the result of
his suggestion, assigning as reason that
the capitation tax restriction on the bal
lot, the. hostility manifested to the public
schools, and the existence of the whipping
post, struck at the very base of Republic
can institutions were in violence of all the
professions and policies of the Republican
party, and were SO far above any mere
party nomenclature, that a coalition was
justifable to accomplish a medication of
the laws which worked such wrongs
and injustice. President Arthur sim
ply accepted the situation as he found it
a situation superinduced by the advice and
suggestion of President Garfield and sns-
tanned by the Republican sentiment Of the
State and Nation. Every informed mann
knows that the Bourbons never had amy
purpose to pay the debt as presented in the
funding bill of 1881. They know that re-
pudiation was gradually forcing itself upon
the State by the operation of that bill
| from sheer inability of the people to meet
| it's demands. Apart from the corruption
which attended the adoption of that meas
/ froy ,ad i,,f ho into of sir
jobbers and spectators and with no refer
ence to the condition of the people. 1t
would have imposed upon the Taxpayers
unbearable burdens, robbed the public
schools of the revenues dedicated to them
| by the constitution, and compelled either
the confscation Of the property of the peo-
pie OF undisguised and irreyocable repu-
diation. Not one of the gentlemen who
composed the Convention of the 30th
would dare 60 before the people and de-
fend that legislative monstrosity. Its
enactment was the result Of moral de-
bauchery and political crime, and it's
provisions an assault upon the dignity and
sovereignty of the State, as well as yio-
lation Of the Constitution iii it's protec-
tion to the public schools. To arraign any
party for opposing OF destroying that mis-
chievous legislation, and to charge it with
favoring reputation, in the measure that
became law under the name of the Rid
dleber bill, which all the Bourbon "debt-
payers and all the Straight-out Republic
cans have endorsed, and none more SO
than the writer of the resolutions in ques-
tion, is presuming upon the credulity and
verdancy of the people to a farcical ex-
tent.
The Riddleberger bill has not only received
the sanction of the people of the Com
monwealth, but of the highest courts of
the State and Nation, and finally of the
Democratic Legislature, led by the author
of the platform adopted by the Straight
out Convention. The presentation of the
Statedebt as contained in that measure.
is proof against successful assault, either
| in the forum of conscience, or the logic
of demagogues. 1t has stood all tests
without impairing its provisions or ques-
tioning it's ethics. If there is Reputation
in it, the whole people of the State are re-
sponsible for it, for all parties and the
leaders of all parties have endorsed it. 1t
is the law of the State sanctioned by pub
lie sentiment and by public conscience,
and no faction or party would have the au-
dacity to assail it before the voters Of any
party OF faction. and hope to escape rebuke,
if not disaster. ia sse1ii !
The sublimated concern for public faith
expressed in the platform in controversy,
is entirely too ethereal for common mortals
to understand, when we take into consid-
Grafton the Lyncnburg Democratic plat
form of 1888, and the relation of the
Straightouts to the campaign of tn at year,
and the acts and deeds of the F;ourbon
Legislature and the part the Stra ightout
leaders played in that body. ag3sfAt
The inconsistency of the position s taken
in this platform are apparent when they
are considered. The pledge isgiven to sup
port the nominees of the Chicago (Jonven-
tion, and yet President Arthur is charged
with such offenses, that if he should be
given that honor, we cannot see how the
members Of the Convention and tn o sup
porters Of the platform could vote or him
without qualification. They express con-
fdence in and preference for ex-Set Rotary
Blaine, with the knowledge that he was a
member of President Garfield's G abinet,
when the purpose was announced to en-
courage and support the Liberal movement
in Virginia, through which the alleged"
reputation was effected. President Gar
field was more responsible for the, Coali-
tion in Virginia than President A arthur,
and if there is blame, to attach to the re-
suit, the responsibility is as much in Presi-
dents Garfield's constitutional advisers as
anyone else.
But Mr.. Blaine may well ask to be saved
from his frien6is, if all of them are so con-
founded by ssvaulting ambition as to
press his clslims in the spirit that the
Straightout platform does. 1t is singular,
however, how gentlemen who are seeking
to play a figure on great national the