The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-01-10
rEot the Nrpe1NIAN.l

Coalition party of Readjusters and Repub-
licans is intact, thoroughly organized, and
the strongest party that exists in the State.
or that has existed since the war. 1t polled
III, 900 votes in the last election. The
Danville butchery silenced, i'll that region
Of the State, 5000 votes; and the party
stands to-day with muster roll OF l3O,0oo
men, steeled in purpose and organization
against Bourbon intolerance and proscrlp-
ton. against the Bourbon party and all
it's works and ways. The Coalition party
is good enough Republican party for me.
| have been Republican, as you know,
since the 10th day Of April, 1866. am a
Republican now, and Coalitionist. am
Tor letting well enough alone.
The Readjusters are good enough Repub-
licans. Abuse and vituperatlon have liked
I them in eternal opposition to bourbon De-
mocracy. They can do nought else than
act with the National Republican party OF
1884. They desire to make that utilization.
They will never make the other. 1t is
absurd to suppose that the Coalition party
of Virginia is moribund, 1t polled i'll the
last election, 1 repeat, 127, 600 votes. This
is larger vote than was ever polled before
in Virginia, by any party, in sharply con-
tested election, since the war. Grant,
when he carried Virginia. got only $4,000
votes. Walker, reinforced by consider
Kemper obtained, III 1873, only 600.
Tilden, it is true, Oh a virtual walk-oyer,
got 40 900; and Hancock, i'll an uncon-
tested election, got 5000; but Cameron,
in the hard contest of 1881 got only Ill 600.
Yet the Readjusters, coalescing with the
Republicans. polled 127 900 last year. But
for the Danville butchery, and the appeal
addressed by the Danville shotgun Bour-
bons to. the Southwest and Valley. there
would have been vote OF O,OOO 10 l3o,-
600 cast by the Coalition party The
! Straightouts number only from $50 to 1900
in the State. They carried these into the
Bourbon ranks in the last fight. 1t they
come back, they will add a thousand to our
Coalition strength, and take as many from
| tneother side. Let them come to- us, IT
they will. Are we to go to them? Is the
I mountain to leave its firm base to seek al
I.lianee with mole-hillS ? Whether invited
or not, the Straightouts will be obliged to
return. The Bourbons have no use for
them, and are tired Of them. They know
it.
The Coalitionists, though they lost the
late election are really the victorious party
in the State. They were beaten by trick
by the same trick by which the Republic
cans were beaten in 1873, when kemper
was elected.
| The Bourbons had no chance of carrying
| the late election on issues of State policy.
They were thoroughly repudiated on all
those issues, by the Virginia people. They,
therefore, in their Lynchburg Convention,
abandoned those issues, and accepted the
platform of the Readjusters. Their plan
of campaign, though they burst not an
nounce it in terms, was to make the fight
on the race issue. They had succeeded
with this scheme of policy in 1878. Their
only hope of carrying the election of 1888
was in making the race issue the sole issue.
They made that issue. They made it early
| in the canvass. They harped upon it con-
tinually day in and day out, on every
stump, on every court green. in every part
/ of the State. Their scheme was, by rails
ing the cry of negro rule, and negro equal
| ity, to bring out every white voter who
could be intlamed by this appeal. Their
Speeches were inhammatory in the last de-
| degree. They continued it for four months |
They wrought up the feelings of the poor |
whites to white heat. They Kissed them
on to the negro, Their tactics were sue
cessfu. They were even more successful |
in 1888 than they had been in 1873.
We know the history of the Danyille af-
fair. We know of the appeal which the |
| Danville Bourbons made to their white |
brethren in the western counties. We |
know the hypocrisy and cravenness, and
| that it was successful. The regular |
| Bourbons came out in full strength to the |
polls. The poor whites, who had not voted |
| or paid the poll-taX requisite to voting, |
during the whole time that that tax was |
| required, now came yelping to the polls in |
gangs, crying, Down with the negro
! Down with the negro party Virginia Tor
! white people, And the shameful part of |
| the affair was. that the Straightouts, white |
and black, voted with them.
The ROlrhOn vote OF 40 900 in 1878. |
| brought out by this appeal to race preju-
| dice, was the largest vote that had ever |
| until then, been polled in Virginia. The !
vote in 1888, Of 143 600, was twenty per |
| cent. larger. and was due to the same ap- /
peal
Such were the means by whlcn the
| late election was carried. Ihey struck
| below the belt" They fought foul. Ihey
used incendiary methods. They won
victory but it was victory OF dlshonor
| 1t will cost them dear. LII Will cost them |
future defeat and disgrace.
| Was there ever anything so dlsgraceful
| in Virginia politics, as the vltuperatlon
| which has been cast upon zen. Mahone
1t has only been equalied IN american pol
tiles by Democratic ABUSE Oh zen. Urant
| and Senator Conkllng.,
Inc Coalilion parry mas petl o N4,
| but not beaten. 1t is to-day the strongest
| P"A ~ 1850 -eN1 S'~~-1 "
| 1t is 10000 strong. LII IS, TO all lntehts.
Republican party. IL can pc nothlng else.
Its members VIII never forgive YET Inc ABUSE
with winch they were assali9a py tne
Bourbons IN the last eiecllon. Ihelr party
alignment IS ilxed 10 stay" Ii VIII never
be changed.
DO you WanC 10 alsSoive sucn party
why (! Cast oonoE DuC IL VII hoC us
solVe. II cdllioo ulesolVe. ~ n@o d Sle e
mission to work out "a Ior virginia ana ior
the SCUM anu II MEANS 70 aGco ~ Iia
That MISSION. Moliu YOU lase ~ e 70 gus GUS
Dand In deIerehce 70 the capllces ol d leW
who happen 10 pe oae OF sympathy WIN
I It's purposes ana us ieaueIs onoul9
great party ABANDON us leaders ana as a'1
solve Its ranks IN ofaer TO ADMIT nahdlnl
OF non-contentS VINO are h0G IN prlhclple
with them OF OIL tnein IN ielio S,
What mission nave Tue otlalsnIousS
| what cause nave they Ior eAistlng aI ail
| winch one OF tn'st party Can explain us
rdssoft q etae =, .,,.
| No. Sill Ihere VIII be no dlSpanalng
There Will be no reaching ouI after allen
! and incongruous support. Inc strongest
party that ever existed IN Virginia has
something better, more important, pa
| triotic, more glorious, to 40 than TO DIS
band.