Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-04-18
FRIDAY MORNING. APRIL Is. 1854
REPUBLICAN, BOURBONS.

For nearly twenty years the Republi-
can party of this country has been at a
dead stand In the matter of learning how
to acquire political territory, South. 1t
has the government machinery spread like
network through the States it desires to
conquer by the ballot box; it has hundreds
of able advocates of its cause quartered
on the people of these States in the gov
eminent pay, and yet it does not advance
a step towards victory. 1t has not lacked
States some political experiments that
have astonished modern civilization by
their severity; nor persistence, for quadren-
nially the history of its efforts and its
failures are rehearsed in Presidential cam
paigns for the instruction of the North
and the reproof of the South. 1t has
besieged the States of this section with
men, money. the law and even with bayo-
nets and yet the report every four years
does not vary an electoral vote. The ex-
PLANTATION of this may be found in the
fact that with all Its formidable equipment
for use in Southern warfare the Republic
can party has omitted the desirable one
of common sense. Of this ammunition it
possesses not whit more than it owned
eighteen years ago. In Richmond in 1867
the writer of this had long conversation
with Vice President Henry Wilson.
While it may be disputed whether Mr..
Wilson was a great man, it has always
been conceded that he was most astute
politician. How far he was entitled to
this last title may be inferred from the
fact that at that time he was full of the
conviction that the political complexion of
the States could easily and speedily be
settled. The Wings, he said, (so little did
he know how the fire Of war had welded
the men of the two parties.) had now their
great opportunity to rule the Southern
States and put the Democracy under
foot, by availing themselves OF the black
vote. His plan of settlement seemed
to find room for nothing that did not cal
culate with certainty On the division of
the white vote. At the very time that
he was formulating this theory the black
voters had already been solidly banded I'M
der the Union League and were far be-
yond the reach of any sort of Southern
whites, either Wings or Democrats. To
any one who lived in the South in the
turbulent timeg of reconstruction the i'm
practicability of Mr.. Wilson 8 suggestion
was too apparent to need moments con-
sideration. Yet we believe that up to the
day of his death Mr.. Wilson entertained
the belief that had the whites adopted his
views everything would have passed off
smoothly in Virginia at least, if not in all
the Southern States. Nearly twenty years
have passed, and yet the leaders of the
Republican party do not seem to have
gotten beyond Mr.. Wilson IS knowledge of
the situation. Only ten days ago we saw
John Sherman, one of the foremost men
in that party, asking Gen. Wickham on
the Danville riot witness stand, why, as
it appeared impossible to divide the blacks
the whites themselves did not divide on
political questions. Suppose Mr.. Sherman
should take this question home to Ohio
to answer. In that State there are thou
sands of persons who are illiterate. How
would the people there like the PROPOSE
ton for the intelligent voters to divide
and let the illiterate decide the affairs of
government by siding with one or the
other of the intelligent wings. For that
is the concrete result of the success of
such plan, unembarrassed by fine words.
It follows then. that the party that obtains
the power in the Commonwealth is soon
corrupted. for mass of ignorance that
does the voting soon leavens with corrup.
ton the agents who do its bidding.
But Mr.. Sherman need not 60 to theo-
ries to establish the danger of giving an
ignorant mass the controlling power in
State government. Let him take Virginia
for example. The intelligence of this
State did divide on a public question and
the ignorance of the State promptly joined
one of the wings, What came of it In
less than six months the new party was
absolutely in the control of single lndi-
vidual. In less than two years the State
itself was under the absolute control of
Virginia was known as one of the most
conservative and peaceful of the Southern
States; under the new party all was
changed. Violence became the order of
the day. An old man and minister of the
gospel who ran for Congressman-at-laIge
as Democrat was mobbed at various
points in the State. Among the. newly Or
ganized mass of ignorance reign of ter
ror was inaugurated for those of their
race who did not agree with them. They
were expelled from churches, mobbed in
the streets, and socially outlawed. AS for
the government of the State it became
travesty of government by the people. 1t
was an autocracy. Conventions for State
Senators, Congressman, and Delegates to
the legislature were ignored by an auto
personal favorites. When the Legislature
electedlunder that regime assembled. a man
came from Washington, opened private
Office ia the capitol and directed and con-
trolled the legislation of the whole State.
That is the experience of one State In the
South where the intelligence of that State
had acted on Mr.. John Sherman's advice
and divided. After such an experience
the people of Virginia are not likely to 60
further on the same road. Four years of
such government is enough for them.
Now, the division into two parties
the whites of the State having failed to
give good government to the State, sup
pose Mr.. Sherman gives.a new recipe
and advises the blacks to divide. With
such a division the scene in Virginia
would be instantly transformed. Neither
race nor color could any longer be mo-
tive for political enmity. 1t would be