The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-09-18

"The Joint committee recently appointed
by the Legislature to examine the several
lunatic asylums in the State have complet-
ed their labors and will he ready toreport to
the Legislature when it reassembles on
October next. The report will not be
made public until presented to the Legisa-
ture, but enough is known to warrlntsthe
statement that no frauds have been discov-
cred in the management of the asylums
anywhere in the State" This is the sub
stance of n press telegram sent out last
week. We submit that such statements
are calculated to do injustice to public
officers and the institutions themselves. 1t
is the natural result probably, of the man.
ner ofappointing committees of investiga-
tion, custom which would be more honor
ed in the breach than in the observance.
s'But enough is known to warrant the
statement that 10 frauds have been dis
covered is a form of assuring that frauds
had been charged and that there were just
grounds for suspicion that frauds had been
committed. This is palpable injustice,
vet it is one of the inevitable differences
from the appointment Of committee of
investigation. While there may have been,
and may now be, Irregularities and care
lessness in the administration of some of
the public institutions of the State, we do
not believe there have been criminal trans
actions in any Of them. Such reports as
the one we are referring to, are a
palpable reflection upon the integrity of
the officers and initiate against the. useful
ness of the institutions. as well as give to
the whole Commonwealth q bad name. In
our judgment it would be wise in the Leg
islature to he slow in the appointment of
committees of investigation. and not to
entertain u motion to raise cne, unless
there be some tangible facts, duplicating
some given persons, upon which to redi-
cate 1t. 1t is not agreeable for public officers
to be arraigned before the public as sils.
pected criminals, and then have it flashed
to the country that there have been nc
frauds discovered . as though it were a
surprise and not in accord with public
expectation that there had been no frauds
exposed.
While we differ politically from the OIL
GERS of the two State Institutions at this
place, we have no hesitacy. and indeed
take pleasure in teslifying that their in
tegrity and honesty are above reproach
and the suspicion conveyed inthe dispatch
sent out. which we have above quoted
does then. great injustice. Not only this
community but the whole State. is inter.
ested i'll dealing justly with gentlemen
placed in the charge of Il great public
trust such as these charitable institutions
and it is rank injustice to poison the pub
lie mind with suspicious about frauds, .
which may have no foundation in fact.
a communication i'll the Dispatch OF
Wednesday last, from Buckingham G. H.,
states that on the StIi, Hon. J r. Tucker,
Col. S. T. Coleman, and Cam Patterson.
Esq. addressed an audience at thatplace on
that day. These gentlemen are all Dem
ocrats. The correspondent makes nc
mention of the fact that the Republicans
held Il meeting at the same time and place.
composed of double the number of that
addressed by Messrs. Tucker & Co., and
speeches were made by Messrs. J. Yost,
MI. fuckers Republican opponent for
Congress, Hubbard, Eppes and Perkins,
Nor did the writer inform the readers of
the Dispatch that it was on this occasion
that Mr.. Tucker declined Il joint discus
sion with his Republican C ompetitor, as
signing as reason that ibis friends had made
arrangements for himself and others to
speak, which would consume all the time
tEey cared to occupy. Nor did he state that
this declensiOn was not in accordance with
the wishes of some of the most prominent
Democrats in that portion of the Dis
trict, who believe that it is right and
the true policy to discuss the issues which
the people have to decide ut the ballot box,
on all proper occasions, to the end that the
voter may know what he is casting his bal
lot for. 1t is true, Mr.. Barbour, as
Chairman of the Democratic State Cen
trail Committee. had issued an order, adj
vising such course, and it is equally true
that it is Il very cowardly order, which the
people do not approve, and which will have
a very bad effect on the prospects of every
candidate for popular suffrage who may
choose to avail Of it, to escape an exposure
of his offensive record.
Nor have we seen any account in the
Dispatch of Mr.. fuckers failure to meet
his appointment at Palmyra, in Fluyanna
county, on the 10th. 1t was in his sched
ule of appointments, he was in convenient
distance of the place, he knew that his OPP
ponent would be there ready to discuss the
questions involved in this contest, us well
as Mr.. Tucker S record. But that gentle.
man did not come to time, and the only
excuse we have heard coming from him
was that his friends thought they ''conld
not get up q crowd.
From whatever cause this refusal of joint
0lSCNoolOll Ildy ttlloC. IL 10 ltoClttllUdDlt
both to Mr., Tucker and his party. 1t is
as much as tosay that they want the people
kept in ignorance Of the issues to be de-
cided and the position of the candidates
who may be asking their votes. 1t is 6
policy Of concealment-of suppression OF
facts-of cowardice, and will meet with &
rebuke from the free people of the 10tl
district, that will serve rs an instructive
lesson for the future.
The Lexington Discussion.
The Roclkbridge Enterprise, in its report
of the discussion at Lexington between
the Republican and Democratic candid
ates for Congress in this district, has the
following, which corresponds with the
statements we have had from Impartial
witnesses. 1t will be seen from it how
near the truth the correspondent of the
Spectator, and the Dispatch, and the re-
porter for the Gazette, approach:
Yost is small in stature and rather boy.
ish in appearance, and as he came to the
front, those who saw him for the first
time, and knew him not, were Of the opin.
ion that there was not much In him, and
that he was foolish to pit himself against
an experienced politician like Mr.. Tucker
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