The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-02-14
A Dangerous PRECEDENT.


md judges of election, and the Boards
If the State Charitable and Educa-
iional institutions, cannot be founded in
serious desire to improve the public SER
vice. While majority of the election Of
icers has been composed of the members
Of the Coalition party, for the past year or
Two, we do not believe that the admins
5ration Of the several offices has been I'M
fair OF unjust to their political opponents.
These changes, when the power was at
famed to make them, were to correct
abuses which had been too frequently
practiced under former officers of the
Democratic persuasion. While. as gen.
eral thing, elections have been fair in this
portion of the State, there were occasions
when too much partizan spirit entered into
the deliberations and determination Of
some of the officers by which legally quail
flied voters were deprived of their votes
OH fimsy technical grounds, and others
subjectedto annoyance and delays, which
evidenced, disposition to evade, if not
deny, justice. This was especially the
case with'many colored citizens, who could
not or would mot defend themselves as
white men would have done. Considera-
lions growing out Of this state of affairs,
doubtless induced the Coalitionists, when
the power was conferred on them, to
make changes, for the purpose of arrest
ing such wrongs and recognizing the equal
rights of all classes of citizens. We do
not believe that any charge OF deliberate
wrong-doing can be successfully made
against the election officers proposed to
be displaced by change in the law. Ger
tainly there has been nothing to Justify the
radical revolution thatis embraced in she
law enacted by the present legislature, and
there can beno reason offered in defense of
it except that ofparty necessity. Whether
it is in contemplation to use this species of
election machinery solely for party advan-
tage or mott that is the Interpretation it
bears and that is the construction that
will be placed on it, until some tangible
evidence is furnished that that is not the
purpose. If fairness to all parties is the
object, the most liberal administration of
the law will, not prove an improvement,
and anything less than fairness will not
meet the approval of the better element of
the Democratic party. With the power
will be associated responsibility and the
manner of its exercise will furnish
the guage by-which the party exercising it
will be judged. We misunderstood the
public temper, if extreme partizanism in
the use of the. election machinery does
not receive fitting rebuke from the peo-
pie.
In the up-rooting process which is
proposed in the bills passed by the Leg
islature affecting the charitable institu-
tions and the public schools, there is no
fact or reason, consistent with the public
interest to present in justification. 1t is
true that the Boards of the. charitable in
situations, as now constituted, are OF one
party, just as they were under former adj
ministrations, but the, evidence has been
adduced by the results of Democratic in
vestigations, that they have conducted
the institutions in the interests of the
the objects for which they were created,
and at no time in their history have they
been managed with more skill, ability and
economy. The impartial Judgment of
every impartial gentleman who has had
opportunity to become acquainted with
the facts Of the several cases, must con-
cede this, and that there is no cause con-
sistent with the successful conduct Of the
charitable institutions of the State, to
warrant the radical measures that are pro-
posed to effect a change from one party to
another. The only object in view must be
to make them more partizan than they are,
and to resort to revolutionary agencies to
attain that end. There is no sustained
charge, and cannot be, of inefliciency, neg
ligence, or dishonesty. The only charge
that is presented to justify the change is
that the Boards and officers are Of one
party, land to remedy any imaginary evils
growing out of this, it is proposed to turn
them all out and to put in another set of
opposite political utilization. Would this
abate the political feature of the admins
tration,? and is there anything in this to
Justify complete revolution in the meth
cd Of appointments which have obtained
ever since the institutions have been in
existence It'll would be run-mad parJi-
zanism and lay bare the motive which sug
gested it-divested of all:concern for the
primary object in the establishment of the
institutions.
Nor can any reason be assigned, consis-
tent with the welfare.of the Public Free
Schools, to justify the wholesale removal
of all the ministerial officers who now
manage them. 1T cannot be denied that
the public schools aresnow in more
healthy condition than they haye ever been
in their history There are more schools,
more teachers, more pupils, more means
to support them, and more gratifying
improvement in all of their appointments
than ever before since the system went
into operation in; this State. The public
records show this, and the fact is patent to
all that the people are better satisfied with
thenlthan ever before.
There must lie something, therefore,
other than the public welfare, which stand
behind these hostile movements against
the election officers, the public charities
and public schools. What is it? We are
forced to the conclusion that tistos pros,
titute them to partizan purposes and to
mass them into an enginery for. -partizan
ends. The people of the State are con-.
fronted with a proposition to change the
laws regulating the appointment of all
these of1icers-the laws controlling cleo
tions, the public schools and the charitable
institutions, in order that a political party
may the better use them for its partizan
chemes and plans, and subordinate them
to primary INFLUENCES entirely, f oreign to
the object Of their creation. This is not
a high aim for a party that processes
phenomenal concern for the good Sof. the
Commonwealth, and boasts it's intelli-
gence, its virtue and patriotism. Its very
excuses viii inspire distrust and its inor-
1inate greed for petty places, will breed
an inveterate and unappeasable disgust.
We would remind the reckless partizans
who arn inauOIratipo thic nn1icv Of rQvo-