The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-08-21
Were Their Eyes Open ?
New York Sun, Dem.l

| New York Sun, Dem.
/ 1t is now asserted ON what seems to b
good authority that the main facts abou
| the Buffalo. scandal were laid before man
of the delegates to the Chicago Conven
ton before the nomination of Mr.. Cleve
land. In other words, he was not chosel
by the convention as it's candidate 70
President in utter ignorance of the risl
! involved. This may be true. 1t is never
theless true that the Democratic party-at
large, the great body Of Democratic voter
throughout the land, and the newspape
press opposed to Mr.. Blaine and to con
| tlnued Republican rule, remained in alb
| solute ignorance Of the existence of thes
charges until weeks after the nomination
I OF the machine candidate. 1t is likely
moreover, that the stories whispered a
| Chicago took no very definite form.
| The same thing cannot be said of TIN
| information furnished to the Independent
| Republicans who adopted Governor CleYe
land as their candidate at the recent con
ference i'll this city, and who declared il
their address to the country that sthe par
amount issue of the Presidential election
of this year ismoral rather than political.
We find in the Brooklyn Daaly Times thi
distinct assertion:
Before the conference met, before thu
address read by George William Curtis was
prepared, Mr.. Curtis knew, and the othel
leaders in the movement knew, that Grover
Cleveland had been branded as mora
leper. Here are the names of some oil
the men who informed Mr.. Curtis of the
facts, who stand responsible for the
charges, and who implOred Mr.. Curtis tt
look at the evidence in their possession
before he Endorsed Grover Cleveland
THE Rev. DR.. Mitchell, First Presby-
terrain Church. Buffalo.
The Rev. Dr.. Gordon, First Baptist
Church, Buffalo.
'sThe Rev. DR.. Ball, Hudson street Bap-
fist Church, Buffalo.
1.-The Rev. DR.. Greene, La Fayette st..
Baptist Church, Buffalo.
1.-The Rev. DR.. Hubbell, North Presby-
terrain Church, Buffalo.
"The Rev. Mr.. Chiyers, Prospect avenue,
Baptist Church, Buffalo.
The ReY. III. G. Lord, West Side Pres
byterian Church, Buffalo.
'sTheSe men are not politicians. Most
of them supported Mr. Cleveland when he
ran for Mayor of Buffalo. They inves-
tigated the charges that were made against
him with reluctance they have found evil
dence that they hold to be unassailable,
and they stand determined, not on political,
but on moral grounds, to compel his retire
ment from the Democratic ticket.n
The only ground left for Independent
Republicans who still desire to support
MI. Cleveland indicated by the Euening
Post is an article which we copy. 1t is a
remarkable defense to offer as a supple
ment to the Independent address. 1t de-
clares in effect that the paramount issue
Of the Presidential election is. political,
not moral.
What will be the effect upon the minds
of wavering voters of the revelations,
supposing that only SO much is true as is
openly admitted in the versions of the
scandal supplied by Governor Cleveland's
Independent supporters? 1t seems to us
that great deal depends on the manner in
which the Immediate friends and reSpon-
Sible representatives of the Democratic
candidate shall be able to meet and over
come the defense of these volunteer de-
tenders.
The assumption of several of our Dem
ocratic contemporaries that Virginia is
thoroughly Democratic State" is made
for purpose. No fair-minded man, who
is open to facts, and conclusions from
facts, will contend that Virginia is thor
oughly Democratic. y The election of
1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, and even that
of 1888, when spassionately analysed,
shows that Virginia to-day is Re-
publican State, if a free ballot and fair
count are assured. The vote of 1880 was
anti-Bourbon by nearly 20, 000-adding the
Readjuster Hancock vote and Republican
vote, as against the Democratic vote. In
1888 it is conceded by Democrats that not
less than $4,000 Republicans voted with
the Democrats, and it is claimed by the
Straightout Republicans that the number
reached 10000. This vote will be cast for
Blaine and Logan, with here and there an
exception. This would give the Republi-
cans $4,000 majority. The qualified voters
who did not go to the polls in that year
numbered about 10000. That at least half
of this number may reasonably be put
down as Republicans, for all the circum-
stances and incidents of that contest lead
to the conclusion that more Republicans
remained away from the polls than Dem
ocrats,is equally probable.
The object of this positive claim that
Virginia is Democratic State is not to
convey correct impression as to the ac-
tual situation, but to prepare the public
for Democratic success by such methods
as were instrumental in defeating the
Coalition last year. We entertain no
doubt of Virginia being a Republican
State, if a peaceable election is allowed
and the vote is counted as cast. We be-
lieve that Blaine and Logan are entitled
to the electoral vote of this State, by rea-
son of the voting strength of the &epub-
lican party as now constituted and we
further believe that 1t will be given them
in November next, if they are not de-
prived of it by unfair and dishonest means.
Mr.. James O'Keefe, of Richmond, has
just returned from visit to Ireland. He
reports that all the Irishmen he met with
on the other side of the Atlantic are fol-
Cleveland. That may be true, as Cleve
land is running we'll in England, and now
we have it that he is making good time il
Ireland But how is it in this country
where Irishmen have votes and know
something about Mr.. Cleveland and his
friendship for Irishmen? The indications
are that they will not by long way bt
unanimous for him, and indeed it may b.
held large majority of them will vot'
against him. They ought to be better ad
vised in the premises than their friends
across the waters. But their friends across
the water are not, as represented by Mr.
O'Keefe. The Irish papers, with scarcel.
an exception, favor the election of Blaine
The Democrats were wont to call Car
Schurz the Flying Dutchman' and de-
nounce him as a mercenary politician