The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-10
Free Ballot


policy affecting administration that it adj
heres to. Upon all important questions
relating to the interests of government, it
is in doubt, and assumes positions that can
be construed either for or against. This is
natural. with the known tendency of the
party, either in convention. laying down
its cardina. law, or in legislation. called
upon to formulate its views. We are not
surprised therefore, that the Vialdicator,
in discussing the relation OF the colored
people to parties, should place Office as
the primary object for them to consider,
and taunt them with the slight shown
them, as our contemporary argues, II not
being favored with official position. If
there was nothing else at issue-nothing
more vital and important than spoils-
there would be semblance Of reason in
the view our neighbor advances. But the
negro knows that the burden of the APP
peals of the Bourbons is to race prejudice,
and that with this surrendered, there
would be scarcely acontest in this State as
to which of the parties would control ln
the administration of it's affairs. They
know that the Bourbons have been driven
from every position they have taken upon
public questions relating to State, as well
as to National affairs, and that they have
been compelled, by the force of public
opinion, to abandon their platforms, the
acts of their own legislation and especial
| Iy the enactments designed for the
abridgement Of the constitutional rights
of the colored citizen. They have been
forced to appear in this humiliaIing atti-
| tude, not from a sense of justice to the
colored man, but mainly to secure that
which is the absorbing thought and ambi-
ton of that party-power and the control
of the revenues. This practical, indispu-
table and glazing acknowledgment of It's
own wrong-doing, and the plain, palpable
concession that the Republicans have
been right on all controyerted issues, is
not hedged about with doubt. 1t is SO clear
that he who runs may read. Is it no Won
der, therefore, that the negro prefers to adj
here to party which is thus sustained, to
thus comedies it's errors.
| Our contemporary, too, Wants to know
what the Republican party has done for
the negro that he should cast his political
fortunes with the Republicans and turn
his back upon the Bourbons. Is it sin
gular question to ask, in the light
of the legislation of the past fifteen
| years. Did not the Bourbons directly vio-
late the fourteenth amendment to the con-
stitution by stealthily imposing restric-
ton upon the ballot, designed to disfran-
chlse the colored citizen? Did they not
enact whipping-post law, intended, in
the penalties!for which it provides, to dis
qualify the negro to vote, upon the most
, trivial and sometimes trumped-up pre-
texts Did they not so legislate as to
= practically rob the Public Free Schools of
the revenues dedicated to them by the
Constitution, and thus paralyze the sys-
TEN, whence alone can the negrohope to be
/ advanced in the rudiments of an educa-
: ton? These are matters of legislative
record, all operating against the colored
mar. Did not the Republicans force the
Democrats to abandon this pernicious
legislation, go back upon their delibera-
tive acts, and accept the more enlightened
policy of the Republicans in their repeal
The negro would be truly blind and deaf
and dumb did he not see and hear and
speak of these things. And yet the Bour-
, bons affect to wonder why the colored
man does not leave the Republicans and
, join in with the Bourbons to give them
power again and invest them with author
ity to carry out their will in further legis-
, lation.
} We repeat here what we have frequent
ly said before, that we have no objection
to the division of the colored vote, OF to
the colored voters supporting the Bourbon
. party, if it is their desire to do so. We
have no appeal to make to prevent it. But
when the suggestion is made that his own
. interest is identified with Bourbon success,
and that the Republican party has done
| nothing for the colored man, it is due to
, the truth to state the facts, so that all may
{ judge Of them, and that he may make his
choice with the lights before him.
Bourbonism assumes to represent the
J wealth and intelligence of the State, and
because of this assumption, it presumes
| to claim the support of those less favored
, of fortune. This implies that the labor
ing man, or the employed whether white
J or colored, has no right to think for him
self and vote his thoughts at the polls. The
sooner this delusion is abandoned the bet
ter, and the sooner the assumed in
telligent and wealthy understand that they
are as much dependent upon labor as la
Dor is upon them the better. All accumu-
lations are primarily the fruits Of labor,
and this thing of constantly harping upon
what one class has and another has not,
and predicating claim to superior privi-
leges and rights and influence in the af-
fairs of government, is pernicious and dan
gerous to the last degree. The brawny arm
} makes the wealth of this country. Wheth-
er it is aggregated into the hands of the
few or distributed among the many, it is
the result of the labor Of the country and
in no way should affect the manhood
rights of the citizen. All are equally in
terested in wholesome and just laws and
their impartial and honest administration.
The ballot was designed to place each and
every one on the same plane. 1t is the
freeman's birthright, and no assumption
of superior privileges and pretended
claims of paramount rights should come
between citizens in the exercise ofGthis
right. The ballot is one thing and labor
is another, and the man who would pros
titute the advantages of wealth to cor
rupting the ballot, OIL divertingit from it's
legitimate mission of speaking the citi-
zen's convictions, is an enemyto free gov
eminent and popular liberty.
AS to the protection to the rights of the
colored man by the Democratic admins
tration, that has yet to be tested. If fair
elections shall be insisted on in the South,
and the negro allowed to cast his ballot
without molestation, and have it counted
as cast, that will lie a tangible evidence of
tho cinopritv Of tha pron,ica itaratnd and