Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-06
A Criticism or the Republican Plat
form OF Virginia.
To The Editor Of The Dispatch .

having denounced the DemOcTatlC parry
of the State as organized repudia-
tors, ballot-box suffers, and assassins."
The Republican organs, with affected
sincerity and Indignation, deny the cor
rectness Of the Interpretation put upon
the foregoing language contained in
quotation marks. The resolution which
contains the offensive epithets is as fol-
lows
1--WE declare our resolute opposition
to the present Federal Administration
as the fit creature Of the immoral and
faithless relations Of apostate Republic
cans with the national Democracy, and
as the natural product Of folly, fraud,
force, and perfdy, which has already
displayed all the traits Of its origin by
proclaiming test for Office that at once
finds its most fragrant violation in the
offensive partiSanry Of the President and
his Cabinet; by parading the mean
hypocrisy Of reform that awards pre-
miums to false witness and calumny a;
by servile obsequiousness at the North
to the men whose treachery betrayed
Republicanism and stole the crown of
power and victory for barter and by
inSolent venality and brutality in the
South, and especially in this Common
wealth, that have conspicuously identi-
fed it with the worst elements Of ra-
pine and corruption, and made it the
accomplice of that Bourbonism whose
effective strength consists Of organized
regulators, ballot-box suffers, and as
sassins-to the grief and indignation of
good men of all parties"
Now, their organs claim that the
words "to the grief and Indignation of
good men of all parties so qualify
the preceding portion OF the resOlu-
ton as to make it only applicable
to the extreme Bourbon" portion
OF the party. Well, let their inten-
ton be what they claim for it, the
large body of the Republicans of
the State, and especially the negroes,
will understand it as being intended to
apply to the Democratic party Of the
State, and the malign effect will be
exerted upon their ignorant and easily
preiudiced minds.
But let US look little further into
this precious document, containing a
most vicious and damnable SANDER and
libel of four fifths of the white people
Of Virginia, and we find the following :
Pledging ourselves to these, and
appealing to our unvarying fidelity
heretofore to popular rights and in
terests as full earnest of our honest
purpose, we arraign the self-styled
Democratic party Of Virginia as the
same old criminal which, under various
former aliases, has been found guilty
of high crimes and misdemeanors, OF
which the following is only a partial
and incomplete summary"
Now, let it be particularly observed
that the platform is speaking of the
self-Sfyled Democratic party Of Fr-
gtniG. Let us see what it says about
this self-styled Democratic party OF
Virginia in a paragraph which follows
the foregoing:
They have introduced in this Com
monwealth the lawless and shameful
methods and practices Of Mississippi
BOurbonism, and they do not hesitate
at any step to secure power and battle
the popular will, suppressing free speech
and free politics by every possible APP
pliance."
They have introduced in this
Commonwealth the lawleSs and shame
.fi methods Of Mississippi Bourbon
ism ?" All! Who? The Democratic
party of Virginia, Of course. Well, we
have only to find out what is meant by
the "lawless and shameful methods
and practices of Mississippi Bourbon
ism to get at their meaning. 1t is a
well-known truth that the Republican
speakers in Virginia, and throughout
the country, have shouted themselves
hoarse crying, "Copiah Copish ~
and their organs have teemed with arti-
cles charging the Democrats of Missis-
sippi with carrying their elections by
the " shotgun policy" by terrorizing,
numbering, and assassinating negroes,
&c. Does not every intelligent school
boy in the country know this to be
true? Will they deny it? No. they
cannot and dare not. Then take the seve-
raj portions of their platform heretofore
quoted in connection, and can any
sane man entertain the shadow Of q
doubt that the platform designed to de-
nopnce and proclaim to the world that
the Democratic party Of Virginia is
composed of " regulators, ballot-box
suffers. and assaSSins ~: Why, GER
tainly not, for the testimony they fur
nish against themselves is strong as
"proof of Holy Writ; and hence
nobody can doubt or be deceived
as regards the real intent Of
the platform as relating to this
matter. Having demonstrated that
the platform charges the Democrats Of
Virginia as being regulators, ballot
box suffers, and sssassins, let us see
what the motive was which prompted
them to do it. Why, Of course, to eI-
cite the preludiceS and infame the pas
sionS of the negroes and solidify them
as voters; to overthrow the Demo-
cratic party in the State also,
to prejudice the northern mind
against them and excite feel
ing Of interest and indignation that
would serve them in raising funds for
campaign purposes. If this be not the
true solution of the intent of this infa-
nous SANDER of the great body Of the
white people Of Virginia, let me ask
what was their motive. Let their or
gans come out and explain, if they
can.
This remarkable platform has been
scattered broadcast over the land, and
is sowing in the minds of ignorant ne
groes and uniformed northerners the
seeds Of hate, Of prejudice, of discord,
and Of revenge, which is strongly cal
culsted to mar the friendship aud har-
mony which ought to exist between the
two races in Virginia, whose interests
are identical, and is seriously cslcu-