The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-03-19
The Animus.

we are TO accept rs true the statements
of newspaper correspondents. prominent
and representative Democrats of Virginia
have been Dusily engaged in explaining the
political situation in this state. To start
with. they have drawn line between vir-
tue and vice, integrity and corruption,
and placed the Democratic party on one
side, as possessing all the virtues, and the
party ON the other side, as
all the vices With this adj
iustmeAt ef moral and social influences, it
has been assumed that all the Federal of
foerS in the State are corrupt rascals-
that the interests Of the national govern
ment in Virginia are committed to men
who have neither social standing, moral
weight non common deceney, and that the
whole public service is honey-combed with
corruption, prostituted TO base personal
ends by INSCRIPTIONS and disreputable in
cumhents and the interests of the govern
ment made to suffer because of such a
frightful state of things
OF course it win at once suggest itself to
observing and intelligent gentlemen that
this is an anomalous condition of things
that it is phenomenal perversion of the
natural order of society and that in the
history of no people can a parallel to it be
found. That all the intelligence. the de-
cency and the integrity. of a whole State
should be,massed .in one political organ
ization, and all the ignorance, corruption
and dishonesty should be concentrated in
another and opposing party. will strike the
average mind as,ene OF the most startling
and remarkable freaks in ethics and pollty
ever witnessed Yet this is about the drift,
of the. representations which are made
according to newspaper correspondents
and Democratic editorials. They seem to
have forgotten that there are pubic
archives i'll each of the departments-that
the records of each Federal Office are de-
posted there-that regular reports have to
be made of all official business transacted,
which are scrutinized by experts and
passed upon, either in condemnation or
approval. If any evidence of corruption,
dishonesty or incompetency is disclosed, the
sin of it is promptly visited upon the. Of
fender by dismissal and punishment. LII
efficiency and integrity are shown, the Of
iicer is simply notified that his accounts
are correct, without any waste OF words IN
fulsome compliment, for it is assumed
that he has simply discharged his duty as
his Obligations to his oath required him to
do. These partizan ''reformers" seem to
have been ignorant Or forgetful OF the
fact that the head of each of the depart
ments has the means at hand to verify OF
refute the wholesale accusations and viru-
lent defamation of Federal officials in this
State, which IRE reported to have beer
made since the 4th of March.
This black mass of official corr upton
and putridity is assumed to be Malone
ISM" Before and up to 1879 it was called
'sBlack Republicanism, . for Republicans
when Gen. Malone was the Golden
Calf that Democracy worshipped-whc
made and unmade Senators and Governors
were denounced just as bitterly as what
is called ''Mahoneismn is now
A brief reference to local pOlitica
history may furnish the uninitiatee
with the animus of this wholesale
defamation of Republicans and marvel
lous assumption of Democratic pu
rity. In 1868, after Virginia had beer
known as "District No. l, - and the affairs
| of the State administered by the Fedora
Government under and through military
| officers, it was determined that the people
| should resume control of their own affairs
A constitutional convention was ordered
it met and formulated a constitution, tt
be submitted to the people, with severa
obnoxious provisions in it. Through thu
influence OF President Grant, these often
| sive provisions were voted on separately
and rejected and with them omitted, thu
| constitution was adopted. At the SAME
| election, State officers were chosen. The
Republicans were known in that canvass
| simply by that name. What is now sub
stantially the Democratic party was known
as the True Republican" party. Th'
military Governor Wells was the Republl
can candidate for Governor, and Gilbert
lie. Walker, a citizen from New York. and
claiming to be Republican, was the nom
inee of the True Republicans" b!
placing several Union men-natives OF thu
State, on the ticket with Walker-Hen
j. F. Lewis for 1t. Governor and w. Z
TAYLOR for Attorney Generate com
manded a large vote from the Union ele
ment of the Commonwealth, and wa
elected A Legislature was chosen IL
sympathy with the State ticket. When
convened, a statement of the State deb
was formulated in a message. 1t aggre
gated S45 900. O00-$30, 900, 900 principal ant
SIS. 600, 900 accumulated interest. Cotem
poraneous with this statement bill wa
presented for funding the debt, after as
signing one-third of the principal and one
third of the interest to West Virginia.
Accompanying this was a detailed state
ment of the taxable resources OF the State
assumed to be about S725,000,0o0. Th'
funding bill provided for bonds for $50,
OOO, 900, including interest and principal o
two-thirds of the debt, in round numbers
bearing six per cent. interest, represented
by tax-receivable coupons. There was
stubborn contest over its adoption. A Lob
by was gathered the like Of which wa
never before or since seen in Virginia, en-
gineered by non-residents, interested IL
the debt, a large proportion of which the.
had purchased for % and 80 cents in tn
dollar. The struggle was long and fierce
with the chances against it's adoption. Blu
one night at the Exchange Hotel, as has beef
openly asserted, a caucus of the lobbyists
and one of number of the members OF tn
Legislature, assembled in separate rooms
What passed between the lobby and TIL
members is not generally known. 1t ha
been charged:that money,in large amounts
was used. The next day, the bill wa
passed by decided majority, some % o
80 members having changed to its favo
within twenty-four hours. This fixed ;
debt of $50, 100000 as Virginia's portion
bearing six per cent. interest in tax
receivable coupons. The action of TIT
Legislature created widespread surprise