The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-08-06
The ~Best People. \

action. When it is compelled by the hope
of power or the pressure of existing con-
ditions to advance from these effete rela-
tions, it does so with the reservation that
with power attained. it will return to it's
FORMAL condition. In State and Nation
this is the case. We have striking Illus
tration III the history of Virginia Of the
truth of this statement After the close
of hostilities it appeared before the coun-
try as the Democratic party, notwithstand-
ing the terrible scourge which had been
inflicted upon the people as the result of
its ideas and policies. 1t found, however,
thatsthe people were not ready to adopt a
name that was the synonym of SO much
suffering and devastation, and that power
could not be gained under that nomencla-
ture. 1t readily adopted that of True Re-
publican, protested to accept the liberal
constitution that was presented for appro-
val, and by deceptive appeals and false as
surances, passed into power. Finding it
self entrenched in all the departments of
government, it threw off the name of
True Republican and came out as the
| Conservative party. Under this designa-
tion, it proceeded to eliminate from the
Constitution some of its most Essential
features. aad violate the. solemn prom
ises it had given and to which the people
were committed. 1t engrafted upon the
Constitution a provision restricting the
elective franchise with an unconstitution-
al condition, re-established the whipping
post, bartered away the control Of
the States revenues, paralyzed the
public schools and inflicted upon the
people burdens that were crushing
them to the earth. So monstrous were the
wrongs it imposed and the palDable ruin
it was inviting, that not even the tails
manic appeal tosectional and race preju-
dices. could save it from rebuke. Many
who had hoped to inaugurate an era of
peace and prosperity under the alias of
| Conservatism, found that Bourbonism had
too firm hold upon the organization to
allow it. They revolted, and joining with
the Republicans, instituted reforms in
the interests Of the people, which prom
| ised new dispensation and more progress
sive influences in the affairs of the Com
monwealth. No sooner was this recog-
nized than this Conservative party dropped
its alias. and assumed that of Democrat, at
the same time declaring for everything
| the Republicans had adopted, and which
they had opposed, and claiming it as of
| right theirs. Although pretending to all
the talent, and all the wisdom, and to be
the ''best people, they have been COM
PEELED to acknowledge their incapacity to
devise any measure or promulgate any
policy that has for it's object the practical
good of the people. They have deliberate
ly stolen from those whom they have de-
nounced as aliens to the Commonwealth
and upon this filched capital have sought
| the confidence Of the masses.
! Their self-distrust and conscious knowl-
edge of their own incapaclty and stupidity
were never more brazenly exposed than in
the incipient action il this canvass. They
were afraid to take the lead, because they
were inspired by no high conviction of
duty to the State and concern for the peo-
pie. They delayed their convention until
after the Republicans had met and boldly
announced their policy and principles
Two weeks afterwards this Democratic
party met in convention. and although
claiming to be representative of the "best
people, was driven to the necessity of
appropriating the Republican platform
adopting in detail the various reforms
proposed by the Republicans, thus pro-
claiming to the world that they had Meth
er the capacity to understand the needs
of the people, nor the courage to formu-
late methods of relief.
1t was the most pitable sight ever pre-
sented for the contemplation of an intelli-
gent constituency. Pretending to every
thing that is manly, courageous and wise,
they were compelled to publish to the
world that they were unable to suggest
a policy or present aremedy having for it's
object the improvement of conditions,
without boldly and deliberately stealing it
from their opponents. Whatever is orig
inal in their platform is reprehensible, if
not revolutionary, and whatever is mer-
| itorious is stolen. Yet this is the party
that would pose before the country as the
embodiment Of all the decency, all the
virtue and all the talent of the Common
wealth.
1t is consi stent with itself, however, in
fhic opd xuou1d lla ouuo11u nou icta,,t tLo
failures that would follow were it again to
be entrusted with power. 1t was guilty
of public qualification in 1883, and when
by brutal violence and barbarous out
RACES it stole into power, it showed the
absence of intelligent conviction by mu-
tilating and destroying the very measure
which it had professed to adopt. 1t e.
clared its dcQuiescence in the Riddleberger
bill, Notwithstanding it's bitter and relent
less opposition to it's enactment, but when
it essayed to legislate in reference to it,
exhibited the most glazing ignorance of
its provisions and the most stupid inca
pacity to comprehend its nature. What
had been done looking to the restoration
to the State to the control of her own
revenues, was undone-what had been done
to conform to the delicate and stringent
demands of the Federal Constitution was
undone, and the whole question left in
chaos, with free path for the coupons to
pass to the Treasury. with the probable
outcome of impoverished schools, depleted
exchequer and ruined credit.
The real truth is the leaders and mana
gers care nothing for the masses. This
was illustrated in their first legislation on
the debt question. They never thought of
the people. and the desolation that had
swept over the State. They simply thought
of how the ''best people" would stand
away from home, not how they could allie
viate the suffering and want of their fell
low-citizens. Hence they capitalized the
debt, reaching in that form to SAG, 100000,
at per cent interest. and levied tax of |
IA cents on the 800 for all purposes, when
it would not haveraised enough revenues to
have met ordinary current expenses of gov
eminent. That was the first act of deliber-
ate Reputation, for it meant an accumu-