The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-30
a Flagrant Outrage.

A fragrant Outrage
There was never more fragrant crime
perpetrated against the people Of State
and the fundamental principle Of free
government. than was committed by the
last Legislature. For body with powers
prescribed ythe Constitution to deliber-
ately undertake to violate that instru-
ment; torefuse representation to the peo.
pie in the way they had declared through
legal forms to openly and boldly reverse
their verdict and clothe with representa-.
tive trust the very persons they had re-
iected, and to refuse to recognize those
they had elected, was an offense against
statutory and cardinal law; against the
vital principle of representative govern
ment without parallel in the history of
this country. Fifteen Republican mem
bers of the Legislature, duly elected by
the people, were refused their seats, and
fifteen Democrats, who had been rejected
by the people, were awarded the seats to
which they were not elected. The outrage
did not stop at this. The partizan adyan-
tage thus illegally obtained, was reck-
lessly used to strip the Governor of
powers which had adhered to the Execu-
tive office since the organization of the
State Government, and legislation enacted
for the purpose of depriving the people Of
their rights at the ballot-box. that party
power might be secured in defiance of the
popular will. The annals of no State re-
cord more fragrant usurpatiOn of au-
thority and utter disregard of the sane
tions of law and of the rights of the peo-
people. 1t was crime Of enormous por-
tent and fearful reach, and if not re-
buked by the people, it will constitute a
blot and a stain that for all time will be a
reproach upon the Commonwealth. We
republish from the Wing, the several
cases, which make up the fifteen legally
elected representatives who were rejected
that two-thirds Democratic majority
might be obtained to-override the veto of
the Governor and practically paralyze the
Executive arm of the government. 1t was
a contamination pre-arranged and pre-de-
termined. 1t was openly announced in
advance of the meeting of the Legislature.
that with a Democratic majority in that
body, the necessary two-thirds would be
obtained to defy the Executive and pass
such partizan laws as party necessities de-
manded. 1t was thought to be an idle boast.
but it proved to be a fearful realty. 1t is
now part of the legislative record, as in
Dictated in the following citations
Philander Herring and H. B. Harsber
ger were unseated. House Journal, page
50. These seats were given to Bourbons,
Vaughn was seated from Goochland
when Clarke received a majority of the
votes cast and was elected, OF else there was
14S.
The seating of J. w. Lawson, from Isle
of Wight, when L. @. Gillian had the GER.
tifcate of three of the commissioners OF
election and Lawson that of only two,-
the law requiring three commissioners to
| sign, and also the county clerk to attach
| the county court seal-the clerk refusing &c
attach the seal to the Gillian certificate,
House Journal, page %.
The seating OF fretlow in place OF Deyel
| llOLA I1ONoO CONfItttta Pc6C
500. See also page 9S1.
Messrs Parker and Banks, Of Norfolk
city, duly elected, were sent back for new
election.
Mr.. Franklin, of AppomattoX, was un-
seated in favor of Robertson. House Jour-
nal page 251.
MI. Boiling, Of Buckingham, was sent
back for new election. House Journal,
page 229
Here we see by the House Journal that
nine Republican members of that body
were unseated, or denied seats to which
they were elected, simply because they
were offensive partizans,' in Bourbon
eyes. OF these nine seats six were award
ed to Bourbons-the three others being Sc.
| cured to Republicans only by second cleo.
tions, in which they received increased
majorities.
| In the,Senate, it is notorious that Senator
Turner was thrice elected before he was
| allowed to take his seat that Senator
Rue was thrice elected, only to be fl
| naly unseated in favor of Callahan, who
| did not even claim an election that Sen
ators TONNES and Barham had to be tunes
elected before they were admitted and
| that Senators Hubbard and Webb were un.
seated and their seats given to Bourbons
who were not elected.
| Here are six cases of Republican unseating
in the Senate, of the most fragrant kind =
in three of which Bourbons were seated.
! Thus we have fifteen cases recorded.
Besides, the House refused to seat Mr..
| Mookiar, of King William, for some time
| although he was obviously elected, on &C.
| count of careless OF malicious error OF
| the county clerk in making out his certl-
| ficate of election and the House Commit.
| tee reported in favor of unseating Mr.. Il.
| G.. Griffin, of Elizabeth City district, and
| this report aeas suspended over Mr.. Griffin 8
| head aclth no final action.
| Besides these seventeen cases there
were others of hardly less unmitigated out
rage and INSCRIPTIONS tyranny.
We1ask the people of Virginia whether
they can in their consciences and as citi-
zens respecting the rights Of their fellow
men, sustain such glazing wrongs Are
they willing to let such record pass with
out their stern rebuke ? to approve by 81
lence such a ruthless assault upon free
government, and the underlying principle
of our institutions ? If so, then govern
ment must become farce and organized
society placed at the mercy of partizan
power, obtained through fraud and per-
jury.
To find fault is easy. Even the most
stupid of Bourbons show no incapaclty for
that. Intact, 1T is Bourbonism or Mug
aotnepery, and it is to play into the hands
of Bourbonism to adopt the suggestions
and phrases by which Bourbons would
evade the main issue and escape arraign-
ment for their chief offences. Let all true
Republicans remember this Wing.
AS the VIRGINIAN last week expressed
its disapprobation of the terms in which
some portions Of the Republican address
were couched, we assume that the above
paragraph was intended for it. If we are
correct in this, we have only to say that
the Wing cannot teach the VIRGINIAN as
to its duty to the Republican party or what
ID e. lit H.