Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-13
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 10, 1885


A s. MORTON.
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. IS, 1885.
We apprehend the Democratic party will
not measure up to the V1NDIcAToR's demands.
1t is too severely hedged about with fossils
and memories-with traditional prejudices
and incorrigible hates to advance to the en-
enlightened relations which all the people
should bear to governmental duties. 1t has
stood in the path of Virg1nia's progress for
twenty years, and only been forced to accept
the inevitable when the memorable logic of
public opinion and national law has left no
other alternative. Whatever of liberal legis-
1ation has been enacted, has emanated from
influences outside of the Democratic party
and in obedience to the aroused manhood of
the Commonwealth which has broken away
from the mandates and DEGREES of the party
machine Valley Virgniaas.
When our Republican contemporary ven
lures into the past in political discussion,
it treads on dangerous ground. Nothing
can be more welcome to its adversary than
to compare records in the Virginia history
of the Republican and Democratic par
ties. AS it has gone there we'will try and
follow it.
Where in the civilized world can the his
tory of reconstruction in this State can be
duplicated. It was the work of the Re-
publican party-of the wisest heads, the
bitterest hearts, and the strongest arms in
that party. "Prejudices'' and ''hates' are
tame words to describe the intolerance
which brought on the prescription and
the humiliation of the people of this State
during the execution of the laws Repub-
llcan congress made for their government.
No law but the sol1ier. no police but the
bayonet, no Court of Appeals but the
chamber of the commanding general.
Where can the Republican constitu-
tional convention be duplicated in the
civilized world ? Where else could the
cold, deliberate, hate-filled proposition to
disfranchise the whole intellig ence Of
State, and put the government in the
hands of solid mass of ignorance en-
ginesred chiefly by men who were aliens.
from abroad
Where else can be duplicated the petty
tyranny, the studied bumiliations of a
brave, truthful. disarmed, and patient
people, which the Republican party IN
fl!cted on the people of Virginia ?
Where else could be seen national
tional government at enmity with its own
State, and seeking to grind to powder
poverty stricken and defeated people
who had just come through the bloody
wine press of war ? Where such malignant
ingenuity as was shown by the Republican
party
Where has the Democratic party ever
shown such prejudice and incorriglble
hate where it had power, as was shown in
that pariod by the Republican party
Slowly and by painful steps was each
grip that the Republican party had on the
throat of Virginia released; but it had
chung to power as long as it could get the
national government to back it.
That was an anomalous time? So it
was. but 1t was made SO by the bitter
hatred of the Republican party. 1t made
war In time OF peace.
AS time wore on the Republican party in
Virginia passed to the rear, except as far as
it was represented by official agents of the
national government. Eight years ago, on
q local question, the Democracy divided
and the Republican party Joined one of
the factions and stepped into power. The
times were not suited so reproduce the
hayonet and the deputy marshal and the
prison in politics again, but the spirit of
hate and intolerance was there still. A
political party was made an engine
of one man and in which the people had
as little to say as the Virginia people had
to say to the military commaDdants six
teen years before. Its intolerance was
equal to the hottest days of reconstruc-
ton. But it lacked the bayonet behind it.;
against it the people of the State could
rebel, and did rebel, and swept it out OF
power.
That is the past of the Republican party
in Virginia, a past that we think few
Republicans would like to hold up for
comparison with the record of the Demo.
cratic party.
But we do not take parties by their past
records. 1t is not the past by which one
can Judge with profit either parties or
men; both change. 1t is the present that
we have to do with. The Democratic party
has many things in the past that We do not
approve of, but one thing cannot be
brought up against lit has never been
an oppressor of the people. AS long as a
party stands by the liberties of the people
it can be relied on to learn and adjust itself
to all their wants. The Democracy, of
Virginia is widely different organization
from the ante-bellum Democracy, and
widely different party from the Democracy
of even ten years ago. Indeed the difference
was made wildly apparent when the
Malone organization in 1881 2 commenced
facilitating itself in the cast off suits of
the Democratic party-the family rings,
the autocratic leadership. the dictation to
the voters in the pettiest matters, the in
tolerance of differing opinions, in short all
the faults and fOllies Of the old Demo-
cratic party. 1t is useless for our cotem-
porary to cite cases of beneficial legisla-
ton given to people Of the State. in which
the Democracy had no hand, until it
proves that it is the party of the people,
The veriest autocrat that relgns in Europe
-Irw h.N Ill -. IL.