Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-02-20

swinging route step. What is Modern
Expediency but keeping pace with the peo-
pie? What farce it would be to see
political organization claiming to be the
exponent of the people, getting left in the
march of progress by the people them
sci ves What fresh, breezy, welcome
contrast there is between the Modern Ex-
pedients and the Ancient Iuexpedients.
10, one victory, power to benefit their
country, ability to aid the people! 10 the
other, defeat, impotency to aid their coun-
try, powerless to protect the people as
seated in gloomy grandeur on their rights
in the territories they hoist the faded una
brella of the consl tuition over their veneer
able heads. 1t is the glory and the boast Of
the Democracy of this day that it is Modern
and that what it does IS Expedient. Man
is advancing every day and the political
party that wants to be on top must keep
at his elbow. He has new thoughts, new
wants, new political views which parties
must understand, and the party that first
shows him that 1t is in sympathy with him
will win his support. The Virginia of
to-day is net the Virginia of yesterday and
political leaders would do we'll to look at
their watches and mark whether it is to-
day or yesterday. The corn cob pipe ID
politics is extinct, and it it is used atall is
smoked by those who have time to cit
down on the side of the road and let the
world move by them.
Louk at that Ancient Inexpedient-th
Republican party. It got deaf. it could
not hear it thunder. 1t was told that it
was governing the country by sectional
ism it replied that 1T had earned the
right in ;6165. 1t was told that public
sentiment in the Northern States was be-
coming sensitive. and beginning to fear
that it's disregard Of the rights of the
States at the South might extend to those
Of the North; it replied that that Was
merely the talk of copperheads. 1t Vas
told that thoughtful minds in the land de-
manded that the civil service should be q
fact and not a sham; it laughed. It went
Oh smoking its corn-cob pipe and medita-
ting on the glories of the flush times OF
66-'76, and saying it will never end. The
Modern Expedients of the Democratic par
ty came into the field aud swept the bloatel
and decrepid organization away. Look
nearer home at that other Ancient mex =
pedient, Malone. He came into the fiel
with new ideas and new issues, and top
pied over the Democracy, who was smo'k-
ing its corn-cob pipe. But having gotten
into power he stopped. He could not eep
pace with the people. He CONNER cea
ruling his party with an iron will; he must
take to the old feudal style of rule prae-
ticed before the war by the Demo cratic
party. A town, county, congress sionaI
district was at his disposal as a g1ft-to
the new convert or the chronic swaggerer
that strutted under his banner. The
silence of death reigned in his ranks, for
to break it earned official death. He pick
ed up the old sectional confession of faith
of the fast waning Republican party and
swore his followers upon it. Born in Vir-
ginia, heading a party in which there,
were many intelligent Virginians, be un--
NSAoocN w oUPPoAo ChO ltCEuDiiCdu SCC-
tional warfare on one half of the Union.
He could not understand that time in this,
respect had moved up aud left those who
held this idea. His was an old clothes
party; having adopted the cast off old
clothes Of the State Democracy in bis
personal management Of the adopted til Q
old clothes princi pies of the Republica
party. There could be but one end he
went down.
The Democracy would Justly lose it
name and prestige for consistency ?'' Nay.
we thank God, it has already lost it's cling
ing to old ideas Of policy On the delusior
that they were principles. To-day, the De-
nocracy is more with the people and les 8
with great" men than it has been since
the recollection Of this writer or even the
recollection of. our esteemed friend. the
editor Of the Ledger. 1t does not feel
bound to pat on its overcoat in August
simply to be consistent after using it in
December The times and seasons change;
and the Democracy of this country will be
elastic enough to fit the increasing great
ness and multiplying millions OF this great
country.