Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-10-30
THE CLOSE OF THE CAMPAIGl

evening you nave zone your uuGy Ill Au-
gusta you will register in your county
an eighth of Lees majority, and your
legislative delegation will constitute one
eighth Of the Democratic majority in the
legislature. Like all political prophecies
these proportions are guesses; but they are
guesses made upon the latest Information
from all parts Of the State. Let US look at
what will follow, if the Democrats of Au-
gusta and the State, have not done their
duty, at the close Of the polls.
There is hardly man in the State, not
an extreme partisan, who will say that be-
tween the two candidates, FitZ Lee has
not large preponderance of the qualities
which Virginians demands and expect
from their Governor. He is man Of con-
sentative cast of mind, of National and
not sectional views, with those underlined
but easily recognized elements of mind
which go to give public man what may
be called ''good character with both
his friends and opponents. He is safe
man.with that happy combination of traits
in his make up which constitute safe
guard against his com mitting any partisan
folly, and with sufficient frmness to guar
antee bis not being persuaded to the COM
mission of such. He will not be sensation
al governor, but a trustworthy, safe agent
of the will of the people as expressed in the
General Assembly. If you have failed to
do your duty, you may lose such man
and in his stead get John S. Wise
Virginia is to elect an us. Senator.
She needs one badly. She needs one who
will represent her to the world truthfully
as to her character, her resources, and her
advantages. She needs a man who will
not join crusade led by other Senators
against her fame, who will not blacken
her name to please political allies in other
States. and who will not advertise her to
the world as the refuge and harbor Of ire
pudlators, ballot-box suffers, and assas,
sins.' If yon have failed to do your duty
you will lose such a man and in his stead
get William Malone
Virginia needs on her circuit and coun-
ty benches men of legal ability, Of purity
of character. and of freedom from poll
tical bias. Men who Will not drag their
offices in the political mire, who will not
be agents of political Ooss, who will not
be participants in political caucuses or run
their courts for ''the good of the party
If you have failed to do your duty you will
lose such men and in their stead get
God only knows who.
Virginia wants men at the head of her
affairs who will not turn against her peo-
pie in revenge for political defeat, and ad-
vertise them to the capital Of The country
as not safe to invest among, to the CAPT
talists as not safe to live among, and to
the world as half-civilized district ID
which shot-guns are political agents and
where the most powerful logic of an cleo
ton is stuffed ballot box. She wants men
who will aiaujte not repel immigration to
the State, who will pull down and not
erect barriers between her and the world
without, and who will not essay the role
of making her silent desert if they can
not make her of their way Of politics If
you have failed in your duly you may
lose such men at the head of your affairs,
and 10 their stead get such men as Ma
hone. Wise, Blair, Brown Allen, and Pat
McCaul.
Virginia wants at this time men Of de-
votion to her de bit settlement, of never
firing vigilance in watching its enforce
ment, and of unfailing courage in sustain
ing it. She wants men who will not get
panicked at every adverse decision of a
local Federal Judge. who will not hasten
to surrender the taxpayers of the State
into the tax collecting hands of Clerks of
the U. S. Courts. and who believe in the
Riddleberger settlement with a faith
proved by their works. If you have failed
these, such an Attorney General as Frank
S. Blair and such speculator in the
bonds of the State as VIM. Malone, whose
profit lies in the fluctuations of the debt
question.
The people of Virginia want home rule
for their counties and their districts. They
are not, and never have been, willing to
put their liberties in the hands of one
man. They want no Boss who orders or
suppresses elections at will, who takes
down nominees for Congress and the le-
gislature made by regular conventions,
and puts up favorites of his own, who pre-
sides over legislatures with veto power
more potent than the Governors and who
uses the whole political machinery of
great State for his own individual advan-
cement. Such a political boss is William
Malone, and we have not done our duty
to the State until he is consigned to private
life
The victory for the Democratic party
next Tue sday is as certain as that the sun
shines if the Democrats of the State bring
out their vote. We need not change one
Republican vote to carry the State and le-
gislature-we need only to hold our oaUn.
That is absolutely all that it is necessary
for the Democracy to do. To do that we
must bring out the voters. The Republi-
cans have to make large change in the
vote of the state and in the composition
of the legislature before they can ever
come in sight of victory, but with the
Democrats the path is level and easy if
only they bring out their vote. Let the
party from this DAY on to Tuesday even
ang, STRAIN every nerve to do this. and ali
is safe. We can recall many bitter ex-
peIiences Virginians have passed through.