The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-02-19
A Refrosnecf..


measures then enacted by Congress. and to |
the State Convention oil 1853 which for |
mulated the present Constitution, in the |
evident hope Of covering up Democratic
shortcomings under acloud of prejudice. In
considering what olr contemporary says. it
must not be lost sight of that the country
had then Just emerged from ~ bloody in
ternecine eontfict-tllat the North and
South had been arrayeil against each 9TH
er III II death struggle, and the issue was
whether the Union should be preserved
or dissolved. with two governments to rep
resent the people of this cosultry had the
South been successful The conflict was
bitter, and left bitter memories. Dstrust
prevailed in each section Neither knew
what the other would dsD. after hostilities
had closed. Different ssleories of govern
ment had been inculcaayst in each, and it
was natural that the saceessful force should
desire to have emphasized what it regarded
as the results of the. contest in laws and
constitutions. Neither side was in q frame
of mind to implicitly rely upon the other,
and this absences of confidence brought
with it legislation that now would not be
thought Of. BAT that period is gone. 1t
belongs to tie past, and there it should re-
main. Tine has healed the wounds which
were then gaping,and it should have oblit-
ished every practical remembrance of the
evil days which brought ,sorr0w and sad
nessltD both sections. We are very sure
ths.a mad the South succeeded, in the ap-
peel to arms, the North would have Jared
no better than did the South with the
|; North successful. The passions and feel
ing of one sections are common to both,
and are only modified by the conditions
surrounding. The ambition now of all good
| citizens should be to look forward and not
| backward--to catch the inspiration OF the
progressive spirit of the present, and not
to sullenly linger among the fossils and
tombstones Of the past. hugging It's hates
and fostering its prejudices. Each citizen
has duty to perform to the throbbing
present, and this cannot 5e done it the
ghost of the unhappy past is to be con-
stantly invoked as the paramount infu-
ence to guide our action and regulate our
thoughts and conclusions.
The Democratic party of Virginia OF
to-day is the exact counterpart OF the
Democratic party tof 1S69-'70. That OF
1869 had to be ignored and Inundated, as
the essential means to disenthral the State
and escape the expressions which then
threatened: and that of 1885 win have to
| be defeatedTand broken of its power be-
fore the Commonwealth will enter upon q,
career of progress and prosperity. Ths
same men who divISed the policy and dr.
rected the plans of 1S69'T0, which ,se-
lieved Virginia both from Bourbon stupid
ityand Radical malignity. sre now leading
the Republican party in it's conflicts with
Bourbonism or modern Democracy. Nm.
Malone, Jno f. Lewis, Geo. Rye, Franklin
Stearns and G.. X. Gilmer did more to rebuke
the folly of the Bourbons and the Radicals
Of 1S69-'70, than all other influences COM
bined AS ''True Republicans they for
mulated policy of liberalism, which was
sustained by a Republican national admin
istration and by the people of the State.
It owed its success to Republicans then
and to the very men who are recognized as
leading Republicans now. Bus the llber.
4 al forces which achieved the victory OF
1870 were betrayed by those who shape
the policy of the Democratic party of to-
day. Fortified in power attained by Re-
publican aid, Bourbonism soon asserted
} itself and by systematic plans proceeded to
re verse the policJ which had given it sue
cess and to violate the pledges under
which it had won the control Of the State.
The successive wrongs which it inflicted
upon the peopie-the expressions and in
iuries with which it burdened the Com
monwealth, were SO fragrant and ruinouS
that 1879 brought IL successful 9sy0lt, I'M
der the same leadership which had
marched to triumph in 1870. The policy
that was pledged in 1870 and which was
the inspiration of the canvass OF that
year but afterwards forsaRen. was re-
vived and formulated into laws, in lSS2, as
the result of the victories of 1877, 1879 and
: 1881. A free ballot was restored, the pub
lie schools rescued from ruin, the public
debt adjusted upon an equitable basis, and
reforms instituted which placed the State
upon the highway to prosperity and in
: sympathy with the liberal spirit OF the
age. The Democratic party, as now con-
stituted fought these reforms and changes
at every step, and they became a part of
the economy of the State in spite of its
opposition.
Distrusted and rebuked by the people, IN
1888 it conceived the idea OF appr0prlatlng
the fruits Of Republican labor and admin
istration, accepting every measure 1t had
opposed and going before the people as pal
excellence the friend Of all the reforms
which the Republicans had effected. BY
appealing to race preiudices. and by meth
DDS which were stigma upon civilization
it won. How it has used the. power thus
acquired is too fresh in the minds OF the
people to need citation. BY fraud ano
force it practically nulliiied the Executive
branch OF the government, and with The
, power thus attained holds threat oVel
the Supreme Judiciary, that if it's DEGREES
shall conflict with its partiZan schemes
it will be assailed in like manner. 1t has
so em3 sculated and mutiIated the deLt set
tlement consummated by Readjusters and
: Republicans. and which has stood the
tests of all the courts. that we are now
thre atened with actual paralysis through
out all the ramifications Of government
, By stupid laws, practically repeating those
which had received the sanction Of the
courts and under which the State was NOV
, ing on smoothly and prosperously, the way
was opened for and the occasion demanded
, the interference of the Federal Courts
by whose recent decision at Norfolk the
whole Commonwealth is stranded upon {
sea of uncertainty, if not ruinous dis
aster.
We have thus briefly referred to this his
: tory to show that the Republican party Of
1885 is not the Republican party of 1876
: but that the leaders Of the movement
which saved Virginia that year are the
t leaders Of the Republican party of to-day
I and that the Democratic party of 1885, is