The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-04-01
Asking to be Saved from themselves.

purpose of concentrated demonstration
against the passage of the Morrison Tariff
Bill. 1t is safe to say that nine-tenths, if
not all of these gentlemen, are Democrats,
and voted to place in power that party
against whose ruinous policy they are pro-
testing. They knew when they voted for
a Democratic President and Democratic
members of Congress they were voting
against their own interests and the inter-
ests of Virginia. They are aware that the
practical Inauguration of Democratic pol
icy on the tariff question, would be the
practical and irretrievable ruin of their
own State. They voted the Democratic
National and Congressional tickets, with
the understanding with themselves That,
if successful, they would be saved from
their own party by Republican Senate.
That is their hope now. The nervous APP
prehension manifested about free ores,
recommended by Democratic Free Trade
Committee on Ways and Means, is the ev-
idence of their distrust of their own party
and the condemnation of their own votes.
They are too much absorbed by their pref:
udices to openly acknowledge that it is to
Gen. Mahone-whom they never tire OF
villifying-that the present tariff on ores
is.due. They all denounceshim as an arch
enemy of Virginia and yet 60 into spasm
of fear lest legislation passed by his mo-
tion for the protection of Virginia interests
shall be repealed by the men they helped to
place in power. They know that the DEM
ocratic party cannot be trusted to care for
Virginia or American industries and pro-
gress. They are compelled by their fears
to appeal to Republicans to save them
from themselves and to enforce Republi-
can policy under a Democratic admins
tration. The confession ought to humil
late them as deeply as it exposes their
hypocrisy. prejudice and treachery. They
have not the courage to be men. They do
not deserve to be recognized as such. They
are simply the embodiment of the most
fragrant and reprehensible prejudice, and
have not the moral force to rise above the
malign influences of their hates and pas
sions, until they are confronted by danger
to their material interests.
1t is pitiable condition in which men
claiming to be intelligent, patriotic and
honorable, place themselves. 1t adver-
tiSes to the world the motives which con-
troll them when they exercise the most
sacred privilege our laws secure. in cast
ing the ballot. They tell in unmistakable
terms that their convictions of right and
duty are subordinated to their partizan
hates, and admit, in their subsequent &C.
ton, that there is no security for the pub
lie veal through the party with which
they are identified.
If the rewards of their own folly and
passions could be visited upon them alone,
the lesson it would impart would be salu-
tory and impressive. But unfortunately,
in this case, our laws and the policy of the
government, like the rains of heaven,
must fall upon the just and uni lst and
operate alike upon all. They can not be
singled out from the aggregate of commu-
nifty and be made to reap the fruits of
their own sowing. Could this be so, it
would be retributive justice to have it that
way. They then would get precisely what
Democratic vote means paralysis and
ruin to all industries, all material develop
ment, to business in all it's rami6ed rela-
tions, to national credit and national char
acter.
1t is a condition which the people ought
to study. They ought to consider that the
policy of the Democratic party, for whose
candidates they vote, would be disastrous
| to the interests of Virginia. and that it is
with the policy of the Republican party
| tlat their material welfare is identified.
When bitter partizan Democrats denolnce
Malone and "Maheneism." the people
ought to remind them that Malone is the
| only really able politician that Virginia
has developed since the war-that every
| legislative act, either in State or Nation,
which be has favored, has looked to the
preservation of Virginia interests and the
indication of Virginia's rights. No man
can truthfully impugn bis devotion to his
State. His offense is that he will not wear
the Bourbon collar and strike down the
interests of the Commonwealth in obe-
dience to Bourbon commands. He has
dared to proclaim himself Republican be-
cause the principles and policies of that
party are best adapted to the building up
Virginia prosperity. He acts with the
party with whose legislation the interests
of her people are identified. and in doing
so is not compelled to unite in public
meetings to protest against what he voted
for. His political Identification and his
votes are consistent and he Is not forced
to appeal to the Democratic party to pro-
tect the State from the very apprehension
arising from legislation supported by the
Republican party.
1t seems to us that there ought to be an
instructive lesson in these Wytheville and
Lynchburg meetings. They ought to
warn the people against the Democratic
party and inspire them with courage to
vote at the ballot box as they have spoken
in their petitions and protestations against
Democratic Free Trade, as embraced in
Mr.. Morrison's bill. Were the Republi-
cans in control of the Executive and Leg
islative departments of the government,
these meetings would never have been
held, for there would have been no occa-
sion for them. Virginia s interests would
be secure under Republican policy, and
they are only now protected by reason of
the guard thrown around them by the Re-
publican Senate.
Villas.
Senator ingalls,, in his great speech on
the Edmunds' resolution, declaring the
policy of the Senate on the confirmation
of the Presidents appointments, properly
characterized the infamous confidential
CIRCULAR of Postmaster General Villas
He said it was 1.-THE most thoroughly de-
graded, defled, execrable and detestible
public utterance" ever made by any Of
fetal. 1t was an invitation, he said, to
every lbeller. every anonymous slanderer
and scurrilous defamer to pour sewerage
into the Post Office Department, The
characterization will be recognized by all
manly men as eminently appropriate and
BETTING. For Cabinet officer to DELHI
erately instigate the assassination of pub