Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-11-12
FRIDAY MORNING. NOV. 12. 1885.


opponent boldly on the tariff issue, and by
his declaration Of true Democratic doctrines
succeeded in defeating him. -Ric1lnaond State.
Our Richmond contemporary is one Of
the most determined advocates Of the pol
icy of Mr.. Morrison and Mr.. Carlisle in
the South. 1t insists upon its adop-
Sion, not only by its own district
where Democrat who came out for it
would be instantly turned down-but by
the Democratic party of State and Nation.
It firmly believes that if that was made
the issue by the Virginia Democracy the
people would rally to it. The paragraph
we have quoted from it's columns is an ev-
idence of the sincerity of its conviction.
Let us see how safe counsellor 1t is
Charles T. O'FerralI was elected in his
district in 1884 by $500 majority. What
has he done to make himself unpopular
since? He was the most earnest advocate
Of the Blair bill in the House, voted In it's
favor. worked for it, and made a strong
speech for it. He voted and sp1te for the
Oleomargarine bill. the most popular
measure with the agriculturists of his dis
trict that was introduced. When Cleye-
land came in, O'Ferrall went to work and
cleared out every Federal office-holder in
bis district So successful was he and
so popular were his efforts in that line
that he was held up by his constituents as
model for the Democratic congressman
throughout the country. What had he
done to reduce his majority of 's4? He
was an earnest worker for aid to the gov
eminent to National education; he was a
congressman who let no civil service
stand between his constituents and the
offices, and he had voted and worked for
a bill which the farmers (who constitute
eight-tenths of his constituency were
up in arms for. But with all these rec
concentrations to the favor of his people
be was, like the State, supporter of the
policy Of Messrs. Morrison and Carlisle.
Now look at the result!
Late in the campaign, when it had come
to look as if Mr.. O'Ferrall was to have ne
opposition that was worth the name, Mr..
j. E. Roller, of Rockingham. appeared on
me scene as his opponent. He was a
sRntIeman who had been defeated il =. IS Is
own county four Or five times and was not
anown outside of it. He had no popular
legislative record made in his one term in
the legislature, and no soldier record dis
tinguished above Others who filled subordl
nate positions in the army. There was one
point he made against O'Ferrall, and one
alone-t that he was supporter of the Nor
rison-Carlisle policy. And up and down
this mineral bearing Valley, Roller went
singing one song, Protection. That was the
issue and the only issue between him and
O'Ferrall. The end of it was that Col.
O'Ferrall who had in 1884 received $500
majority, pulled through this time by a
paltry six hundred votes. He had adopt
cd the States policy and "aes his oppa-
g. eat boldly or, the tariff issue,' and that
vas the resuldof it.
I'VE have not thought proper to attri-
Il Ute Protection as one of the causes of
lpathy in Virginia, though it unquestion-
ably was IN some of the districts; but we
lave this to say about it now, as a party
measure of the Democracy. The labor of
the country is performed by both whites
and blacks. AT the South the former are,
IS q mass, in the Democratic party; the
latter in the Republican party. and appar-
emily to stay there for many years yet.
The mind of the laborIng people of Vir-
ginia is thoroughly impressed with the
value Of protection, and in the mineral
oF H.,
holder is to a great extent similarly i'm
pressed, The black laboring voter never
has voted with the Virginia Democracy,
and the question is now before that party
whether it will also lose the white work
ingman's vote by permitting minority
to force on it the Morrison-C Carlisle policy.
i'he natural place of the white working
ingman has always been in the Democrat
ic party, and he will retain it if he has the
assurance that his interest are to be look
ed after in the way that his judgment
dictates. Without him, how are we to
retain our State governments; for the
S 3uthern white voter doesn '5-except IN
rare cases-yote one way for congress and
another way for the State ticket. We are
not discussing now the relative merits Of
Protection and the Carlisle-Morrison pol
icy. but the existing conviction In the
mind of the workingmen of the Democrat
iG party. They served fair notice on
their party last Tuesday week by staying
st home by thousands; will the party re-
gard 1t? 1t is suggested that the interval
of quiet now upon US is good time to
discuss these policies, and then to make
the party platform so plain that the man
who Is on one side or the other will know
his place-that is to say that it is to be
kcided On paper that man WIN isn't for
j Carlisle Morrison policy is not a dem
Acrat, or on the other hand that man who
Protectionlst isn't a Democrat;
Democracy Is to do what the
party has never yet had the
read man out of its organiza-
his views on an economic
q tariff To such propo-
think silence is the best
pg its value. In no
pocrats of Virginia
Tariff is an econom.
d should be settled
g6t by National
of Republican Tariff
I'm Western States In
al Republican platform
Virginia Democrats
n both wings of the
is no need of
\gress to settle
ienal Demo-