The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-12-02
Virginia Republicanism-Present
and Future.
nov. 2eth, 1886.

less gratiied by the moderation shown by
you in the hour of triumph. a little ex-
uberance of feeling, even a moderate
''craZe, y in the shape of an editorial ex-
travag anza' would have been considered.
under the circumstances, .sexcusabIe. .
But nothing of the kind appeared. AS
calm and conservative in the hour Of tri-
umph as you were in the hour of defeat,
you have, as the most potent representa-
tive organ of Virginia Reputlicanism,
worthily discharged the great trust. The
cool and wise heads, among Virginia Dem
Ocrats, and particularly those of protec-
tion proclivities, and of old federal ante
cedents, are coming together in consulta-
tion. The inquiry is passing around :
why should we say this party has no
brains but Mahone's, no bond of union but
spoils, no destiny, if successful, but ulti-
mately to establish negro supremacy p .
1--WE see Malone quiet, we see all hope of
spoi]s destroyed. and yet this party closes
ranks and moves forward with firm step
under brave and skillful leaders, and wins a
notable victory" Again, I'VE see them
in the very moment of triumph Through
their leading journal, indulging in no
taunts toward the vanquished, nor any
vain. glorious self-laudations. They are
content to say: I'VE rejoice, not for per-
somal success, nor even because it is a
party success but we rejoice because it is
the triumph of ideas and policies of
government, which willbe for the good of
alt the people, of all parties ; and over IDEAS
and policies, which are not expedient, and
which if controlling the government, will
be hurtful to all the people of all parties. y
These thoughts we know are passing
through the minds of large class. They
hary mr. 70 nrsxo For OF
ity of conviction, and for patriotism of
purpose. What is more, they are coming
to think that our convictions are right, and
our policy the proper one for Virginia
AS this feeling grows we may hope that
the people, particularly in the counties
where the whites have large majority,
will not longer be deferred from acting
upon their conuictions. by, the sensational
suggestion of NEGRO supremacy" Yet,
even in the Dispatch, of Nov. 25th, we find
two questions propounded by ssW. e. j."
which shows there is at least lone left
who is avictim of the cry of 'Snigger. Mig
ger" He wants to know what '.oui
(Democratic) majority Nov. I'd would be
with the negro vote eliminated. Doubt
less too, he has been figuring to see what
their (Democratic) majority might have
been with the negro vote suppressed. y
Then 'sW. G. j ;" wants to know whether
if good and able men should get control of
the State government by negro votes, how
long it would be before the pressure
would be such as to compel these "good
and able men to place disastrous power III
the exercise of its most ignorant voters
To the second query the great Democratic
oracle makes no reply, DOUBTLESS seeing it
was self-evident that t'good and able men
would yield to no such pressure. 1t had
only to say las to the first question: that
the colored vote in Virginia is larger than
all the votes we tRepublicans) received in
the late election. [ suppose the Dispatch
left it to the ingenious brain of s'W. e..
j." to discover that it is also larger than
all the votes his party received in the late
election. And this 'W(orderfully) C(ute)
Johnnie" might discover that, when told
that his party .'got left" by over 10000
votes. How many negroes voted on his
side and how many on ours 1.-THE papers
don't say. -
Isn't it about time for sensible men to
begin a ''revolto against such stuff. about
the everlasting necessity to corral the
whole white vote of Virginia, within the
Democratic line, lest negro DONNA
tion" be brought upon the State? Every
honest man will admit that the colored
man g rights. being secured by both State
and Federal constitutions, his vote can t
be eliminated" Every sensible man
ought to see that the time is near when
the Federal government, in national cleo
lions, will not suffer it to be suppressed. !"
White men in Virginia always have DIFF
fered, and always will differ, on political
questions. If the late canvass was in any
respect more conspicuous than for its
naked presentation of the real issues be-
tween the Democrat and Republican par
ties, we do not know it. On that naked
presentation, over 10000 majority of the
citizens voting. voted for the Republican
policy of government In preference to the
Democratic. Many voters in every county,
who voted in 1885 for FitZhugh Lee for
governor. voted in 1886 for Republican rep
resentatives in Congress. Why, if it be
true as alleged, did so many Democratic
citizens refrain from voting in Novem-
Der ? The weather was beautiful, and
work was not pressing. There is but one
solid reason. Upon the naked issues pre-
sented they did not choose to record them
selves on the Democratic side! Now we
cannot prevent the Democratic LEADERS"
in the legislative election Of 1887 again
raising the hug cry of "Mahone"
and NEGRO domination we can't pre-
vent their attempting again to draw the
''color Line" as they did in the Cameron
Daniel Campaign. and then to falsely accuse
us of doing it. But it is in the power Of the
self-respecting, thoughtful, patriotic citi
zen to assert his own independent man.
hood and refuse longer to be duped by
such mere political jugglery. A citizen
who thinks liberal construction of the
Federal constitution, (which has been
firmly established and sealed with the
blood of our fearful civil strife, } is the one
he should now accept, and who thinks the
protective and educational policy of the
Republicans is best for his State, such a
citizen will hardly again be led, like a
sheep, to the polls and made to vote
against his convictions. He will hardly
hesitate longer, through race prejudice,
to vote for the same candidates the
negroes are voting for. The Richmond
Wing, answering the inquiry, why, under
its present administration, it is not Repub-
lican, gives very poor reasons, in its issue
of Nov. Goth, viz: s'1st, the reconstruct
tion measures. &C., after the war" Many
senators and representatives since prom
inent in Democratic councils and conven-
lions voted for those measures. I'd, the
oft-repeated trash about the Presidential
election Of 1876 The Wing surely has
never deeiphered the ''cipher kilograms"
1lOA 0CiAOCA 0viO uCdu4 udA VClo.4NCW L Yin
to Florida and Oregon, seeking to secure
by Influence the electoral votes of those
states. Nor does 1t stop to explain how
South Carolina and Louisiana went Repub-
lican for president, but Democratic for
governors and legislatures. It repeats the
absurd charge Of fostering monopolies'
by Republican protection duties, which it
pretends would not be fostered by Demo
cratic protective tariff. If there were but
one Bessemer steel ''plantn in the United
States, and duty were imposed upon i'm
ported Bessemer steel, Democracy calls
that fostering monopoly. although UNI
der that same protection hundred
5 plants might spring up in as many diff
ferent localities within the United States
as soon as the duty was imposed. But the
great point the Wing makes is on local
self government. y Now this evidently
means town, city and county government.
Well, in the Wigs own city local self gov
eminent at this time, is neither Demo
cratic nor Republican !; it is a." working
mems or "Reformer'' administration.
The majority,rule is the law of 'tlocal self
government : in Virginia. The very way
to make that government all a working
mans government" is for all other classes
to array themselves solidly against the
workingmen. The very way to throw that
government into the hands of the 'signo-
rant yOterS'' where they have majority. is