The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-12-13
..Stnp Thief


sentences of the Democratic press Ia
menting the corruption that determined
the Presidential election. With an air OF
injured innocence it is asserted that the
election of Harrison was bought with
money-that q large corruption fund was
employed to buy up voters, and IS re-
suit the Republican candidate was sue
cessful. For the Democratic party to
charge corruption against anything or
everybody is the superlative Of impu
dence and cheek. After the baifled effort
to steal vote in Oregon in 1876; to buy
an electcr in South Carolina. Florida
or Louisiana, the same year. as fully
exposed by the Tilden cypher dispatches
of that year: after the frauds and forge
ries which were perpetrated to control the
Legislatures Of Ohio. Illinois and In
diana, in the hope of securing the cleo
ton of Democratic United States Sena-
tors; and after the election in Viz
gnia in 1883, in 1885, 1887 and 1855,
as we'll as other Southern States, for
Democrat to charge fraud against the
Republicans. is clear case of stop
thief -
With the whole power of the govern
ment in their hands; with every Federal
officer called upon to contribute to the
election fund; with half.doZen trusts and
as many railroad wreckers and bosses, to
assist in the campaign, and the open and
shameless contribution Of $10,C eco by the
President himself to il ilueEce the cleo
ton. it is astretch OF audaeity for Dem
ocrat to open his mouth about bcodie or
fraud. Here in Virginia, with the cleo
tion machinery framed and designed to
effect fraudulent result, differed by par
tiZans Of the extre NEST type; it became
necessary to resort 10 Doodle TO defeat the
will of the people. In West Virginia the
machinery of party has been strained to
its utmost limit, TO cheat fairly elected
Congressman and the Governor out of
| their certificates, In North Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and
! Kentucky, Doodle and fraud were ihvised
| to secure results against which the peo-
pie had decided at the ballot hex.
Yet with these crimes fresh in the
minds of the people, Democratic organs
and Democratic partiZans have the eff
frontery to charge that the Republicans
carried the election with Doodle.
| 1t was not Doodle. 1t was the sober
| Judgment Of the people that four years
of Democratic rule was enough. The
business of the country had WithStood
the strain of cons tant menace TO the
basis to which it had been adjusted for a
quarter of century, and stood it as long
as it could. without fearful disaster. An
other lease of power to the Democrats
would have had swift elimination, and
financial and business chaos would have
been inaugnrated that would have been
unlimited in lis ruin ard il.eXorabe in its
results. 1t had to be arrested and the only
way to do it was to march to the polls
and vote it to death. And that is what
was done.
1t was shock to the Democracy it Is
true. They had faith in Cleveland S
luck. They reposcd confidence in the
fact that all the officers and Doodle were
at their command, to assist in retaining
power. They did not dream of defeat.
When it came. as thunder clap in
sky, they did not know what to make of
it. AS the confusion ard bewilderment
disappeared. the most plausible excuse that
| they could offer was that Doodle did it. 1t
was to charge that or admit that the
country had weighed the Democracy and
found it wantirg-that it had failed in its
pledges-had proved Incompetent and I'M
tit to administer the affairs of this great
government. To nave admitted this would
have been too much honesty to expect.
1.-THE only alternative WAS to charge fraud
and corruption. and this has been served
out with a persistency and energy that
proves its falsity by the very intensity OF
the effort. They protest too much and
expose the insincerity aud mendacity OF
the charge by the excess OF terms and the
manner in which it is made,
1t was the honest indignation of tie
American people which caused the over
| throw of the Cleveland dynasty. and to
that the impartial judgment of the his
torian will ascribe it.