The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-01-10
Practical Polirlcs.

ciples and the cause of Republican!sm
and devoted his time and means to the ad-
of he interests of the party.
being called into the cabinet. There
would be too much of machine politics
and partizan earnestness in it. they say.
This, we consider, to be a greatly mists
ken notion. The men Of earnest convic-
ton and energetic actiOn-sacriticing their
time and means to the cause they espuuse,
are those who should be selected to share
the policy based upon that cause. 1t is for
t lis reason that we favor the selection OF
such as Blaine. pIatt, Wanamaker. men
against whom the batteries of the Demo
craft, press have been directed and about
whom all manner of evil is predicted
should they be thus favored. Blaine was
never a skulker Whether his wishes
are consulted and gratifiod in the NOM
ination of Presidential candidate or
not, his white plume is always seen TO
wave in the front.where the fight IS the
lieTces: and the thickest. He never re-
tires to his tent, to nurse his wrath, and
bemoan disappointment. He'srecognlzes
the merits of the.cause and the virtues Of
the principles of the Republican party, and
for them he does battle with intrepid
courage AMI aggressive eloQuence and
logic. He illustrates the highest ideal OF
the patriot in battling for the right as he
understands it, and never allows personal
feeling or the sting of disappointment to
enter his calculation or affect his action.
1t is because of his earnestness-his pow
erful and effective advocacy of the prin-
ciples of his party-his scornful disdain
of compromise OF right-his mastery
grasp of conditions and the policy they
logically involve, and his terrible ar
raignment of false and pernicious doc
trines, that he has invited and been
awarded the enmity of thin-skinned he
publicans-that class who affect to be
above practical politics, and skulk into
| their cushioned libraries or fashionable
restaurants to bemoan the degeneiacy OF
the times and the corruption OF partles-as
we'll as the hatred and villifcation of his
political opponents, whose action IS the
outcome of fear, and who traduce him
because they cannot match him in legiti.
mate argument. A party that is too COW
ardly to recognize the services OF such
leaders, is not entitled to the confidence
of brave and true men. Men like Blaine
are eranest in the presentation OF cause
by reason of their deep conviction OF the
Justice of that cause. And when sincere
conviction of duty to country or party. is
paraded as reason for distrust and
slight, then it requires no prophet te
foreteJl the fate of that political organl
cation.
Ex Senator Platt is arraigned before
the country as disqualified for Cabinet
position, because of his effective services
in party management and discipline. Ano
Mr.. Wanamaker is assailed because ht
manifested his devotion to the principles
he professed by contributing; his means
for the success of those principles.
If services of this kind and evidences
of honest purpose and laudible ambition
such as have been shown by these men
are overlooked and disregarded, to please
the political Pecksniffs who are too ex
allied and transcendental to commingle
with the people and plead their cause, ther
it will be an ominous day for the Repub
lican party.
And as apiece with this kind of phali
seeism were the pretenses and affected con
Germ for the South and Gen. Harrison Z
administration, of the recent address O
a few men from Alabama, and subse
aaent visit to the President-elect-
These gentlemen were not heard in the
recent canvass. They either voted agains
the Republican nominee or did not vot'
at all. And now when victory has been
won, in spite of the outrages upon TIT
ballot in their own section they winked a
and permitted to go unre buked, they have
the audacity to appear in Ind annapolis Il
advise Gen. Harrison Of his duty. and tt
prescribe policy for the Southern
States. They did not have the courage
to assert themselves when the conf1ic
} was on. They were too superlatively re
spectacle to declare for principles wher
they were at issue. But now when thu
victory has been won, they sumo to b.
the opponents of public sentiment tina
would condemn and disown the brave mer
who marched to the front and fought cor
ruptiop, fraud and outrage at every step
| IL RI fpfo oil RQnnhii
can organization in the South.
There can be no roundabout way to as.
sert and maintain Republican principles
Those who believe in them will stand b.
them at all times and under all conditions
If they have not the courage to do this
they have not the honesty to be trusted
They can join in the persecution OF Re
publicans and make common cause witt
ballot box suffers, night riders and bull
dpzers in their devices to achieve Demo
cratic success. but when the Republican,
have won the fight then they assume 8
"holier than thou virtue, and essay Il
outline programme by which those VIII
have stood true to their cause, must b'
ignored. and those who played the coward
and the hypocrite are to be accepted 81
the models after which to mould olicy
No party can maintain its symmetr.
and its morale, nor would it deserve to
which would recognize such sneak-thiel
device, or fail to fathom the mercenary
and hypocritical motive that is at tie bot
tom of it.
The principles of the Republican part!
are right. They are just to all sections
and comprehend the welfare of the whole
Union. To acknowledge this and then no
to have the courage to maintain it at tht
crucial hour because of some local con
sideration or social influence, is the bald
est kind of mendacity aud moral turpi
tude. 1t is only by steady, manly, cour
ageous maintenance of the principles Of
the party, that Republcanism will ever
make advances in the South. 1t cannot
be accomplished by duplicity, deceit
treachery and cowardics. If we believe
10 principle, we should assert and main
tain it under all circumstances and agains
all odds, That is what the Republicans
of the South have done, and the worst er e
mics they have had TO encounter are those
who affect to be Republicans, but are toe