Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-08-28
Il FEW KINDLY BUT PLAIN
nOPDC

WORDS.
We see that several of our Democratic
contemporaries i'll Virginia, and also a few
prominent Democrats in interviews. are
giving advice and suggestions to the Far
meis Alliance on what it ought to do on
this thing and that. We would like to say
i'll the kindest spirit that all this is super
fuous. The Farmers Alliance has not, us
far as we can learn, asked our advice: has
not waited for it before taking action. and
appears to be going right along, attending
to its own affairs in its own way, without
waiting for it from leaders of either po-
litical party who are not members OF
its organization. All the solicitude ex-
pressed over its doing the right thing is
just SO much thrown away. The members
of the Farmers Alliance of Virginia are as
q matter of fact the men who own Virgin
ia, its lands, its crops, it's water ways and
its mountains. They are not fools, and are
10 more likely to adopt measures bringing
to ruin their property than any other set of
men are. They are the men who took the
wreck Of Virginia after the civil war and
built it up to the prosperous State it now
is, and it is about as little as they could
ask, to be now let alone by party leaders in
its further management. 1t is Simply pre-
sumptuous for our party leaders to be saying
what action OF the Alliance is acceptable to
them. The plain fact is that the Alliance
Of Virginia is the Democratic party of
Virginia and 1t will do with that party Just
what it pleases. Gen. Malone has recog
nized the situation accurately and early, and
dragged his end of the wreck of the Repub-
lican party off the track.
What the Democratic press and leaders
want to do with the Farmers Alliance is to
let it alone, and extend to it the same con-
lidence in public affairs that an organiza-
lion composed of a similar body of men and
holding interests equally large, has always
commanded from every political party. We
venture to predict that every citizen OF
Virginia will find it just as easy and pros
porous to live under legislation enacted by
the Farmers Alliance as any ever enacted
in our State. We should sincerely deplore
any repetition by the Democratic party
leaders of their fatal errors of the years i'm
mediately preceding and following 1881
We don't want to see any more reading out,
OF VetOeS or any other of the disastrous
mistakes that characterized that period and
reSulted in defeat after defeat in the field
1t is very probable that the Democratic
party as at present organized may have to
part with some of its cherished men and
measures. That is always the outcome of
a new movement. And this leads us to
note that several of the State papers are
procuring and publishing favorable 'sviews"
from prominent Alliance men about the re-
election of Senator Daniel. That these
views are sincere III August is without
doubt, but that these very men will hold
the same views in December after the legis-
latue meets, with an overwhelming major
ity of Democratic Alliance members in it,
is not at all certain. Maj. Daniel to our
MIND has made most valuable representa-
tive of the interests of the Virginia farmer
in the Senate, but that the Alliance mem
bers will re-elect him over q Democratic
member of their own organization who
agrees with them Oh all questions, is very
improbable. Public questions appeal to men
in a very different light when talking poll
tics with their neighbor over their fences.
and when confronting them in seat in the
legislature as a member of the Farmers AL
lance. Those of us who recollect the as
sembling of the first Readjuster legislature
which also had a senatorship to fill, can
ted power is ene thing; power in hand is
another.
Again, the questions now before the peo-
pie OF Virginia, OIL Will be this fall, are pure
| ly' State questions election of legisla-
ture to legislate for the Commonwealth
When the election of representatives to
Congress comes along in the fall of 1892, it
will be full time for the Democratic papers
if they shall feel in the mind toto be
discussing national measures, the sub
treasury, free silver, and so forth for the
benefit OF the Alliance. In the meantime
let the Alliance alone, 1t is going along
quietly and decisively, attending to its
own business, selecting the men whom it
will support and elect in the party prima-
ries. Let those Democrats who are not
members Of the Alliance organization, ac-
cept their Democratic nominees and put
the party machinery in full motion to elect
them and they will have done the right
thing.
| STR 4 GOOD INSTI-
| TUITION.
The Young Men s Christian Association
of this city has adopted novel plan fol-
bringing its work before the public and
raising the necessary funds. The plan, al
though new in this community, has been
tried elsewhere with marked success A
circular, printed on the two inside pages