The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1891-03-19
To Galvanize a Corpse.

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| do not recognize the fact that, in these
stirring times of business and suspicious
industrial activities, the masses have
very little use for the old ring machine
They feel u supreme Indifference to the
whip of the bosses, and are in no humol
to tolerate the intervention of packed pr
maries between them and Their right tc
vote for men for local offices whom they
regard as the best qualified to discharge
the duties thereof The announcement
commemorative Attorney and Sheriff
down through Commissioners of the
Revenue and Oyerseers of Roads to Con
stables, have to pass the ordeal of the
caucus. before they can be considered
qualified to hold office or to be voted
for for the positions to which they may
aspire, is as much as to say, that the
people are not capable of selecting the
men to fill the offices. which are closest
TO them, and with whom they necessa
rily have to be associated in their bust
ness affairs. This kind OF presumption
has been rebuked before and will be re-
buked again.
If the primary system has been adopt
ed for the purpose of crystalizing the
influence and power o. the party that
adopts it, there will be dsappoint-
ment. 1t will have the effect of causing
discussions, inviting resentments and
disintegration. We are heartily disgust
ed with machine and partisan politics
and that disgust is magnified when it is
proposed to introduce ring methods into
the selection of officers, who, in the dis
charge of their duties, should have no
relation to parties. That is the view
taken by nine tenths of the fair-minded
people of the county, and that is
the view that will find expression at
the polls when the crucial time comes
So far as Augusta county is concerned
King Caucus is dead and the corpse
cannot he galvanized into life The at
tempt to do so will be dismal failure
All that is necessary for popular support
Is for the candidates who are capable of
IllIiLS tIC poSltlOIS W Which, tIlty dS-
pire, and have the confidence of the
people, to declare themselves indepen
dent of the caucus and appeal to the
sovereigns OF the county to take their
own affairs into their own hands to dis
pose of as may seem best and wisest to
them. They are the masters and not
the machine
We all know how primaries are gene
rally conducted. The few dictate to the
many. The party whip is then laid on
to compel men to vote against their con
yietions. and thus foist upon the people
those possibly whom they do not de-
sire to manage their business matters.
But we do not know that this friendly
warning will be needed Probably it
will not be, but if it is not, then we pre-
dict that the seeds of contention ana
dissat isfaction will be sown that will
fipen into Il harvest of disaster in the
near future. The purpose to revive
part isan spirit and partisan turmoil and
conflict will not meet the approval of
the great MASS Of tile conservative, in
telligentA voters of the county. They be-
lieye they can attend to their own affairs
as well. if not better than a few politi-
cal manipulators, and this belief will be
made known If the policy is persisted in
of forcing upon the people the primary
system in the selection of officers to adj
minister the ministerial interests of the
county. 1t will be sowing to the wind
with the assurance that a whirlwind
will be reaped as the fruit. There has
been no public demand for the old dis
carded. obsolete methods of the party
machine 1t is worn out and cannot be
expected to do good work 1t should re
main in the rust, and rot be allowed to
disturb the quiet and composure of the
people by its squeaking and inharmoni-
Gus and offensive sounds
If the primary shall be enforced in the
selection of the officers of the county, it
will date succession OF political disass
tiers that will eliminate eventually in
the utter overthrow and destruction of
the machine. Mark the prediction