The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-03-24
A Rabuke to Dishonest Politics.


The local elections which have taken
place in New York recently will have q t
more salutary effect than is generally /
1t has been for county super (
visors and city officers. 1t is to the SUI I
pervisors that attention is more partic- I
ularly called. A new census has been !
ordered for the purpose OF re distrlcflng |
the assembly and senatorial districts. I
The supervisors define the location and
lines of the Assembly districts and the
next Legislature-not the present one
the Senatorial districts. Instead OF
losing ground in tie election OF super>
visors, the Republicans have gained
largely, and will have it in their power
to make and establish the lines OF the
Assembly districts The Legislature TO
be elected, will take charge OF the Sena-
torial districts, and from the present
feeling among Democrats towards Hill
and his methods, it is more than pfooa-
BILE the Republicans will control 1t. The
New York Post, a Democratic paper,
saws it is simply protest against Hiil-
ism. that the recent Democratic defeats
and Republican victories are due, and
concludes, in long and pungent article
with the following severe paragraph
"There has seldom been a clearer dem
onstation of the folly, from tie point OF
view of practical politics, of a great
party's giving itself over to rascality as
a policy than these elections offered. 1t
was believed few weeks ago that the
Democratic party would follow Hills
lead, no matter how bad it might be.
There was scarcely voice heard in pro
test from inside the party, and even
among it's respectable members there
was disposition to find plausible excuses
for Hills worst acts. Yet when the
voters of the party get a chance to go to
the polls, they do not hesitate for mos
ment to say that, between party succe IS,
with rascality in the front, and defeat,
thew will choose defeat every time. They
regist cred verdict against their party
which is SO overwhelming that it makes
the party's future in this State more
dubious than it has been since the time
of Tweed"
The fact for which the Post and Time
denounce Hill, was the stealing of the
Senate. in defiance of the decision OF
the courts, so as to give the Democrats a
majority in both branches of the Legis-
lature, and to order a new census, with
a view of re districling the assembly and
senatorial districts in the interest of
that party hereafter. The effect OF the
partizan manipulation is seen in the
election of supervisors, and the certain
defeat of the main object had in view
And the fact that calls forth the con-
demnation of the Post and Times and
MANY other Democratic papers in that
State. is that which has thrust to the
front Hill's name so prominently fol
President. 1t is called master politics
and s'places him among the most sue
cessful politicians in the country
Democrat who has never been defeat
ed,n and who has ''given the Democracy
the control of New York for many years
to come"
We must remind the enthusiastic
friends of the New York Senator and e1.
Governor, that such politics are sooI
brought to disastrous end. The PEG
pie. for while may tolerate tricky
politics, but when the tricks become
fiagrantly offensive, and outrage the
sensesrof justice of honorable men, anc
strike at the base of our Republican
institutions, the people do not hesitate
to record their protest at the polls
We have had frequent illustrations O
this in later years, and the sentimen
is growing stronger every day that the
ballot box must be appealed to to defent
honest government and rebuke dishones
politics. The theft of the New 1orl
Senate was a fragrant offense-a monu
mental political crime-a crime agains
the State and the Republic, and TIN
Democrats of New York only emphasizes
their own integrity and their own de
votion to our institutions when they ad
ministered rebuke to corruption in tn
election of supervisors. 1t is lesson t.
both Democrats and Republicans tina
they cannot transgress the enacted law
and the spirit of our constitutions, will
impunity. The people, who are supreme
in State and Nation, are devoted to TIL
principles of our Republican form 0
government-they know the ballot DO,
is the fountain source of good govern
ment, and toll that they will appea
as the palladium of our liberties, whel
the corrupt and vicious essay to prosti
tute party machinery to the defeat O.
the popular will.