Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1892-07-15
FRIDAY MORNING, JULY IS, 1892

FRIDAY MORNING, JULY IS, 1892
Yesterday Hon. W. W. Gibbs, Chairman Of
the Virginia Prohibition Committee, said to
the Commercial Gazette that that State was
likely to 60 Republican next fall. He says
the Democratic majority last fall [Mr.
Gibbs doubtless said the fall Of 1885
Ed. VINDIcAToRl was but about 1900,
and that the Prohibition vote as
counted was about the same. The Democrat
ic press, however, admitted that Prohibition
lists had polled not less than 5000 votes.
Those not counted for the Prohibitionists had
been counted for the Democrats or thrown
out. He says the Prohibition strength for
this National fight is fully $1,000 in the Old
Dominion, and that the proportion OF gain
from the old parties is about one and half
Republican to every two and half Demo-
Gratis. At this rate of gain for the Prohibit
ton party he figures that the Democratic ma
jority will be swept away and the Republic
can ticket elected. The ProhibitiOnists will
thereby have accomplished the overthrow Of
the dominant party in the State, and paved
the way for their own victory later.-CSncin-
nats Gazette. June 29th.
Without going into Mr.. Gibbs figures,
which are assumptions rather than statis-
tics, we venture to say that few predictions
of the many made during the coming cam
paign will fall further short of fulfillment
than his, if he is correctly reported in the
above extract. When the day for counting
; the ballots in Virginia comes, the number
of mensWho have ever been Democrats, who
have resided in the State for any length of
time, who are familiar with the history of
the Republican party since 1866, and who
are yet willing to place an Administration
in power which will give their State over to
the operations of Force Bill-another
name for Acknowledgement he so
small as to hardly be appreciable in deter
mining the contest.
In politics, Virginia, as indeed is every
former slave State, is in an anomalous po-
sition, a position in which she has been
kept by the menacing attitude of the Re
publican party for the last twenty-six
years. 1t is position in which many ex-
cellent aspirations are forced into allegiance,
and which negatives all experiments in pol
itics. The Democratic people of the State
whatever may be their views on many is
sues, simply cannot divide. The Demo-
cratic Temperance man, the Democratic
Alliance man, the Democratic Peoples
Party man when it comes to a National
election finds himself in front of an enemy
that forces him to seek shelter in the ranks
of the strongest party. He knows-every
middle aged man raised in the South knows
what the Force Bill means. He has read the
history of Louisiana, Alabama, South Caro-
lima, North Carolina, every Southern State,
including his own, and he knows that
Force Bill means disfranchlsement. To a
Southern man of middle age disfranchise-
ment is not an ''irridescent dream, mot even
possibility or probability, it is fact
that he has seen accomplished, and very
likely in his own individual case. For
most middle aged Virginians of this day
have in their life time cast their ballots
with Federal troops at the polls. With
this menace always standing, and in this
campaign openly held out by the Republic
can candidate, where is a Southern man to
look for protec tion-for a friend strong
enough to protect him? Not to
the Prohibition party, for however well dis
posed towards him, it is too weak to help
him and will be for years to come. Not to
the Third party, for that however willing
to be just has no power and is but in its
political swaddling clothes. Not to the
Labor party for that like the rest has too
little strength to aid him. He has but one
friend who has both the will and the power
to protect him and see that he enjoys his
political rights, and that is the great Dem
ocratic party that has shown itself able to
publican party. That is in brief and in the
the plainest words the exact situation of
the Southern man. He carries his sympa-
thy for everything good in other parties to
the EXTREMIST limit of safety. Democrats
of Virginia by thousands vote with Prohi-
bitionists for Local Option. Democrats of
Virginia by thousands vote with and for
Alliance men to make laws to carry out
the designs of that organization, but when
it comes to Presidential election with
Force Bill hanging over the future they
must come to a halt and rally to the Demo-
cratic flag. No other flag has the follow
ing powerful enough to save them. No
other party, however benefcent it's purpo-
ses, has the strength to shield them.
1t will be observed that Mr.. Gibbs,
ho be tbo M i,
only dominant by 1,500-a very narrow
margin thinks that Is the party to he over
thrown. He does not suggest that the
Republican party of the State it overthrown
would in any way pave the way for vic
tory of the Prohibition party later. Or
that. though his figures would show that a
coalition OF the Republicans disheartened
by a defeat, and the Prohibitionists, would
be able to carry the State in the future. In
this he shows his wisdom, for neither he
nor any other man expects the black men
of the State, who constitute seven-eighths
Of the Republican party, to vote the Pro-
hlbition ticket, OF indeed any other ticket
save the Republican ticket. We suppose
the black men who desert Harrison in Vir-
ginia and vote the Prohibition ticket might
be counted Oh your fingers. So the expecta-
tions Of Mr.>Gibbs are founded on the pro-
liability of the white man whose franchise
is threatened, DESERVING the party that can
save it, while the black man remains true
to his party. We think there are few white
men that will agree with him in this, Oh
that will help to fulfil his expectations.
Mr.. Gibbs speaks with complacency of
the prospect that a Republican ticket will
be elected. But we doubt if any louder
protest than his would be heard in Virginia
If Renuhlican ticket Uara eloctod a Eoroo