The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1892-01-28
That Bargain.


such suspicion First, the statement
of the Richmond State that the Demo
cratic party was committed to such a
policy Or measure, although there had
not been any public announcement OF
such committal To the fact that the
Richmond Chamber of Commerce had
declared substantially for the Kent bill,
and the Governor in his annual message
to the Legislature had recommended a
commission. To this we added the sus
picious conferences between prominent
official members of the Democratic par
tv and the Alliance during the canvass
last fall-followed by newspaper states
ments that the Alliance generally would
support the Democratic nominees for
the General Assembly.
AS evidence that the suspicious we
have inGica ted, were not idle specula-
ton, we have the following from the
Richmond correspondent of the Balti
more Sun, under date of the 10Th: 1T is
not believed that the Kent railroad com
mission bill will even as modified by the
important amendments accepted by its
author can pass the Senate. The party
leaders, AozCe0er, pledged themselves to
faoor establishing q commission, and
some Of the Alliance leaders are recall
ing these promises"
That is about the conclusion we had
reached from the several facts to which
we have referred above. There was
bargain between leaders of these two
political factions to create three new
offices, the salaries of which were to be
imposed upon the railroads, and that
these offices were to be given, one to a
Democrat, one to an Alliance man, and
the other to be acceptable to both OF the
factions. The readiness with which
amendments have been accepted to the
Kent bill, taking from it much that was
offensive, oppressive and unjust, sustains
the suspicion that the Offices was the
paramount object, and that no criticism
might he provoked because of the sala
ries being an additional expense upon
the State, the provision was made that
the railroads should pay them.
We submit that this was highland
ed movement, and we'll calculated to
call forth unmeasured condemnation.
To deliberately conspire to invade the
treasures of the railroads to draw out
so 600 to pay three politicians to set in
judgment upon the arrangements and
conduct of the railroads, and practically
take possession of them, as the Kent
bill provides. was a stretch of partizan
cheek and impudence, that has few
parallels in this country. 1t was not
for the public good-not to correct any
wrongs the railroads had imposed-not
to subserve the interests of the State or
its public enterprises-but to provide
three offices, for three partizan adher-
ents, that this disreputable partizan
| dicker was entered into.
We do not think the party managers
who devised this trade, and promised to
have it carried into effect, carefully con-
sidered its import or its consequences.
Corporations, it is said, have no souls.
That may be, and is doubtless true. But
it may be assumed, as figure of speech,
that they have claws, and while they
have been singularly free from inter
fering with political interests in this
State, it is a possible thing that they
might be provoked, in self-defense, to
use these claws to a purpose. Suppose
the Democrats and the Alliance should
| succeed in carrying out the terms of this
dicker, what would be the logical con-
sequence? The Republicans of Virginia,
if not quite as numerically strong as the
Democrats, and from the Democrats the
Alliance has drawn nine -tenths of its
membership. Suppose the railroad in
/ fiuence, which is power in the State,
would say to the Republicans, we have
been unjustly and oppressively dealt
/ with by the Legislature, and to correct
| the wrongs inflicted upon US and the in
dustrial interests of the Commonwealth,
they were willing to cooperate with the
Republicans, to remedy the wrongs
that have been effected, what would be
the result? 1t would simply be an overs
whelming defeat for the Democracy; the
possession of the State government by
the epublicans, and the RELOCATING to
the sphere of private life the politicians
who had dared to trifle and dicker with
interests so important for the sake of o
| few offices, appropriated to needy poll
ticians. Anything, it is said, is fair in
war. If war should be made upon the
railroads, and a senseless and cruel and
unjust war, such as this Kent bill and
| the railroad commission are, there
is nothing more natural than for the
railroads to co operate with a political
force strong enough to relieve them of
the embarrassments imposed u p o n
them. And it would be just as defensi-
BILE and fair for such a coalition to be
formed as it was for that between the
Democratic State Committee and the
Alliance leaders.
However, we think, with all of Chair
man Ellyson's boosted zeal and sagacity
as a party manager, he has made huge
mistake, and by it has jeopardized the
interest of his party, in this State. He
has placed it between the sdevil and the
deep blue sea If the bargain is not
carried out the Alliance will become Of
fended and if it is, the railroads may
call for reckoning. In either case
there is numerical force existing, which
could soon be effectively organized for
aggressive work, that would be sufficient
by combining with the railroad S
to easily wreck Mr. Ellyson and
his organization, and wrest the Legisla>
ture from them. If the railroads are
clawed no one could blame them for
clawing back again, and trying to gouge
out the eyes Of the party that had sank
its claws into their vitals.
We know enough of the railroad man
agements Of Virginia to know that they
have heretofore and would hereafter
steer clear of all political entanglements.
Their aim and purpose are the develop
lnent of the country as a means to their
own prosperity. for it is upon this devel-