Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-06-29
TINsLEY & MORTON, Proprietors.
FRIDAY MORNING. JUNE 20, 1891
THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN.

THE VIRGINIA CAMPAIGN.
Few are fitting these hot and hard times,
except those who go down to the springs in
cars, and the politicians. Of these latter
there assembled at Roanoke last Saturday
Messrs. J. Haskins Hobson. State Chair
man of the Populist party and G. FL. Pierson
of Alexandria, editor Of the Virginia Sun,
the organ of that party, MI. w. w. Gibbs,
Chairman of the State Prohibition Execu-
tive Committee, Messrs. j. W. Bodley of
Staunton. w. B. Wilder of Portsmouth,
and J. Rush Miller of P ulaski, members Of
that committee, and the Rev. Samuel W.
Small of Georgia. Of the conference held
by these gentlemen, report sent out says
that the result was an agreement to call
State convention of both parties -Populist
and Prohibtion-to meet i'll Lynchburg on
August 23d. If ssbasis of Union" can
there he agreed upon then the two parties
shall unite in a vigorous and aggressive
campaign in every congressional district
in the State this fall. Some three weeks
ago the Virginia Sam discussed such a
union III an editorial, casting about for
some common ground on which the PrOhi-
bitionists and Populsts might join forces.
AS the former is not aggressive Ill It's de
mands for iliimitaule paper money and
governmental dealing in farm products,
railroads. telegraph lines and the like, and
the latter is not an aggressive opponent OF
the saloon-being in fact as good patron
Of IL as the red nOsed Democrats are
charged with being, a ground for union
was rather difficult to find. But the editor
of the Sun was not dismayed by difficulties
and finally settled Oh this:
The remedy, then, upon which all refoi-
mers may agree without sacrificing one lota
of preference for their pet scheme. is that the
majority shall rule, shall make the laws.
shall legislate directly according to their de-
sires. This is the Initiative and Referendum.
A small number of voters. say one in twenty,
shall have the power to initiate legislation by
demanding that certain law, as free coin
age, OF prohibition, OF single tax, shall be
referred to the people to be voted upon, and if
a majority approve, it shall become the law
This plan the Sun thinks would bring
the performer" whether he be ''Prohibi-
zionist, Populist, or Single tax payer'' a
hundred times nearer his goal than he is
now. The idea OF our contemporary seems
to be union on the single idea OF getting
into power and then for each party to trust
TO luck for getting it's fad adopted by the
people afterwards. How the people Of Viz
ginia would like to pay for the extra cleo
tions brought about by the referendum is d
question to be settled later.
That is ole common ground OIL which
the two parties can meet, but there is anotL-
er offered by Col. Wil1er of Portsmouth,
which we think is much more frank and
more easily comprehended than that of
the Sun. Ii is that 1--WE intend to keep on
fighting the Democratic party in Virginia
until she is licked" Now that is more
like it; the referendum is something that
needs to be explained, but the veriest illit-
elate Negro who cannot read his ballot can
understand without any trouble what try
ing to click" the Democracy. e. the
bulk Of the white men-of Virginia is. 1t
is a business he has been in for years. We
see that Mr.. Gibbs, the Chairman Of the
Prohibition Executive Committee, is re-
ported as quite as frank as Col. Wilder.
The Richmond correspondent Of the
Petersburg Mder-Appeal says Mr..
Gibbs is said to have remarked
recently that lie intended to exert
all of his influence to defeat Harry
Tucker. What special objection he has TO
Tucker he did not say, but he was Certain
ly very outspoken against him." NE.
Wilder you will perceive cannot be pro
vailed on to keep quiet until he has licked
the whole Democracy of the State; MI.
Gibbs, more modestly, will address himself
more exclusively to the task of clicking
MI. Harry Tucker.
We take it that .he Democrats of the
ten congressional districts will have an OPP
position next fall practically of the bulk of
the other three parties. At the two State
conventions in Lynchburg there will be
arranged combination as strong as may be
organized out Of such discordant material. |
But there will have to be recognition of the
AeSPuD1looii pttI ID I1OU UUOhSi
for convention there-and as that party
contains by far the smaftest politicians,
to whom the leaders of the other two par
ties are as little children, we may depend
upon it that they will not quietly submit |
to be forced into back seats.
There is a good deal being said in the |
newspapers about the advantage the Dem
ocratic party will have in the tone consta-
bile" Australian ballot law, In one respect
the Democratic party will be a loser by that |
law, and not light loser either. 1t is the
first time there has been an absolutely Sc
cret ballot, and we may expect that class
Of voters who have little party attachment
and have been held to the ticket heretofore |
by an unwillingness to openly vote another
ticket, will be found slipping the traces
now. To offset this there will probably be
decided falling off in the colored vote cast
against the Democracy. For the first time
the Negro cannot be followed to the very
ballot box by his political boss with
particular ticket. He cannot now be
formed in line ill the street and his ticket
placed in his hand. He must take tie
same chances as the white voter. To this
state Of affairs he will not take kindly. and
we very much doubt if, outside the cities.
like the usual colored vote will be
polled. 1t is, however, far from certain
that the new law will be in operation next
fall, nor do we think it makes much differ
ence to the Democratic canG dates whether
it is OF not, as far as any decided advantage
it will give them.
The character of the fight is not misun-
derstood, we hope. It S the same old fight
Of the Democracy against the field. You
will not hear 4 Prohibition orator nor a
Popuiist orator denounee single EepuJli-
can candidate for Congress in the State,
nor will YOU hear single Republican orator