Year: 1878

/ to,uuite Will, the Radical Inegroes and whites
IN Virginia to defeat your chosen Standard
bearers. In proof Of this it is already aI-
parent In. two congressional districts that
Radical leaders are invoking the negroes and
white Radicals 70. support the Independent
candidates for Congress, and there is salts
factory information. thai the Radical mana
gers at Washington are advising the con-
centratfon Of the Radical vote in Virginia
upon these Independents as the best means
Of weakening and destroying the Conserva-
tive party. We earnestly eXhort you to re-
sist and rebuke all such attempts to draw
you away from your allegiance and support
OF your chosen standard-bearers. Under
the Conservative organization every man
who has amy claim to popular confidence
and favor hasa fair field and full chance
| to submit his claims to iairly-chosen con.
yentions OF the party. No man who is an
intelligentand true Conservative will refuse
to abide by this arbitrament. No party can
maintain its existence whose members deny
the binding authority Of its fairlv-consti-
tuted conventions. Boilers and Indepen-
dents. and their a5ettors, seek to stab the
very vitals OF the party. 1t is worthy OF
your notice that these Independent move
ments are chiefly contrived and promoted
by otice-hunters and their friends. Such
persons are not disinterested and trustwor-
thy counsellors OF the people. Some Of
these otfice-seekers ask you to betray your
party and vote for them upon the modest
prelence that they are the dscoyerers OF


SOME POLITICAL SosTRUM


which they can administer with wondrous
public benefit. 1t should suffice for you to
say to them that their patriotic purposes
can be served by publishing their specific,
and that your chosen representatives have
wisdom and virtue enough to consider and
adopt whatever value there may be in their
theories, and that you cannot recognize any
man as wise or patriotic who endeavors to
distract and divide the Conservative party,
or attempts 10 set up d third party III The
present condition OF national affairs.


Some of these boilers and their newspa-
pers seek to win your support by claiming
to be able and ready to achieve great public
blessings by introducing certain financial
measures for the consideration OF Congress.
Such persons ought To know that the very
first step towards procuring any reform in
the financial policy Of the Government is to
expel from power the Radical party, which
has created the financial evils OF which they
complain, and to put the National Demo
cratic party in control OF the finances. That
party has proved its ability and its purpose
to protect all sections OF the country in
matters OF finance as well rs all other pub
lie interests. The chief strength and sup
port of the Democratic party lies in the
South and West. For this reason I'm addi-
ton to its uniform fidelity to constitutional
principlesl this great national party is the
sole rational reliance and hope of the South
for desiring and executing all reforms in
government needful for the relief and pros
perity OF the southern people. The expert
ment OF introducing


THIRD PARTY


on the arena OF national politics will prove
disastrous folly to the South. 1t can only
end in giving q new lease OF power to the
Radicals and prolonging their balefu reign.
We submit that true wisdom on the part OF
Conservatives in Virginia is to help the
Democratic party to complete lts work, so
auspiciouSly begun, OF eXpeling the Radi-
Gals from all departments OF the Govern
ment, and thus acquire the power to correct
the financial mischiefs and all other wrong
doines Of RadicaliSnl. Seli-Sccking politi-
cians, aided by some OF the newspapers in
Virginia, are striving to rend the Conscrva-
tive 1artv by efforts to revive the obsolete
animositics which once divided Wings and
Democrats. It is difficult to conceive mo-
tive for this mischievous attempt except 4
sinister and selfish one. Virginia owes her
deliyerance from Radical rule in her do
nestle concerns solely to the Conservative
party That party achieved lis victories by
the hearty union and cordial cooperation Of
Whlgs and Democrats. 1t was by this union
onIv that the property, intelligence, and
virtue OF the State obtained control OF its
government, and by the maintenance of this
union only can these elements retain that
control.


WE EARNESTLY APPEAL


to YOU in tender regard for all the interests,
individual and social, which depend upon
good government, to resist and rebuke
every artitice and eypcdieEt employed 10
weaken your loyalty to the Conservative
party. Remember the horrible pit and the
miry clay from which it delivered you. It's
powerful arm has proved your sure protec-
ton in the terrible trials through which you
have lived since 1865. Let no one beguile
YOU into the fatal folly OF throwing away
this great weapon OF your defence. What
ever evils there may be to correct in State
or Federal affairs can be most surely remc-
died by all Conservatives keeping close
ranks and fighting together. Your Radical
foe Is still organized and confronting You,
and wants to take advantage OF weakness
and division in the Conservative ranks. IL,
under a mistaken sense nf security, you
consent to divide and disband the Conscr-
vatiye party, all the precious fruits Of Con-
seryative rule in Virginia for the past ten
wears will perish and our State will become
the easy prey OF Radical dominion and
plumber. The corrupt ambition and selfish
aims OF place hunters impel them to solicit
your votes, with criminal indifference to
these vital public interests. None OF them
are entitled to your favor who ask you to
help in dividing and disrupting the Con-
scrvatiVe party.


In presenting this advice and appeal
WE BEG YOU TO NOTICE


that our counsel is in harmony with that
given to the Conservatives in other southern
States by their most eminent and patriotic
public men, Senator Hill. OF Georgia. has
recently urged this counsel upon his fellow
citizens; and that tried and trr1sty patriot
Governor Wade Hampton has recently
pressed the following words OF warning and
advice upon the Conservatives of South
Carolina:


"The greatest evil now threatening our
party is that OF an Independent movement
He who sets up his individual judgment as
a rule CT action, and refuses to act in full
accord with our platform, in spirit and in
letter, is an Independent; and an Inde-
pendent, at this crisis Of our affairs, is
worse than Radical. He places himself.
by bis own action, outside of the pale OF
our party, and he should be voted out OF it.
He who is not with us is against us, and
should be ranked among our opponents ;
for an open enemy is far less dangerous
than pretended friend. Our party must
he kent fully orpaniZed perfectly com nact