Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-10-07
and what Radical Legislature has done there
a Radical Legislature will do here.

uuduCGS III tHUot ObdtcS WltCIc tuOJ ndFO Oou
troll They have rendered bankrupt every State
whose government is in their hands, Let u:
compare the present Indebtedness of those
States with their indebtedness when the
Radicals came into power. The table below
will show the indebtedness of these States in
1867, before the Radicals gained the ascendan-
cy, and their Indebtedness in 1871, after they
had been four years under Radical rule.
1857 1871.
Alabama, ...........$7,9 900 600 $3S 900, OOC
. Arkansas. ........"...... 1000 600 10000 00C
Florida. ................ 100000 $4,000 00C
South Carolina......... 100000 29,0OO,0OC
These figures are taken from the report of q
Congressional committee. Since then their In
debtedness has increased. From this table il
will be seen that the indebtedness of some oi
these States has increased ten-fold, 10 others
eight, and in none less than four-fold And to
pay the interest on this vast indebtedness, the
rate of taxation has increased in the same ra-
ito. The taxes are six or seven times higher
than formerly. To show the increased rate Of
taxation look at the amount Of taxes levied on
one piece of land in Arkansas, which is taken
at random from the tax-books of the county. Il
Is a fair average representation:
Taxes levied on said land for 1866, $50
Taxes levied on said land for 1867, Is Sc
Taxes levied on said land for 1868, 112 81
Taxes levied on said land for 1869, 146 4S
Taxes levied on said land for 1870, 060
Now, suppose the Radical party should get
the ascendancy in Virginia, what would be our
condition? Our Indebtedness is now about
$33, 100000, exclusive of West Virginia certi6-
Gates, and if it should be increased from eight
to ten times this amount, as the Radicals have
increased it in the States just named, our in
Hobtodpo ruo,IA than ha I'D, 0f 000
600 900, upon which we would have to pay the
interest. To do this our taxes would be in
creased in the same ratio from eight to ten
times the present rate. Now, as we pay fifty
cents on every hundred dollars worth of prop
erty, that is one-half of one per cent. on its
value, if the taxatiop be increased eight or ten
times the present amount, We should have to
pay from four to five dollars on every one hun
dred dollars worth of property instead of fifty
cents; and as but little property in Virginia
yields more than five or six per cent on its
value, it follows that it would take the entire
income to pay the taxes and the owner would
have to live On his principal. And such is the
condition of affairs In most of the Southern
States where the Radicals have possession of
the State governments. We know how our
people have complained of the present rate of
taxation. We know that the last Conservative
agricultural interest, because it was admitted
on all sides that the farmers could not bear
higher rate of taxation. Are the people of
Virginia willing to entrust this great taxing
power to party which, where it has control of
the State governments, has so increased the in
debtedness and the rate of taxation as to rem
der those States BANKRUPT?
Now let US see how the Radical party have
expended the money thus wrupg from an i'm
poverished people Has it been wisely used in
the development of the State and in the ad-
vancement OF its material interest? Take South
Carolina as an example, The Legislature Or
dered the house in which they sat to be fur
nished, and among the articles purchased was
a mirror in the speakers room, at the price of
$3.50 Each official has a separate room for
himself, most gOrgeously fitted up, with toilet
sets, and all the paraphernalia of a dwelling
house clocks at $3.50 piece; chandeliers at
$3.50. and two hundred fine porcelain spittoons
at $S a piece. And of these men who thus
vote away the public money, some of
them pay no taxes This is but one instance
of their reckless extravaganza; thousand like
it could be furnished. This large Indebtedness
has been created and this vast expenditure in
Cured in order to feed the vampires who are
eating the vitals ct the people, and with like
view, offices by the multitude have been created,
salaries have been increased. sinecures have
been established, and the ingenuity of the plum
derers have been taxed to discover new ap-
proaches to the pockets Of the people. People
of Virginia, will you confde the taxing power of
the State to such unworthy hands?
And what can the people of Virginia expect
from a Legislature controlled by party like
this? Does any one doubt that it will be hos
tile to the white people Of the State? Was not
that the course they pursued during the short
time they held power in the State? Look at
their course in the Underwood Convention.
Were they not governed by bitterness toward
the whites? In the constitution which they
framed they disfranchised thousands and tens
of our best men, and by their test
oaths would have excluded from office nearly
every white man In the State. Their object
was to retain the Offices for themselves, and
thus obtain control of the State governmeut-
And one of their most distinguished leaders,
when addressing them, said, if you have not
disfranchised enough to give you control, dis
franchise more, and continue to dlsfranchlse
until you secure possession of the government
They adopted this advice, and inserted in the
constitution disfranchisipg clauses and test
oaths to secure the power to themselves if the
constitution had been adopted as they framed
it, And when these clauses were submitted to
a separate vote the negroes voted with unbro-
ken unanimity to retain them. Speaking OF
their vote on this question. one OF their orators
has expressed the hope that when the record
ing angel came to write it down that he would
drop tear of pity and blot it from the record.
And well he might ask that an at exhibiting
so much hostility to the whites should be blot
ted from our memories But let us remember
it so far as to keep them from acquiring legis-
lative power, which they have shown them
selves so incapable of exercising. But if there
be anything wanting to arouse you to earnest
effort to insure success in this election, let me
call your attention to one of the resolutions In
the the Radical platform. 1t proclalms the
most alarming doctrines yet put forth by this
and revolutionary party:
''Resolued, That the Federal Courts should
be accessible in all the States to all citizens on
appeal for redress of wrongs or protection oi
rights 10 cases where, upon proper showing,
equity demands it.
Do Virginians understand this resolution ? 1t
means the utter overthrow of the whole judicial
system of the State. The jurisdiction OF the
Federal and State courts, as it now exists, is
well defined, and each moves harm0niously In
its appropriate sphere. An appeal lies from
no State court to Federal court, except from
the highest court of the State to the Supreme
Court of the United States, and then only when
the question as issue involves the construction
of the Constitution of the Upited States, or of
some statute passed by Congress, aud a few
other specific cases. But this resolution pro-
poses an "appeal from every State court to a
Federal court ''tor redress of wrongs and pro-
lection of rights" In all cases, civil or crimi-
nal, from all State courts an appeal is to lie to
Federal court. And when is the appeal to be