The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-04-15
The Debt Question.

u
:,,,corous war was made last winter
,,non the credit and honor Of the Common
wealth by a minority of the ConserVau'e
marty. combined With negro ana hao'"'
representatives. in the House OF pees.'.s'
Reateu BY the loyalty and patriotism Oh tue
Senate, the combination, ne'eFaefess' ~
f,ic,ed upon the State and upon Tue f'e'p0
serious Injury. ,ua.s
There IA nothing clearer to our mtnassSoo |
all ohseryant gentlemen acohs'nsea Win
bus,ness and with the 6nancia h,storgot Inc
c,o,es noust he IS we'll satisfied as VIC are IN
the conviction that private csed't'must snare
tho fate Of the public. The enterprises and
the prospects Of people dwelling IN a dis
honored and bankrupt State casnot be ac-
tive and bright, and gradually nust decline
al, the gains 10 all the occupatieus of peo-
ple who i've ander the blight'u public dis
honor, THE citizen cannot escape the eS"
consequences of the bad reputation OF ais
State.
From the announcements made ours4p
the closing weeks of the Legislature it was
plain that q strong effort was inteEced 10 ee
made to carry the State elections next ran 10
favor OF reyIudiation." There IS no Stner
name for it. when meneDropose to afseTeoit
the coupons which theState is bound 70 re-
ceye-1 hether it is proposed to dsscredit
them ten or twenty per cent.-that IS fepn
diation. True. II is sut part Of THE value
of the coupon; but If the State snsy repu
s,iate a pert, it may, upon the same principle,
repudiale all. This question the NePeSlasers
proclaimed their Intention 10 carry before
the people. We'deprecate the rassang OF 'h's
painful issue, but st may I've presented Tue
nresent year With less peril thae at another
time. because we have no na:Na1al efectqons
to msae. The,Genseryative ptrty must sui
fer. however, mere or less, by lighting this
battle; the more especially as the repudla-
tors are relying upon endorsements from
the Radical enemy.
Nevertheless, an issue pressed IN such
manner cannot be avoided, and we concur
with the brave Wytbeyille Enterprise that
the true policy is to fight it out. We have
such faith in the integrity OF the people Of
Virginia that We do not think anything will
be lost by meeting the issue whenever It is
raised. TO the honor and glory OF The State
there IL q large part of it where 40 issue OF
the sort will be thought Of. The cry OF re-
pudiation, we arc sorry to be compelled TO
say, comes from localities that did more to
pile up the public debt than almost any
others. 1t is stigma upon their people that
they are presumed by the agitators to be
ready to asperse the honor of their predeces-
sors and to ruin The credit of their State at
one and the same time.
We are 10th to believe that any large cor
stituent body amongst the people will be
ready to do this thing. Some recent infor-
nation encourages this hope concerning
communities whose representatives have so
acted as to engendcr suspicion.
We learn that in Roanoke, recently, an ora
tor somew bat new to fame came forward on
couri-day and proposed and sustained in
speech Of nearly two hours measures of
sweeping character tending to the utter de-
struction of the public credit of the State.
The constituency. listened passrely, giving
no indication that they approved the views
of the speaker.
When be concluded the people called vo-
ciferously for WILLIAM WATTS, Esq, and he
was forced to the stand. Whereupon he
proceeded in one of the ablest speeches he
ever made TO tear and rend in pieces and to
scatter 10 the winds every opinion and argu-
ment that had been uttered by the repudiator.
The people applauded Mr.. WATTS to the
very ecao, and were evidently in heart and
soul with him.
In the last elections the question was raised
in TWO sections Of The State where the deci-
sion was decidedly against reputation. The
gallant State Senator GRiMSLLT, from Cu-
pepper, Madison, and Orange, had to fight
the issue, and he was returned triumphanty.
That intelligent and c>imable gentleman
Mr.. LAWSON. of Isle of Wight, had q like
trial and triumph. AS we said, it is only in
counties where, from peculiar circumstances,
men are led to believe that they can ride into
office by going against paying the debt that
the question is raised; and even in such
cases it has been the habit rather to evade
public discussion and seek popularity
through "corner" conversations thpa pub
lie discourses.
The majority Outlined by caucussing and
combination last winter in the House OF De-
legates has probably embroidered the party,
and We anticipate that the issue wal be
pressed with unusual publicity and peril
nacity. 1t must be nett cannot be evaded.
It is right that if the people of Virginia are
going to do this thing it shoald be known
be frankly proclaimed to the whole country.
If Virsinians are ready te destroy their
public credit, oil should know at. Especially
should the great multitude .sf good peop.a
who propose to come to Virginia know that
there is to be ,prosgation of credit, and bust
ness, and enterprise in the State; that the
lands are to be unstable, and the minerals
uDdeveloped; the State is not to have peace
in poverty and dishonor; but that dishonor
is but the beginning of agitation, aud trouble,
and shame, and modification that will run
on through Years. 1t would be great pub.
lie outrage TO invite the stranger wirain our
boundaries to share mseHsble lot,instead Of
finding that happiness and prosperity which
we ourselves had induced him to hopeaor.
FirginIsns should be frank, and let the
world know wtat they are going to do. The
:agitators will force them to speak.
The Irouton Convention.