The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-08-31
THE ELEcroR SPEAKS.

CAPT. RlDDLEBERGEH, IL Il Di1'A"OniA L ~
EI.EcroR, HARRANGUEs THE sovEREIGNs
DEMOCRATIC ARG U MEN ia TISSUI
OF MISREPRESENTATION ERV t |
FACTS AND CARRIED FIGURES.
As advertised, Capt. H. II. Riddeberser, o
Shenandoah, the Democratic elcctor for the
7th Congressional district, addressed the people
of Augusta on Monday last, upon what wa;
presumed to be the issues of.the day, but ii he
gave expression to Il single sentence pertaining
to the legitimate issues OF the campaign, ii he
advanced nj idea which arose above those OF
the most bgotcd partzan, or produced an
argument that could be tortured into log
ical conclusion from the premises assumed, we
failed to discover it. From the BEG inning to
the close, his address was an appeal to party
fanaticism, q re-awakening of the old passions
and accrbites which led to the prostration of
Virginia, and q reopening OF the wounds.
which, for the PAST ten years, it has been the
earnest work Of every true son of the South to
calm and heal. 1t was expected OF him, who
had been honored by his party with the clector-
ship of one OF the most important districts i'll the
State, that he would present manly vindica-
ton of the cause he had espoused, would rise
to the discussion OF the great fundamental is
sues involved and place before an Intelligent au-
dicnce facts and arguments, leaving to the les
ser lights the emission OF those lurid flames of
passion which have blistcrcd the prospects and
prosperity of the South for ten long years. We
have never been more disappointed in speaker
or speech, anG are forced totlae conclusion that
either the cause is wonderfully defective or
else its advocate il woefully weak.
Starting cut with the assertion that the can
vass from the Democratic standpoint was to be
sharp aggressive and bitter, but denying any
intention to haunt the bloody shirt, he proceeded
to a TRADE OF denuncation and abuse, which
we have neither the space nor inclination to
reproduce, but we propose to show the falsity
of his figures and the unrcliability OF some OF his
more prominent statements, and when that is
done leave his hearers to determine with what
credit his other statements should be received.
He stated that during one term of Democrat
c administration the expenditures were $685.
900, 0o0 whilst during one term Of Grants
administration it required s475, 100000.
Now Mr.. Ridtllebergar did know, or he
ought to have known, that by Il carefully pre-
pared tabular statement, compiled from the
books of the Treasury Department, by Mr.. Co.
nant, the Assistant Secretary of the Treasury,
and reported to Congress, it is shown that the
net expenses OF the Government, exclusive OF
the war expenses and those growing out of the
war, for the year 1875 were SS4,773, 7G2, 40,
whilst in 1860 they were s53,025, 7SS, SO. But
the expenses in 1860 were in gold, and Mr..
Conant deducted l29 per cent as the premium
OH gold for the year 1875, leaving net cxpen-
dturc in gold for the year OF s74,02S ,6SS, 90
and taking into consideration the increase OF
population, he finds that in 1869 the expenses,
per capita, were $l.9G whilst III the year 1875
they were 81. 60.
The speaker next paid his respects to Office
holders. saying that during Lincoln's admins
traton it required 4G, 900 Office holders to carry
on the Government, whilst during Grants
$4,000 were deemed necessary, but he Jailed to
remember that during Lncoln's adminlstra-
ton, the country was convulsed with revolution
and all civil and manufacturing business was
at a s1andstll and eleven Southern States were
in rebellion, and under separate government.
He referred to the Indian Bureau, as costing
under Lincolns and Johnson's administrations
1000, 900, whilst under Grants it had cost
s7,Oo0,O00. but he neglected to state that
increase had been caused by the extension OF
railroads in the west, the extinction OF Indian
titles, and the purchase oil new reservations
for the Indians. In abiding to the navy
department, and Admiral Porter's teStimo-
ny, he omitted that part which attributed
the larger portion OF the expense to the
repairing and rebuilding of naval yards and
putting in defcnsible condition our marine
borders.
In regard to the resolution Of the Senate re-
quiring Secretary Bristow to prepare 4 state
ment OF balances due the United States,
together with the names Of the defaulters and
the amounts OF their defalcations, which Mr..
Rddlebergcr claimed had been laid on the ia
bic for the reason that it would have made
damaging exposures against the Republicans,
it was demonstrated to the entire satisfaction
of the Senate, the Democratic member concur
ring, and Senator Withers particularly express
sing his approval, that many of the defalcatons
were merely technical and that the trouble and
expense OF such report was entirely unnccessa-
ry except so far as referred to condensed
statement, which contained Il good deal of vail
! liable Information, disclosing on2 of the
brightest pages Of the Republican record. 1t
showed that the losses OH the 1000 of dis
bursemcnts were, in the administration of jack
son, $lO.35; Van Buren,, s2l Is; Harrison,
S1O.37; Polk, 1875 Taylor and Fillmore 81 81 /;
Pierce, $3.50; Buchanan, nearly $G99; Lincoln,
81 49, Johnson As cents Grant, the lst four years,
40 cents;the second four years, 26icents. Does
any sensible man suppose that Senator Sher.
man or any other Republican, would want to
conceal such report as that? Yet Mr. Rid
dlebcrger told you he did.
The speaker said that by the Whiskey frauds
in the West the Government had lost over
$500, 100000, but he didn's- tell who exposed
those frauds, and brought the criminals to JUS
tice and the penitentiary.
He charged Col Shields with falsehood In
having said that 1000 men had fallen victims to
the Ku-Kux in the South. Yet the report OF
the Committee OF Investigation states the num-
Der in killed and wounded to be 1926. lie
charged, also, that the statement made by
Shields that it required Is per cent. to collect
thn IN ynS of the State was untrue, and pro-