The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-09-21
Democratic Reform and Reformers.

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Democratic Reform and Reformers.
In conversation with an old acquaintance
the other day, We learned from him that he
was rot fnily decided how to cast his vote in
the Presidential election. He is one of those
VINO had been precipitated into the support
OF Greeley under the "anything to beat
Grant, impulse, and has been on the stool
OF repentance ever since. He acknowledged
that he then permitted himself to be made Il
TOOL OF to please the demagogues who
run the Conservative Or Democratic party of
Virginia. lie retains lively remembrance
OF the disgust and distrust that took posses
sion OF him after the verdict of the people in
1872, aud is now wary and cautious. The
thing that bothers him most is the tax lues-
tion. He has seen it published and heard it
proclaimed that Tilden had reduced the State
tax Of New York ss,00O,O 600 in one year, and
he thinks it possible he might do the same
for Virginia were he elected President. He
has also read that Virginia pays 100000
revenue tax, while the whole of the New
England States pay but small amount
more than that sum. He did not precisely
understand the rationale OF these things, but
he had seen them stated in iigarcs. and
they had made their impression. We UNI
dertook to remove the cobwebs from his
mind, and give him the truth. and we
think he will make pretty good Hayes and
Wheeler voter in consequence. He remem-
bered how we warned the people against vo-
ting for Greeley, and thought if he had taken
our advice then he would have been spared
many moments of humiliation.
We told our friend that the claim that Til
den was great reformer was a fraud. We
stated to him how the taxes OF New York
had been reduced. and that Tldcn could, in
truth, claim no credit for it.. That 4 Repub-
hcan Legislature and a Republican Govern
or had paid off the debt of the State, and
when Tilden came into Office he had no debt to
provide for, and consequently the tax ncces-
sary to pay the debt had been dispensed with,
the cause and the effect went together, and
q the Republicans were entitled to all the
praise if there was any praise due to party
for simply doing its duty to the whole peo-
pie. We further stated to him that, instead
of economy in his administration. of the
government of New York, it had taken
$550,000 per annnm more to meet the ordin-
airy current expenses under Tilden, the DEM
ocrat, than it had under Dix, the Republic
an, and all this clamor and fllstian about
reform was Simply huge falsehood.
.,sa,W We further stated to him that were Mr..
Tilden President, he coudtno lessen the
taxes in yirginia-that was a matter for the
Democratic party to do, for they had made
the State debt. We pointed him to the fact that
the administration of the affairs of the State
by the Conservative party had been the most
profgate that ever cursed people; that they
had squandered since the war, $50, 100000
Of the State assets, with nothing to show for
them; had run up the State debt from $45,-
O00.000 to near 100000, the larger por-
ton Of Which was impregnatcd with COM
pound interest under the funding bill, it
was Increasing at the rate of about two
millions of dollars annually defaultcd in
terest, and that there was no possible
way to escape from this, unless the whole
debt was repudiated, or the taxes doubled to
meet the interest and current expenses We
further explained to him how the annual
revenues were being spent-that the Legis-
ture met each year, and could easily trans
act the business before them in thirty days;
but that each member was paid So day, and
that in order to draw this Sc, so much more
than they could make az home, they pro-
fonged the session to the last day the Con-
stitution would allow, making the time for
which they were paid one hundred and twen-
ty days, at Sc for each member, instead of
thirty days at Sc for each member-that
they took, generally, ten days holiday at
Christmas, and drew each Sc per day while
they were on Christmas Jerry.
We further explained to him that the State
did not pay the 100000 internal revenue !
tax, that the Democratic Demagogues, fear
less of the fate Of Annanias, said we paid
that 1t was tax on tobacco and wlliskey to |
ticlp pay the national debt created by the !
war brought on to destroy the Union by the |
Democratic party, and carried on by the Re-
publican party to preserve the Government, |
and to secure to the people the benefits our po-
iitical system vouchsafed-that il lie did not
use tobacco or drink whiskey, he paid none
OF the tax, and only in proportion rs he
used these luxuries, Ae was faxed and that
this seven millions were paid wherever Vir-
ginia tobacco and wliskey were used wheth-
er In New York or Louisiana, California or
Maine. OF course the manufacturers paid
the tax directly, but they got it back from
the JObber, and the jobber from the retailer,
and the retailer from the consumer, whel all
Of it was paid, finally, whether helived in the
lava beds OF the Rocky Mountains, or sported
In the saloons OF JOAN Morrisscy at Saratoga.
Our friend said this was new way of pre-
senting the matter. and differed from what
ne had read in Democratic papers and heard
nom Democratic speakers, and thought there
was great deal of truth in it. We told
him that his taxes to support the government
81 the United States were not felt, but it was
ais State taxes, to meet the extravaganza ana
OF the party he was acting
With, which made him groan, and he scratch
ID his head, and said he thought so too.
We further told him the Republican party
aad reduced the Internal Revenue taxes $780,
100000 per annum from what the obligations
u the country called for in 1S65-that $780,
1900 OF that war debt had been paid off,
md that it was the purpose of the people of
his country to continue the Republican par
y In power until the last dollar was paid, |
md the laws and the Constitution of the /,
o'intry respected over every foot OF ground
where the American flag waved
He mentioned something about Mr. Tilden
nSny n rafnrpo, rrono rollv and mo to11 L.,