The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-08-02
Mahone's Relative Tax-Paytn.
Strength.

The pnblic-debt question has been made,
purposely by General Malone, an issue in
the present gubernatorial contest, and his
friends are relying upon that more than
anything else for his success. Tn this con-
nection 1t would not be improper to notice
what has been the verdict of the large tax
paying counties--those most interested In
all questions touching the debt. The mate
rial wealth OF some OF the counties is greatly
in excess Of others. although equal in repre-
sentation in the Convention. The whole
taxable value, the real and personal property
OF the State, amounts to some 1880. 000.000.
II one will examine the counties claimed by
Malone, and allowing a fair proportion Tor
his fractional strength in others, he VIII
fine that his delegation will not represent
over some S55, ZOO, 900 to SG6,000.00o, Just a
little over one sixth of the taxable property
Of the State. The fact is that the great tax
pa. ing counties OF the Valley and Northern
Virginia have not taken him up. Take the
county OF Fauqucr, which is solid for Lee,
and her taxable property is nearly 100000
600, with delegation OF twcnty-thrce,
and compare it with Mccklenburg and
Lunenburg combined, with Malone
delegation OF twenty-siX, and taX-
able property OF s4,000,000. Take
the great counties OF Shenandoah and
Rockingham. with 4 taxable value OF S14,-
00O.000. and Malone has but four delegates
out OF some SiXty-One. SO it will be found
that the counties which pay the taxes and
have great taxable values for their property,
and contribute so much to the support Of
the State, are not for him. Again, under
the influence of Petersburg, the congress
sional district known as the "Black Belt :"
and the sections adjacent are for him, in
which are included most OF the counties
under Radical rule and without Conserva-
tive representative IN the Legislature, and
which, by misfortune, it is true, have not had
voice in that body. Take the Fifth district
every county redeemed, an able representa-
tive in Congress, and the very heart OF the
tobacco-rasinG section OF the State-and it
is almost solid against him. Take the map
OF Virginia, run along the great cattle-rais-
ing section of the southwest, the vcry
country penetrated by the road OF which
Malone was the late president, and the
counties are against him. Run along the
grain-producing sections, and the verdict
OF the people is the same. Take the to-
bacco regions where this great staple is
raised principally by the labor OF the
achites, and the people have rejected
him. There is no unanimity for him any
where except. in the counties where the
colored population prcponderates and the
labor is mixed. The political reasons for
this are manifest. No man in the whole
history OF Virginia has struggled SO hard.
with al! the appliances known to an adroit
manipulation OF men, to effect a Judgment in
the great producing counties Of the State,
and with such signal failure. When the
great call shall come from the mountains
and the Valley OF Virginia for chosen
leader in the battle against RadicaliSm and
the disorder which is now before Us, Will
liam Malone will not be the choice OF the
great thinking mind OF the ople.-Hali-
fur Record. ..-