Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-10-24
Political Discussion.


ker, nominee Of the Richmond Conven-
ton for Lieutenant Governor, and Col.
r. Richardson, independent candidate for
the same office. Col. Richardson arrived
at O'Clock P. M. bnt as Gen. Walker
did not reach town befores7 p. NJ, there
seemed to be some doubt as to whether
there would really be discussion. The
arrival, however, of Gen. Walker dis
PEELED all doubt and the Court House
rapidly filed.
Gen. Walker opened the discussion
by referring to his Wytheville speech.
He stated that his speech was not cor
rectly reported, and denied that he had
made the expressions which have been
used as the basis Of the attack which
has been made upon him, and said, II
said at Wytheville as say here, stand
upon the platform of the party, no man
in the State more heartily endorses it
than do. 1t has been my view Of the
debt question for years." He said that
after the delivery Of his Wytheville
speech, he saw no newspaper report of
It andno comments upon it until the
morning of the Harrisonburg meeting.
He continued, Col. Richardson and
those gentlemen who called him out
acted little too hastily, in taking up a
newspaper report instead ofmy speech
as it was delivered. The positions
which l took and advocated in my
Wytheville speech are the same as those
I shall make here.
said in my Wytheville speech that
had ever been All uncompromising oppo-
nent Of the funding bill and that my
opposition to the bill was in no wise
abated and all want is a gentleman to
show me legal mode Of getting rid Of
it, and Will go as far as the farthest.
said was opposed to any increase
Of taxation, because the platform of the
party said 1t was opposed to any. said
[ was in favor of reimbursement. I said
emphatically that 1 stood upon the
platform.
/ was opposed to any force measures
to compel the judges to retire from the
bench and give their places to others.
In answer to gentleman who en-
CURED. would you in any event raise the
taxes of the State, 1 replied, I would
IN this event, when we have tried to re-
peal the funding bill and we cant;
when we have tried to readjust and the
creditors refuse. Suppose we have tried
all means to get rid of the Coupons and
the Coupon man still takes his per
cent, we have got to repudiate the
School fund or repudiate the 10 millions
due our own people. Reputation is
failure to pay when you can. What
would you do in that case Would you
destroy the schools: Would you let
the coupon man get 6 per cent and the
other none? would you notincrease the
tax ten cents on the hundred dollars
rather than see this wrong done our own
people?
How much is the debt? l am met
by forty opinions. Some say it is sixty
odd millions. The auditor reports this
debt at 33,s0o,00 including the interest
that has accumulated recently under
the terms Of the funding bill. The hol-
ders Of the bonds have EXPRESSLY re-
lieved the state from any liability for the
W. Virginia portion ofthe debt. When
ever the state gets anything she is trus-
tee for that fund. He asked when was
it created? Every dollar before the
war; nothing has been added since but
the accumulation Of interest. 1t was all
spentin public Improvements. During
and after the war, this debt was in
creased. from 80 to 45 millions. The
funding bill was wrong in compromising
the interest, 1t was wrong in even as
Stunning to pay the war interest.
The amount Of the reported .anual
deficit is 900
Richmond Wing says it is 100000
How are we to meet it? when you are
in debt and can't pay you have got TO re-
duce expenses orincrease your revenues.
The expenses of the state can be reduc-
ed as follows; Biennial Sessions and re-
ductlon Of members of the
Legislature 100000
Criminal expenses $4,000
The Mof'ett bill punch is estimated
to raise 5O0,oO0, but put it at 100000
Rigid assessment Of personal property
100000, making total of 100000. l
am in favor of readjusting the deficiency
with the creditors. They would GER
tainly be willing to receive per cent.
because they do not receive more now.
You must either destroy the schools
and rather than destroy the schools /
would increase the tax ten cents on the
hundred dollars, or you must bring the
coupon bonds down to the peeler bonds.
or repudiate the peeler bonds, and
rather than do such rank injustice, i'll
could not bring the one down 1 would
bring the other up even if 1 had to in
crease the taxes 10 cents.
If we are poor, thank God, we are
honest and rather than do this rank in
Justice would raise the taxes. Gen.
Walker spoke one hour and half. He
was frequently interrupted by applause
and seemed to cary nearly the entire
audience with him.
He was followedby Col. Richardson