Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-08-03
Letter from Richmond.

RICHMOND, Va, August 2, 1S77.-In few
DAYS our 'seyen hill'' city, which sits so proudly
upon the banks Of the noble James, will be the
grand centre of attraction for politicians great
and small. The convention is the all absorbing
tonic, and the friends of the various candidates
are "up aud doing" Never before 10 the his
torv Of our old Commonwealth has there been
such scramble for the highest position within
the gift of the people. Surely the Gays 10 Wnlch
the position sought the candidate have passed
and | fear never 10 return. We have 90 lack oil
men ready to serve their country 10 aoy capa'
city-yea, even anxious, and to ret cnch aud re-
form UPON the principal Of curtalllng the plumber
of nositions of emoiument will be exceedingly
unpopular with both the "in 5 and outs But,
it would be happy thing to stalt out with
determination to abolish one half the offices To-
Guiding the same reduction 10 courts, and the
smal amount of extra work that would TALL
upon the retained would not be laborous, and
if thew fouud the work too hard, the State
would fnd no trouble n filing the places from
the hundreds of applicants for each position. The
great question before the convention Will DC our
State debt, and the people seem oow detetm'
ined to beard the lion 10 his deu and they
will meet the issue aud that boldly, and 1t 10
proper that they should give decided expires
sion to their views on this subJect-and that
100 in no Uncertain tore. An annual Increase
of nearly million dollars on cur debt Is alarm
ing, and bankruptcy, or reaoJustment, forcloe
if need be, must be INDUCED IN and that With,
out delay. 10 beg piteousIy for life will be OF
20 avail. Bopdhoders generally are heartess;
iudecision will not accomplish anythlog. Ii
man is honest there is no dishonor IN mis-
hn cit a
by our tax ridden State to meet its obligations;
but alas, it is not doing it, and further, 1t can
not do it. The State of Virginia cannot pay 50
cents Oh the dollar; then why should Der pow
erty stricken people be compelled to pay the To-
terest dollar for dollar. We must make set
element and that without unnecessary delay; VIC
must pay what we can-and guarantee the pay
meot-and it is the part of prudence not to no.
dertake more. The cry of 20 reputation is 80
absurdity; we are repudiatiDg every day, and
have been doing SO for 10 years, aud will con-
tinue to do so to the extent Of a million year
| if the advice Of some OF our sentimental caDdl-
dates is followed up. Honesty and Integrity
will not pay big debts, especially when assets
| are very, very small. Sentimentalsm won't do.
Creditors vii! rot consent to settlements SO long
as they have such seDsltiVely toned debtors whom
| they can frghten with threats and suits, Nc
Men canrot DO financial inposslb:iities, neither
can States, aud the most honest way to get
out of trouble is to thoroughly canyass our as
sets and liabilities aud demand settlement
| With bondbolders to the extent of cur ability to
| pay and nothing more. 10 engineer Us through
| these financial seas will require q master hand
at the he;n, and there is 60 man 10 the State
with clearer head, steadier hand, or nobler
! heart than the peoples candidate, the hero ct
the Crater" Gco. VIM. Malone, Who arose
from an humble boy, and by bis own exer;ions
is What he is and 10 point of intelligence stands
head and shoulders above any man in the
State, ard the people will honor themselves by
placing him in the gubernatorlal chair. With
Malone as Governor we need not fear fiaDh
movements Of bondhoders;hc will be master Of
the situation and see that the scheme OF read.
justment whether it may be stigmstizsd ruru
dation or not, is carried through, and The
| finances Of the State es, :bliShed on a healthy
basis. To day the State could not borrow q
dollar. | ask could her credit under any cir
cumstances be worse? Malone is ulquestioDa
! bly, the coming map; heis DOW emerging from the
fires OF persecution With luser the more brilliant
from being vili6ed; had hisetter been published
several weeks earlier he would have entered the
! convention with large majority, as 1t is he
| will undoubtedly lead on the first ballot. The
cry of anybody to beat Malone has helped him
| at every point. 1t is believed the Taliaferro
vote will almost to q map 80 TO the little Gene
| raj should bis name be dropped lie will also
capture large part Of Lee anG Holiday vote
should either or both be dropped. The contest
| is virtually between Malone and Daniel, with
! the advantages at present decidedly 10 favor
| Of Malone. a few more days aud the result
will be known, 10 the meantime The excitement
ard interest will continue to Increase.
L1BBIE GRANTS Big Sw1M.-L;lte Libbie
Grant, eight years old, swan yesterday alter
noon from the Wards Island DOCK across the
| Harlem river, to The public batbhouse at the
foot Of Hath street, distance, aliowiog for the
swimming up stream to avoid tho effects Of toe
current, of about three quarters Of a mile. The
puckly little lass was clad 10 gray suit, trimmed
with red, and had her hair done en chnose;
around her neck she wore, suspended from q
gold chain, Maltese cross, which she Tol last
year for skilfuI swimming.
Libbie and Der father, who was to swim
across with her, at Oh. Sim. l5'. spraug into
| the river together. 1t was ladies day at the
| bath, aud Oh the roof were quite number Of
| the fair sex of all ages, and 90 the nelehborng
| dock a crowd Of some three HUNDRED meu,
women and children. A boat 10 which, be-
sides the rover, was one of the female swim
ming teachers assistants, kept just ahead Of
the swimmers, who struck up stream, Mr..
| Graut ahead aud the little girl following. Lib.
bic swan first on her side, but changed to
swimming On her back and then to straight
swimming until we'll over the strong downward
current 10 the middle of the river. The tide
was at ebb and running some five miles an
hour. MIR. Graut, when nearly hallway over,
said, take your time, L!bbie, and dom worry
yourself" They headed up to the Harlem
shore until nearly abreast of ll6h street, and
then swan down for the bathhousc. AS they
peared it Lbbies fellow pupils cougregated 90
the roof, waived their handkerchefs aud cheer
ed her. The swimmer reached the bathhousc
| at 7b. Gun. l5s, having made tho journey 10
exactly fifteen minutes She was immediately
wrapped in large Turkish towel by the swim
miog mistress aud taken iuto the house. The
little girl, though she sbivered a good deal,