The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-10-02

tended even beyond the offensive decara.
ton OF the state candidate They seemed
to be horrifed not only at any opinion that
the State was able to pay her debts, b,lt out
ragged ut any attempt to increase the re-
sources 81 the Commonwealth; Tor, with
an increase OF means she might be able TO
pay her creditor, thing which t' . these com,
patriots OF the inventor OF the register naa
taught themselves to believe would De an
outrage upon honesty and the rights OF the
people OF the State, which plainly implied
the right to repudiate the State debit
DR.. MoFrErr was in trouble. He had to
be true to his companions, the s'enforcsd
eauityp men--.tbe crusaders against the
funding act--and faithless to his register,
or to damn his register and hold to his
fealty to his companions. -" &ss'..l
This was indeed a dilemma. And what
did DR.. MoFFETT do? He made a 'tsriall-
tail movement" And what could the reader
imaeine that was? Why, he said, as repre-
sented by yeracious reporter, that the re-
ceipts from the MoFFETT register were not
to be applied to the interest on the public
debt, e but to paying criminal charges, lu-
natic-asylu m deticits,'' sc. 1t was no such
horrible and dishonest bill us it would be II
it proposed to pay the "public DEBT"
Neither the register nor Or. MoFFETT was
on that vicious line. Not NOR he! who
could believe it This we infer from the
reporters report; and If he erred we shall
be happy to do justice to the Industrious
Doctor, who has shown his ingenuity in
increasing the public revenue. We should
be most happy to make the correction, Tor
we would be glad to add the name OF DR..
MoFrETT to the list OF those who think it is
right for the State. to pay what she owes.
But in making this ,eXplanation-if he
made ,it-of the honest intentions Of the
register to collect money that should be
used only for the honest purpose OF paying
for honest ''criminal charges" and by no
means for the dishonest purpose OF paying
interest on the State date, the Doctor made
a blundcr. The fact is altogether against
him. The act legalizing the honest register
does not limit its agency as described by
DR.. MoFFETT. The sagacious and accurate
did not call attention to the
Of the gentlemen indignant
at the outrage OF calling refusal to pay an
honest debt by rude name perceived the
mistake, so to, call it, Of the objects Of the
law legalzing the register. Ii they did they
failed to invite attention to it, and DR.. MOI
FETT remained in full fellowship with them
as being opposed to increasing the appro-
priation to pay interest on, the public debt,
and as not being involved in his invention
in the evil work of helping the means OF
the State for doing dishonest thing.
d Not only did the Doctor erin describing
the law establishing the register as a ma
chine lor recording the number of drinks,
but his own statement of its purposes in
volved him as much as does the title of the
bill in the crime OF helping the State to pay
The interest on her public debt. lie said
that his register was intended to provide
money to pay "criminal expenses and APP
to lunatic asylums," DC. Well,
now, are these expenses not properly
to and paid out of the public
II the register pays them, does
it not relieve the State to that extent, and
her power to meet any sort OF de-
mand upon her, even interest on her debt ?
Therefore the Doctors dodge is no dodge
at all mot even the dodge Of the, ostrich,
which hides it head, at least; whereas the
Doctor hides not even the wink which he
might have INDUCED to a ssknowing one J"
while attempting bit of legerdemain.
But as to the act, which 'discloses its real
object, what says that? Its title is as fol-
lows: -3E 80 - ..A
can act imposing tax, and prescribing
the mode Of collecting the same, on the priv.
ilege of selling wine, ardent spirits, or malt
LIQUORS, within the limits OF the Common
wealth, for the support OF government, and
to pay the interest on the public debt"
Here is case of embarrassment. 1t de-
mands that the Doctor shall purge himself
promptly by public disavowal of the accu-
racy Of the report of his Harrisonburg
speech, or that bis patriotic colleagues who
fell upon General j. A. WALKER shall hold
another meeting and read the Doctor out of
their society for the wrong Of using his eff
forts to assist the State to pay the interest on
her public debt. General RIDDLEBERGER, the
MoFFETT register. and DIR. MoFFETT him
self, cannot ride on the same platform.