The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Walker ON the
- pnhlic Dcht.

wyrHEyILLE, Va, September 10, 1877.
Editors Dispatch: To-day was our Coun-
~ Court-dav, and large number OF the
soyereigns were In attendance, 1t being
ascertaincd that General James A. Walker,
our nominee for Lieutcnant-GoVernor, was
in attendance on the court, he was called on
for speech. The General mounted the
stand, with enthusiastic cheers to greet him,
and after stating that he had not come eX-
pccting or prepared to make set speech,
proceeded to discuss before the people the
commenced with the State debt, and de-
voted his entire speech to that question.
Tn the first place, he told the people how
much the debt was, both the unfunded ana
funded portion. He proved that it was oil
honestly contracted, and had been expended
in building our various works OF internal
improvement, and quoted from the records
to show where every dollar was expended,
item by item. He then stated that rs men,
Der OF the Legislature he had voted for the
repeal OF the funding bill, and had used ms
best efforts to secure the repeal Of what he
thought was bad bargain for the State.
He then recounted the history OF the lltlga.-
ton i'm our courts on the subject, ana
showed that the Court Of Appeals had de-
cided the bill repeating the funding bill to
be unconstitutional and void. To this opln-
ion Of the Court he surrendered, as did
General Lee at AppomattoN. He now pro-
cecded to show that this decision could not
be gotten rid OF except by revolution and
Red-Republicanism of the worst sort, which
he hoped would never be attempted IN VIZ
ginia.
He then showed that the unfundcd debt
was equally as sacred and as honestly con-
tractcd as the funded part, and should be
put upon the same footing. He then show
ed that the deficit in the interest account
against the State was yearly accumulatlnS,
so that in few years it would be beyond
the reach OF our capacity to pay it. 1t must
not be allowed to pile up, but must be met
promptly.
He was in favor of any reimbursement Of
the debt which was acceptable to the credit
ors and honorable to the State. lie then
smoke of reputation, which he denounced
as larceny, and reiterated the sentiment Of
his spcech at the Convention " Repudia-
ton is larceny, and .forciJle adjustment is
highway robbery" lie then pictured the
ruin and disgrace that would follow rcpu-
dation, and denounced forcble rcadiust-
ment as its twin-brother OF iniqutv.
He then proceeded to show how the debt
could be paid by economy in the manage
ment OF State affairs. He claimed that the
biennial sessions OF the Legislature, the
Moftett-punch bill, and the reduction OF our
criminal expenses, would make up the de-
felt in the payment OF the annual interest
on the State debt. II these reforms did not
secure the payment OF the interest OH the
debt. then an increase OF taxation OF ten or
twenty cents on the one hundred dollars
worth OF property should he made. lie here
went into a strong argument to show that
this increase, il made, would not ruin the
people. but that they could much better
bear that increase than suffer the ills OF re-
pudiation.
lie then quoted from the census reports
to show that Virginia paid smaller tax
than any Of the States Of the Union except
Delaware and Texas. could extend this
report far beyond the limits of Il letter il /
did justice to this speech 1t was the ableSt,
clearest, and most forciblc speech that has
been made on this subject in our country,
and was filled with eloquent appeals to his
countrvmcn TO preserve the honor and in
tcSrity Of bis State.
After the conclusion OF General Walkers
speech Mr.. II. G. Kent and General William
Terry made fine speeches on the same side,
which deserve more extended notice than
your space will allow; but as General
Walker is 4 candidate on our State ticket his
views are given more extensively, that the
people NAV know what he said in opening
the campaign. Suffice it to say that these
gentlemen did honor to their county and
sustained their regulations as good speak
ers. The readjuSterS pertorce then called
upon Captain F. S. Blair, who spoke of the
iniquities OF the funding bill, the poverty OF
the State, and the inability Of the State to
pay the debt. He denied being 4 rcpudia-
tor, but claimed to be a readjuster. Cap
tain Blair stated that he would heartily sup
port the State ticket. David s. Pierce was
then called upon, and in reply to Captain
Blair maintained the positions taken by
General Walker, and showed that there was
no difference between fOrCibte Teadjustcr
and repudiationst.
United States SenatorR. f. Withers. being
present, was called for, and responded by
Stating that he hoped the Conservative party
would preserve its unity and stand firmly
by the honor and integrity Of the State. lie
asked Captain Blair to state what he would
do in the event that he could not succeed in
setting aside the funding bill, to which the
Captain never replied definitely when he
again took the stand, but reventiated the
iniquities OF the funding bill. General
Walker was again called for, and in a short
speech completely demolished the forcble
reSdiusters. He asked what would they do
when they got rid of the funding bill? The
debt would then be about twice as great as
it now is. Would they repudlate it? He
then asked Captain Blair to say whether he
was in favor Of torcible readjustment? TO
which the Captain replied that he was in
favor Of paying the interest OH the debt
without increasing the taxes, and this was
all that could be gotten out OF him.
The discussion closed in good humor, and
the people gained great deal of informa-
ton about the debt question. Three rous-
ing cheers were given to General Walker,
and the Judge at o'clock in the evening
resumed a seat he had vacated at ~ NJ.
Wythc is as sound as a dollar, and will give
a rousing majority for the ticket and for
honesty in November.
Yours, &C., WYTHE.
Tpxtn1fOu Presbyfcry