The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1877-08-10
TIaE VIRGINIA CONVENTION.
lhe Chances Of the Various Candidates ~
sseyern9r.
TriaoinnaH Commsreial. |

Iriaeinnah Commsrsal.1
RICHMOND, Aug. 9.~-One week from to-
day the State Convention OF the great
Conservative party is held here for the
purpose Of bringing forth D candidate
for Governor. as q nomination ID now
equivalent to an election.
A nomination Ia equivalent TO an elee-
tion, unless the heated nature OF the
preliminary campaign going on should
that Gen. Malone will bolt, II not nomi.
mated, and II he does, there will be d
rumpus In "Old Virginia" such as is
rarely seen.
Open and nboveboard there IRE seven
candidates for the attbernatorial nomi-
nation. atd no estimating the number
who are under the surface waiting tn
opportunity to pop up In ense the
known seven get each other by the ears
sufficiently strong not TO be able to let
go. The known seven those. who. are
In the field, and for whom delegations
have been instructed Malone,
Fitz Lee and Walker. The number Of
votes In the convention will be 14lO. OF
these, there are now instructed for DAN
iel, 44e. Malone, $40. Holiday, ZIG;
Terry, 127, and the rest scattering
among tho other candidates. Seven
hundred and six votes are required
TO make n nomination. You will
therefore SEQ tho perplexity OF
the case, for the friends OF Malone and
Daniel have done the very best they
could, and have only been able to get
them up to a2g and 44s respectively. In
case OF dead lock between these two
leading candidates, there ID probabils
ity that Gen. Lee will be the man. He
fa f,fsr 4, Sss I,aa tr, t.1s fa hA
friends Of the present candidates than
any Of the others. Gen. Lee is a nephew
Of Robert d. Lee, and was sMajor Gen.
eral IN the Southern army. He 10 u
very liberal man. and could no doubt
come nearer polling all the votes In the
State than any OF the candidates. But
he is not much Of politician. and has
little favor with that class.
Malone was also general In the
Southern army, but has been chiefly
distinguished since as manager OF the
railroad lending from Norfolk TO Brls-
tol. That the road went from him into
the hands OF receiver, where 1t now
In, 10 not considered q first.elass testi-
monial TO his ability as manager. The
point is further made against him that
he received n salary Of $4,000. which is
estimated to be more than his services
were worth. Malone Ia d liberal man,
and there seems 10 be little against him
except his railroad record, and his 'po-
sition" on the State debt. He IL accused
OF favoring reputation because he can t
SEQ how the debt can ever be paid at
the present rate OF taxation. He sees no
chance that the people will submit TO an
increase above the present rate-five
mills~uo he suggests that n settlement
be made With the bondholders once and
o. sat -
politics. He plainly implies that the
creditors must shave down their claims
somewhat, as the debt IL now a42, 900, 900,
and constantly increasing. He meets
the matter squarely, and states the case
just aa 1t is. and proposes an adjust
ment OF the debt. The friends OF the
Others yell that he is repudiator, but
ut the same time propose no way out OF
the difficulty. The case 10 very simple
there must be an increase OF taxation
above five mills, or there must be par
tial repudiation OF the debt No man
who can cipher through addition and
subtraction can make anything else out
Of IT..
HAPPY POSITION. -
Taliaferro, one of the candidates. has
struck a happy attitude on the subject.
Last Saturday he wrote letter for pub
licAtion, laying down his doctrine thus :
" First Il am opposed TO reputation Of
the State debt. Second-I am opp osed
to an increase Of taxes" That reminds
favor OF the liquor law. but was ep-
posed to its enforcement. BY no posi-
bility can partial reputation be avoided
unless taxation is increased. 1t is as
impossible to prevent 1t as II is to make
q pint measure hold u quart. The
attempt TO pay interest on q debt Of
over $4O,o00,O00, and current expenses
upon tax OF five mills with no larger
taxable basis than Virginia has is pre-
posterous. 1t can't be done, and there
is no use In talking about 1t.