The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-21
General Malone Only an Interest Ad-

III
We are really surprised in reading let.
ter from General MALONE to Major Z. L.
CROCKETT. of Alexandria, dated "Peters'
burg, September II, 1871" which positively
defines his position with regard to the pub.
lie debt to have been exclusively confined "a
reddjustmeat and reduction OF the interest,"
apon the public debt. "Only that, and no
thing more" Hear him:
or all the Alexandra delegation you atone :
stood nv friend. Your colleagues coulu
not stand the :. Repudiator Mahone, "u h
plan for readjusting the state aep., tha
fairly construed, was. in TACT, 10 a'"'a =. a. a.
certainty Of reputation unoe, s FOR
nothing policy" which haa pte'a'. .;., ~,
roars nv bringing the rate Of interest witnin
Tho cansc,tv OF the net revenues OF the etate
..;tsn,,t mn increase Of the present rate OF td1-
go, and to give to each class OF her creal.
,nrS on couitable participation In that net
r.renue. This, in brief, was my plan OF
adins,mcnt. and in no degree does II I'M
vince ON that principal sum which shouio
hs determined on as the amount when the
State ought Justly, and will undertake, 10
nav. | undertook to deal with the rae OF
interest. and was traduced rs repudtdtor
hv people in your midst, and singled out
among all Tue CaHuiu.ilSs, as q Ga s"A e'NN>>N
no circumstances to be voted Tor. -.
Ii will be remembered that General MA
HOMES letter was an energetic presentation
of the extreme embarrassment OF the State,
and of the hopelesSnesS OF all ideas OF en-
larsing her revenue to get relief. SO forcl-
bly, did he state the case that there seemed
10 those who read his letter no other infer
ence to be drawn from it than that Its all
thor advocated compulsory resdlust'
ment,'' Indeed, the leading Journals which
supported so ardently his claims adopted
with evident satisfaction the phrase Cen
forced equity" us their favorite solution OF
the Generals not very clear pronuncia-
mento.
EVERYBODY remembers that the MALONE
sneakers in many counties made the strong
est interpretations OF his meaning. The
question was raised by presses and by de-
baters as to whether General MALONE
meant compulsory readiustment or
voluntary" This paper was charged
with concurring with General MAHoNEs
views, and on July 3Oth explained what we
mcaat By adjustment, and declared that If
General MALONE avows himself to be 4
compulsory adiuster, we are not"
The advocates Of General MALONE, many OF
them. roted in the boldcst and EXTREMIST in
terpretation Of the pronunciamento. All over
the State men rose up and strongly eSpoused
the phase Of adjustment presented by the
leading MALONE organs under the Generals
nose: and the friends Of the other aspirants
were opposing the idea OF " compulsory
adjustment" and declaring that the men
they supported utterly repudiated that plan
OF adjustment. ..- ..
General MALONE remained silent. His sup
porters secured the land freely, and freely
construed bis views, enlisting all sorts OF
adjusters-from the most moderate to the
repudiators-in his army OF voters. He OBJ
iected to the constructions OF none and put
nobody Alright. He did not ''call of his dogs"
that went each on his chosen trail. Nor
have they been made to understand until
now that their leaders plan was simply to
bring "the rate of interest within the ca
pacity OF the net revenues of the State
without an increase of the present rate of
taxation"
Had General MALONE so declared in July
he would have saved world of diSputa-
tious wrangle. Why he did not we cannot
say. Certainly the looseness Of interpreta-
ton given his letter made it like pound
metz that spreads from shore to shore OF
the river and entraps all sorts OF fish. II
any were caught under mistake they
never found it out.