The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-09-13
Mr. Waddell's Address.

we puciiSH Oh cur uISL pd5c LIE duulCss
OF Jos. A. Waddell, Esq, on the Funding
Bill and Public Debt It is defence OF the
justice and eXpediency of the Funding Bill,
and consequently favors an increase OF the
taxes to meet its demands. These positions
have been so often argued in these columns
that We will not repeat the views we enter
tain, and what we believe are justice and
right to the people. Our readers are fami
liar with them. Our object in publishing
the address OF Mr.. Waddell is to give the
public both sides of the Debt question, and
a respectful hearing to all intelligent gen.
tleman in the honesty and purity of whose
motives VIC have the most implicit conf
dehce, however much we may differ from
him on the subject he discusses.
Mr., Waddell is just the kind Of man to be
deceived by the designing. Hc never thinks
of doing wrong himself and would be the
last man to suspect it in others. That he
was deceived i'll many with whom he was in
daily legislative association is very well
known. The Petersburg Post is responsible
integrity Mr.. Waddei testifies, is not the
saint he is painted, and that during the pen
dency of the bill, of which both Mr.. Wad-
dell and Greene were advocates, the Peters
burg Senator was examining his pockets
with corrupt money as the price of his SER
vice, while the Augusta Senator was hon
estly laboring, from the highest sense of
public duty, for the contamination of the
same legislation. The Post further asserts
that $4,000 were paid out to bride the twen-
ty-three stradical P" members in the interest
Of the Funding Bill, and that the legislation
which made it law was as corrupt as any,
thing ever perpetrated by Tweed. This is
the testimony of the Post TO show that s'radi-
Gals" were corrupted and that Mr. Waddell
was deceived by them, and especially by
Greene. The Post ought to lave told the
whole story, and let the public know how
Conservative members were bribed. They
were no. approached in the simple business
method it alleges the "radicaIs - we're
"how much is your vote worth, and here's
the money" They adopted the more fash
ionable agency of stock gambling, ana were
manipulated by Wall street experts. They
were told that Virginia bonds were good
investment, and that if they would buy on
"long," the money would be furnished by a
certain banker. OF course, where there was
no money to risk and margin to profit, these
| honest patriots, entrusted with the welfare
Of their native State, could see no bribery in
accepting the proposition. The bonds were
purchased in their name. and after the bill
was passed and became law, The sudden
rise in this class of securities left handsome
margin, which was turned over to them as
the price of their votes. They never saw the
bonds, never deposited a cent for their pur-
chase, but cody put in their pockets the
profits of the transaction. VA
Mr.. Waddell knew nothing about these
things. He believed others as honest as
himself, and never suspected what was going
on outside OF the committee room. :
Gov. Walkers estimate of the taxable re-
sources of the State would have dispensed
with any increase OF the rate Of taxation
over that now governing, to meet all the de-
mands Of the State under the Funding Bill,
had they been true. When Mr.. Waddell ex-
pected that an increase would be resorted
to, he could not have had confidence in Gov
Walkers figures; nor can we see how he
could have construed the Funding Bill a:
anything else than substantially compul
sorry demand upon the creditors to accept
the provisions OF that bill. Compu!sion is
the very essence of the bill, as the holders
of the peeler bonds too well know now.
But it is not our object to discuss the
points presented in the address of Mr.. Wad
dell. We lay it before our readers for them
to draw their own conclusions, which those
who have carefr'!y digested the information
already laid before them are amply able
to do.
Mr.. Waddcll was governed by the highest
sense Of public duty in the course he pur
sued, and no man would have dared ap
proach him with a corrupt proposition. Iii:
own integrity removed from him suspicion
Of others, yet we are perfectly satisfied wh;lt
he was honestly laboring for what lie be-
lieved to be right, there were fraud and ras-
cality rampant all around him, and it was by
such influences that the people of Virgins
are now crushed down with the Funding
Bill.