Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-26
commit themselves, but find a candidate
of their own views and vote for him.

GEN. ECHOLS' REMARKS.
In answer to calls, Gen Echols took the
stand, expressing his regret that business
had called him off during the greater part
of Senator Paul's speech. He said that
while he differed with him on the question
at issue he had always given to what ne
said a respectful attention, for he knew
it came from honest convictions and an
honest heart. The General said that dur
ing his absence his son had asked him
some very pertinent questions.-Did they
| want to pay the State debt? No. Was
there any election about to take places Yes.
(great laughter.) Gen. Echols said, look
ing at paper he held in his hand, that it
there was any part of the State to which
the propriety of paying the interest on the
State debt should most strongly appeal, it
was the Valley counties of this seventh
congressional district. He then read a
list of the whole debt, incurred to build
improvements, and showed that one-thlrd
of the whole was for improvements by
which those counties were directly bene-
fitted. The Blue Ridge tunnel-$1,674,
723; the Covngton & Ohio extension.
S.. 2O6, 461; Manassas Gap R. R., $780,
900: Virginia Central. $2.013. 9S7; Valley
turnpike, 1858, 0Sl; Staunton and Parkers-
burg turnpike, $685.. s64; Warm Springs &
Harrlsonburg turnpike s27 900; Staunton
q James River turnpike, $51 900; Towards
vile & Rockfish turnpike, $31 500; juno
ton Valley turnpike, SIS, 00O-total SIS, $685.
OOO. To this add 100000 for the
Lunatic Asylum and D.. D. u b.
Institution and the total is $40, $4,000.
And still to this may be added the 500, 1000
spent yearly by the State through the two
institutions named. One-third of the
whole public debt of Virginia spent for in
provements in which these counties are
directly interested, without which the far
mers would bestill wagoning their produce
to market, built on money obtained on a
promise to pay, and yet what is the propo-
sition made to these people about the pay
ment? 1t is divided into three: l. 70 pay
the debt; 2. That if unable to pay with
anything like convenience, then to make an
honorable compromise with the creditors;
3. We can't pay it with convenience and
therefore we won't pay it at all. Gen.
Echols quoted from the Valley ''Virgln-
ian," the leading Adjuster organ, to the
effect that the people Of the State could
pay per cent. and said that that PROPOSE
ton with proper legislation last winter to
back it would have settled the debt ques-
ton. He thought if the Adjusters in the
legislature had given as much earnest
work to settling the debt as they did to
other things, and left off threatening the
creditors; they could have settled the debt.
They went to work and retrenched their
pay for the meet session, and that was
sample of their retrenchment. Gen. Echols
said he admitted that taxation was bur-
densome, but he believed that his constit-
uents in Augusta demanded of him that
after all efforts had been made to adjust
the debt he should still preserve their hon
or, (eheers.) Remembering the sons she
had sent to the front in the war he believed
he would be recreant to this same proud
people if he did anything to tarnish their
honor. (Applause.) He spoke of the re-
pudiation of Mississippi.
A voice mississippi amt got any state
debt.
Gen. Echols-No my friend she has not,
because she hasn't got any credit and that
is the disgraceful position you are trying to
put Virginia in. Mr.. Lamar when appoin-
ted to go on commission to Europe to
induce immigration to that State, declined
with the painful admission that any person
coming from Mississippi would not have
any influence III Europe where she was re-
membered as State that had debased her
self in the vast. Gen. Echols closed by a
very eloquent appeal to his hearers to say
that let whatever come in the future, Vir-
GINA will be true to herself.
MI. Mead F. White was called for vo-
ciferously, but declined on the ground that
Mr.. Paul should have an opportunity to re-
ply. -....r s'..-.'te.
Mr.. Paul briefly replied, first to Col.
Skinner, who, hesaid had characterized his
doctrine as monstrous, and begged to be
delivered from this tone of morality, if
| this was the tone of Rockingham, He
| would assure the Colonel that not only
| was it the tone Of Rockingham, but if
| Won draw the line it is the tone of Angus
ia, The political tone of Staunton is not
that of Augusta. This talk about the
standard of the fathers! What debts did
the fathers pay. They repudiated the rev.
olutionary debt so thoroughly that ''con-
tineutal damn" passed into a by word. Vir-
GINA didn't pay her revolutionary debt,
nor Gid any other state. Don't talk about
the fathers; they weren' tany better than we
were and not as good, for we want to pay
all We can and they wouldn't pay anything.
AS to that boy of Gen. Echols; if he had
asked his pa about his various votes in the
legislature that the people couldn't bear
any higher taxation he wouldn't have had
to ask any more questions. 1t Mississippi
repudiated her debt when she was able to
pay it, why she dishonored herself and
that's the end of it. Virginia is not able
to pay. The speaker said he had heard all
Gen. E., had said before. He. the spea-
J ker, had come here to submit his views
about the debt in a plain practical way and
to get the practical views of the people of
Augusta, if they had any to offer, and if
they were any better than his, to adopt
them. He didn't come here to be replied
to by empty defamation.
The meeting adjourned at O'Clock.
A POTATO FREAK-There is at this
Office a bunch of Irish potato vines with a
number of good-sized potatoes hanging
among the branches like apples. This