Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-02
Reply OF Judge Harris 60 Gen, EchoIs's
card,

FELLOW Citizcns:-It has been my
or good fortune, as the case
may be, to have had the unceasing hos
tl:ty of certain politicians in this district
since the inception of my political life.
But it is my cheerful duty to congratu =
lutte the people Of this district as we'll as
myself, on the fact that this latter day
canvass has been conducted with more
regard to the prophecies OF life, than
any of its predecessors. Two years age
a forlom hope of 1.-THE dissatisfied" con-
cluded that they had perfected all the
arrangements and combined all the ele-
ments for my defeat. They held secret
caucuses vigorously. They formed al
hances, offensive and defensive, OF the
most bewildering description, and con-
spired deeply and earnestly to make
common cause against me.and to obtain
and embellish by their superior political
wisdom, the seat in the National Con-
gress, with which for some time you
have seen fit to homer me. The people
believing me to have done my duty,
have indicated me emphatically in the
face of this factious opposition, ano
their industrious efforts have anly sig
nally miscarried. To illustrate two
years ago, l received a letter from
Charlottesville, containing this express.
ion:-I have learned,that Gen. Echols anC
VIM. A. Burke Of Staunton, have beer
here expressly to form a combination
for your defeat" Strange to say, these
very same gentlemen, on last Saturday,
made another excursion to Charlottes-
ville.where another little caucus was.helC
as will be seen by the following tele-
gram received Dy me on Saturday last
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Sep. %, rs.
"Gen. Echols and I'm. A. Burke
conferred here to-day. They agreed
Echols is the man."
This telegram proved co rect, ior.sC
soon as the Generals foot touched
Staunton soil on his return Saturday
evening, he said l am a candidate fol-
Congress, and that evening the moto
press flooded the city with his circulars
So that it was the politicians Of Char
lettesville that constituted "the voters
from the various portions OF the district
that solicited the General at this late
day to run for Congress.
III am not mistaken in the temper o
the public mind, this little combination
will Share the fate Of its predecessors
for | intend to give people an opportu-
nifty of expressing their will regardless
Of all caucuses and cliQues, whether il
Harrisonburg, Stanton, or Charlettes
vile.
But to the Generals circular, Imal
first congratulate myself and the people
that he does not dare to attack any votC
| ever gave or any sentiment | have ut
tered during my term Of seven years il
Congress, but is onlyapprehensive as tC
the future. lie cannot find any error
have committed, or any wrong perpe-
trated Oh the people. This prove:
there is no just cause for making
change.
The General alludes to two questions
the public debt and the currency, ant
while he defines the position Of other;
with great force. he utterly fails in either
case to define his own: No one de.
MES that Gen. Echels has talent OF a
high order in his line, but he seems SO
constituted as to be unable or unwilling
to express his views clearly on these
great questions on which there is a
difference Of opinion in the public mind,
10 illustrate, he again repeats the
old song Of compromiSe with the credi'
tors-the song he sang so swcotly when
he was a candidate for the Legislature.
and then says this can be done within
the present rate Of taxation. This is
all any readjuster propos cs to do. The
latter proposes by law to say Virginia
is not able to bear an increase OF tax
and she is wiling to roadjust the deb
and pay all the present rate Of tax vii
realize according to the Barbour bill
Gen. Echols proposes TO work upon thC
fears Of the creditors and satisfy then
they can getnO more aud thus compe
them by moral force to accept tina
sum in satisfaction Of their claims. for III
knows as a class they will demand ever.
dollar if they can get it. and when the.
agree to take less. it is only becaus
they cannot avoid it. And this il
called" honorable and friendly ncgotla
ton.
1t is to the creditor forciJlc readjust
meat, for he is only driven to it because
he cannot get the whole. But when ar
these negotiations to end: They have
been promised for thirteen years, ant
not single offer has been made by tn
creditors as a class, or by any considcra
bic portion ofthcm. The Gen. wholly
fails to tell us. He can drift along oil
that non-committal and high soundn,
platform for many years TO come. Ii
the mean time, what is Ia become 0
our State government. our charitable
and educational institutions, cur schools
our unpaid teachers-perhaps he wOul,
enter into "frtendy negotiations" witt
them while our debt is growing dall,
and The State committing the disgrace
of misapplying the school fund, unit
now it has robbed that fund OF abOu
eleven hundred thousand dollars. Blu
we receive seme consolation from tht
General, wherein he says if We have t
meet the debt it will mot be as OPP
presslvc as the advocates Of forciblc re
adjustment are in The habit of represent
ing"
How can you do it without increasin.
the taxes for that purpose. VIII,
smother it with vague generalities q? why
not state explicitly what you propose t.
do, and when you propose to do it {?
Why not come squarely down like
those in favor of paying the last dollal
and advocate an increase Of tax to what
ever amount may be necessary to pay
the interest on the whole fifty to seven
ty-five per cent, or on the other hand
Join with the Readiusters who favsr The
absolute control by the State Of hcl
revenues, the maintenance of her edu-
cational and charitable institutions, IL
short the preservation Of her very ex!s.
tence as a Commonwealth and thus
give to the people peace and prosperity
and 10 the Halls Of Legislation freedom
from this veXcd question.
THE CURRENCY.
Inregard to the currency the Gensr-
al is equally as unsatisfactory as to his
own position, while he greatly misrep-
resents mine. | have constantly SAID