The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-07-17

sinnal districts, they yesterday passed q re-
solution condemn!ng thelntroduction Of the
question into TIE congressional campaign.
-
We return thanks to DR.. THOMAS Poll
LARD, Commissioner OF Agriculture, for
copy OF his !" Crop, Stock, and Labor Re'
port" For June, 1878.
Nobody has sent us the Acts Of Assembly.
=------..---@=
The Conservative Party and the Fad
lie Debt.
from The Fredericksburg Ncws.J
V1RGINIA's DEBT AND VlEGINIAN Con
GREssNEN.-- don't see the necessity foi
making The State debt an issue in the STATE
congressional canvass. Federal Legislation
has nothing to do with Vlrg!nia's lnacD1
edness TO her creditors. 1t Is somethih@
| for Virginia to manage for herself. VI
course Vireinians wish their representa-.
tiyes 10 be men OF honor and honesty, and
| prefer that the repudiator, alias forcibie
| readiusters, remain under the obscurIty
OF their own vines and fg-trees, and IN
all probability such will be the appropriate
result OF their canvass, congressional or ie'
cislative. To present the subject OF state
credit and honesty for the enlightenment Oh
the people, and prove that "hones:y u the
hest policy,' for States as well as indVld-
nails. even IL no higher motive prompt 1t, Is
both nroper and desirable. But to make
| the debt question disturbing element III
| district conventions and canvass, anu lis
vehement discussion political discord ana
disagreement, and possible defeat. is neither
wise nor cxpedient, and will not be sue
cessful.
IFrom the Lynchburs VirGinan OF yesterday
A MISTAKEN IssUE.-Whatever advantage
may accrue TO aspiring gentlemen Ike
Fayette McMulin and Colonel Fuikerson-
who are understood to be aspirants FOR Il
spat in Cougress-.0y the agitation OF our
debt question in the canvass this fall Tor
members of the House Of Representatives,
we fail TO see tie propricty OF making it one
of the issues, since the Legislature, anu not
Congress, is the place where it is to be tlna'-
" disposed OF. True, we should all prefer
to have in Congress from Virginia men
who are disposed to maintain tue
honor OF their State, and who cannot be
tainted in that body with the advo-
cacy OF scheme for plundcrlnT Virginia
creditors. Indeed, we feel quite sure tllaJ
men OF this stamp would have more III
flucnce in Congress (as they would deserve
TO lIave) than those who teach nuilihcatloh
in its worst form-rcpudiaiion OF the Dino-
ing nature OF pccuniary Obligations. Inc
former stand by the Constitution. under
which representation III Congress Is guar
anteed to every State, while those VINO act
otherwise spurn that provision when ioI-
bids the enactment OF any law lnpalfihS
the obligation Of contracts.
But, as already stated, the issue does not
I -, RI
is wholly State affair, pertaining TO the
General Assembly OF Virginia. We should
not needessly complicate the question, or
incur the risk OF losing q single congress
siona district through differences Of opinion
among Conservatives on this subject. II
the result Of course different from that we
advise should be the election OF Fayette
McMullin to Congress land he is more en-
titled TO the diStinction-the wages OF rcpu-
dation-than Colonel Fulkerson, because
he is an older repudiGt0r) the people OF
Virginia will be made TO fee! the reproach
which the unwise agitation OF the question
in such connections would thus bring upon
them.
In canvass for the State Legislature
we would make the issue broad and dis
tinct, and prefer defeat to dishonor. We
have a record on this subject that can leave
no doubt on the mind of any one familiar
with 1t as to where we stood and would
stand again under similar circumstances.
But let us not drag this question into the
congressional election.
from the Norfolk Landmark OF yesterday
SUICIDE OR SAFETY ?-Thc State debt has
no more to do with congressional elections
than the man in the moon, and we are en-
tircly opposed to its introduction in the can
ya<s. On speculative grounds alone we
should protest against it; for to drag the
matter in would be equivalent to comics
sion that ire are responsible to The puOtc
opinion of Congress for the rie1rS OF or
representatives on State questions. The
Federal mower is already so ovcrshadoWlng
that the absorption by il OF the separate
members OF the conicderated Union IS
but question Of time; and bT no act
of ours viii we hasten this event. But
the objections OF practical sort are
unanswerable. The only Legislative tribu-
nal under the sun Which can deal with the
question is the Virginia Legislature, and it
will be time enough TO cal! for division
ON the question when we elect Ge" AS
semblv. Not one word will be spoken in
the next Congress OH the debt OF this State !;
not one resolution will be offered; not one
vote given, or one act performed which can
bear upon this issue. 1t is, therefore. for =
shadow thas we arc invited to fall together
by the ears, and engage in 4 combat which
in any event would lie ruinous to our
party. We do not believe the peo-
Die are mad enough to engage in
such contest, but il they should they
may get ready to reap harvest OF defeat.
But perhaps the matter does not require
SO grave Il protest; maybe that the polished
irony OF the inder-Appeal is all that the
discussion demands; but in any event our
contemporary touches this topic with skill
which deserves our applause. II, says our
contemporary, Sau! slew his thousands and
David his tens OF thousands, how many
thousands have been laid low by King
Alcohol? Physicians, moraists, statists,
staticians, humanitarianS, wives, mothers, 4
suffering world, have long been demanding
that the problem OF putting an effective stop
to inlemperance shall be solved. Several
States have tried the experiment Of pro-
hibiting under heavy penalties the manu-
facture and sale OF liquor. The whole sub
iect Is full OF interest and OF moment. 1t
is not likely that Congress will be expected
to act upon it, or to express any opinion IN
regard to it, but the people canhot afford to
send a representative to Congress unless his
views on this great moral abstraction are
fully known.
And, in the same vein Of pleasant irony,
the writer runs through list OF questions
which are OF as much practical importance