The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-19
po,o,v;s t.bn,ar statement OF the vote

The bitter denurciation CT those VINO
voted for the funding act makes it interest
inc and Just that the vote should be under-
stood. The Conservative vote shows only
one majority for the funding act. aohHe
everu Radical in the Legislature save one
uotea for it. How was this?
How is it now?
There were honest differences OF opinion
about the funding net. The Conservatives
divided upon it. But it does look strange
that the whole Radical party. save one man,
approved aud voted for that act.
The question upon the passage OF the bill
was one thing, and that upon the duty OF
respecting the funding law after the highest
court in the State has declared it constitn-
tional is quite another. Yet the blind and
bitter iorclble readinsters cannot. or will
not distinguish betweenthem They stamp
all men who favor obedience to the law MS
"Sunders ''-as men who favored the policy
of funding. They do this because they seek
to put under the ban Of. public censure
every man who deems it to be his duty as a
citizen to respect the laws and submit to
their requirements.
Aud it has not been long since the high
est authority amongst the forcible read1ust-
ers could not see that there was anything
in the funding law which rendered it mon
strous or measure about which there could
not be an honest difference OF opinion
amongst the public representatives. On the
Goth January, 1877, General WILLIAM MA
HONE published letter to the bondhoiders
OF tile Atlantic, Mississippi and ONO rail-
road. from which we make the following
extract:
"Any charge that have ever given en- en-
oonra~emert to the policy Of State Iepudia-
tion is utterly and unqualtiedly false. There
lives NO man who can truthiully say that
he ever heard me give utterance to single
word which could be tortured into the re-
nmdiation of yirginia's Just obligations.
lGeneral MAHoNE's . " enforced equity .
letter, proposing to cut down the "5ust OBJ
i,eations0 Of Virginia and force the bond
holders to submit, was written less than SIN
months after this. But this aside.]
"The people Of Virginia have been di'
yifled in opinion us to the rightfulness OF
the funding bill: but this question did not
involve Reputation any more than Woulo
be involved in any question as to the pro-
priety Of funding past-duc obligation
NV friends, both in and out Of the Leglsia'
ture, have been upon both sides OF TINS
question, as has been that portion OF tne
nress which has seen tit to- endorse tne
policy OF our company"
And General MALONE protested to the
bondholders that he should not be held re
sponsible for every opinion which NIGH
be entertained by those who approved his
railroad policy. Plainly, this was caUea
entered against making him responsible fol
opinions that denounced the funding act as
monStrous.
There is much instruction to be derived
from studying the vote upon the funding
act. Only one vote was given against it by
the Radical party, and the Conservatives in
the House cast a majority against it. II
undue influence WAS brought to bear in
favor OF the act, 1t is plain that there is no
lust grounds for the belief that il was ex-
erted with effect upon the Conservative
party. That party divided as to the policy
OF the funding act, but has maintained the
( inyioIability Of law until declared uncon.
stitutional by the propeily-constituted tri-
bunals. How honorably distinguished are
they above the men who woulG even go to
the extreme OF upsetting the very Govern
ment in order TO prevent the enforcement
Of the funding law ., ..