Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1878-07-26
1. Local
THE OLD, OLD STORY.

11@--.>--~4---~-~-~-~-~
THE OLD, OLD STORY.
SENATOR PAUL SPEAKS ON RE-ADJUST.
MENT-HE FRANKLY ADMITS THAT IT
is FoRCIBLE TMENT-RE-
MARKS OF COL. SKINNER AND GEN.
ECHOLs,
&C., &C., sc.
Monday last being court day and con.
siderable number Of persons being in at
tendance, opportunity was taken by the
Readjusters in town to listen after the
court adjourned to speech from Senator
Paul of Rockingham, which he had been
invited by gentlemen Of that way Of think
ing to make. The court room was full and
the Republicans in the colored gallery were
out in full force and active in applause
The speaker was introduced by Nh. Chas.
S. Roller of Mt. Sidney. who stated that
Mr. Paul had been invited by the Read
justing element Of the county Of Augusta
to,address the people on the public debt
and Mr.. r. asked for him that courteous
hearing which all Aug usta audience always
extends to speakers at home and from
abroad.
~ SENATOR PAUL's SPEECH.
We may state that Senator Paul's speech
is the best prepared presentation of the
Adjuster side of the question that has been
made in the Valley and as superior to the
discounted and often ridiculous preseDta-
tions of that view of the State debt our
Augusta adjusters are accustomed to have
presented by former orators as we'll can
be. 1t is the same speech made by HIM
sometime ago IN Harrisonburg and at the
time sketched in the VINDICAToR. In
opening he deprecated the custom of vitu-
peration which the orators on both sides of
this question had fallen into, and denied
that he Was any advocate of reputation.
He regarded, he said. the honor of Virgin
ia and that regard had been proved by CIV
ing four years of the best part of his life
to her service, and sealed with his blood.
For himself he repudiated no debt, either
of his own, or brought about by security,
and had paid more security debts than any
man of his age in Rockingham and twice
as many as any man of his means. Going
into the public debt question, Mr.. Paul
without giving particle of proof of the
fact assumed that the people of Virginia
were unable to pay the interest on the
debt. OF their unwillingness to do so he CT
ted as evidence the action of the Conserva
tive convention in saying the debt must be
brought within the present rate Of taxation,
and the further fact, that in both houses
of the legislature proposition to raise the
taxes only received eight votes. He cited
the figures of Maj. John W. Daniel fused
by that gentleman as an argument against
the heavy taxation Of Virginia products
by the United States) that Virginia was
required to pay eight millions U. s. reve-
nue., two and half millions Of State tax
and two and half millions of corporation
taxes with only two and half millions OF
banking currency.to do 1t with. He re-
peated the old and fallaciOus argument
that all the tax at last comes out OF the
man who digs it out of the ground, held
that this man was unable and unwilling to
nav more tax and that no Governor. nor
legislature, nor nything else can make
him pay it. He said that such lawyers as
Attorney General Field, Gordon, Guy,
Robt. johnson and others had pronounced
the Barbour bill constitutional. He said
that the REIMBURSEMENT party was net
to end until its object was accom-
plished. That party would see that
hereafter there should be no namby-
PANTY platform adopted, and there should
be no Governor except forcible adjuster.
who would not veto forcible adjustment
(Applanse1.
Judge H. McCue-Did you say
forcible adjustment? We didn't hear you
here.
Mr., PAUL SAID forcible adjustment,
and if don't show you that no other kind
will do, you may tell me [ don't know
what am talking about. knew for
cible'' don't sound well in many Readjus-
ter's ears. but | have looked into it, and
know that none unless forcible measures
will defeat the Funding Bill, which is
itself forcible measure.
Mr.. Paul quoted the decision OF the
Court of Appeals, in Abrams and Bur-
rows VS.. Peyton, in '69, that no legislature
can tiesthe hands of its successor, and then
the Antoni VS.. Wright decision, which re-
yersed that of 'B9, to show that the Court
of Appeals had reversed itself. He said
that the Barbour bill was founded and
grounded on the opinion of the court, as
given in 80. Mr.. Paul closed by saying
that the ReadJusters' fight would continue
until the State of Virginia had resumed
it's sovereignty, parted with in the funding
bill.
col. sKINNER's PREFERENCE FOR CON.
GREsSMEN.
In answer to loud calls Col. Jas. H
.sk thinner rose and SAID that if he was not
sick he would like to reply to the mon
strous doctrines he had heard for the last
hour and half from tire gentleman IRON
Rock ingham. He said he had always
wondered why it was that in Rockingham
our adjoining county. public opinion was
so different from that in Augusta, and he
could only account for it by the fact that
her public men had been trying to peIvert
nuh,ie sentiment there (cheers), while the
pub,ic men of Augusta have been trying
to keep the sentiment of the people Of
their county up to the standard OF the
fathers (cheers) Col. S. said he would
like to know how things stood-he would
like to know if Mr.. Paul was a candidate
for Congress (cries of ANSWER! answer!''
Mr. PAUL. am not q candidate To-
Congress nor for any office. When m!
neonle want ne they will let we know