Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-10-01
Reply Of Judge Harris to Gen. Echols's
Card.

Reply Of Judge Harris to Gen. Echols's
Card.
FeU0U Citizens 1T has been my mis-
fortune or good fortune, as the case may
be, to have had the unceasing hostility
OF certain politicians in this district
since the inception of my political life.
But it is my cheerful duty to congratu-
late the people of this district as well 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 ago q
forlorn hope Of the dissatisfied" conclud-
ed that they had perfected all the ar
rangements and combined all the ele-
ments for my defeat. They held secret
oaue4ses vigorously. They formed al
hances, offensive and defensive, of the
most beWildering description, and con-
splred 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
nave seen fit to honor me. The people
believing me to have done nv duty,
nave vindicated me emphatically in the
face of this factious opposition, and their
Industrious efforts have only signally
miscarried. To illustrate two years ago,
I received letter from Charlottesville,
containing this expression II have
learned that Gen. Echpls and VIM. A.
Burke of Etaunton, have been here ex-
pressly to form combination for your
defeat" Strange to say, these very
same gentlemen, on last Saturday, made
another excursion to Charlottesville
where another little caucus was held, as
will be seen by the following Telegram
received by me on Saturday last:
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Sept. %, rs. {
"Gen. Echols and VIM. A. Burke CON-
ferred here to-days Theyagreed. Echols
is the man."
This telegram proved correct, for so soon
as the Generals foot touched Staunt0n
soil on his return Saturday evening, he
said 1 am candidate for Congress, and
that evening the motor press flooded the
city with his circulars. So that it was
1.-THE politicians of Charlottesville that
constituted 1.-THE voters from the various
portions of the district" that solicited
the General at this late day to run
If 1 am not mistaken in the temper Of
the public mind, this little combination
will share the fate of its predecessors,
for l intend to givs people an opportu-
nifty of expressing their will regardless
of all caucuses and cliques, whether in
HarrisOnburg, Staunton, or Charlottes-
vile.
But to tle Geneyal's circular. I may
first congratulate myself and the people
that he does not dare to attack any vote
I ever gave or any sentiment l have ut
tered during my term of seven years in
Congress, but is only apprehcnsive as to
the future. He caHgot find sny error
have committed, or any wrong perpe.
trated on the people. This proves there
is no just cagse for making Q change.
The General alludes to two aHeslions,
the public debt and the currency, and
while he defines the position of Others
with great force, he utterly falls In either
case to define his own. No one denies
that Gen. Echols has talent of high
order in his line, but he seems SO con
stitEted as to be unable or unwilling tc
express his views clearly On these great
questions on which there is difference
Of opinion in:the public mind.
To illustrate, he again repeats the old
song of compromise with the creditors
the song he sang SO sweetly when be
was candidate for the Legislature, and
then says this can be done Within the
present rate Of taxation. Within the
present rate of taxation! This is all
any readjuster proposes to do. The lat
ter proposes by law to say Virginia il
not able to bear an increase of tax, anG
sae is willing to .readiust the debt and
l Ill \, y, ~
ize according to the Barbour bill. Gen
Echols proposes to work upon the fears
of the creditors and satisfy them they
can get no more, and thus compel them
by g;GrgI force to accept that sum in sat
as class they win demand every dollar
to take less, it is only because they can
not avoid it. And this is "calieds hon
orable and friendly negotiation.
It is to the creditor forcible readjust-
naent, for he is only driven to it because
he cannot get the whole. But when are
these negotiations to end? They have
been promised for thirteen years, anG
not a single offer has been made by ths
creditors as class, or by any considera-
BILE portion of them. The Gen. wholly
fails to tells US. He can drift along on tina
non committal and high sounding plat
form for many years to come. In thu
mean time, what is to become of oul
State government, OFF charitable anf
educational institutions, our schools, Oui
unpaid teachers-perhaps he would en-
ter into '.friendly negotiations" with
them-while our debt is growing daily
and the State committing the disgrace
of misapplying the school fund, unit
now it has robbed that fund of abou
eleven hundred thousand dollars. Rp
we receive some consolation from thu
General, wherein he says if we have t.
meet the debt it will mot be as oppres
sive as the advocates of forcible read
justment are in the habit of represent
ing"
How can you do it without increasing
the taxes for that purpose. Why smoth
er it with vague generalities? why no
state explicitly a0hdt you propose to do
and aUhe,e you propose to do it?
Why not come squarely down like
those in favor Of paying the last dolla
and advocate an inarease of tax to what
ever amount may be necessary to pay
the interest on the whole fifty to seventy
five per cent, or on the other hand joiI
with the Readiusters who favor the ab
solute control By the State Of her reve
nues, the maintenance of her education
al and charitable institutions, in shor
the preservation of her very existence
as Commonwealth aud thus give tt
the people peace and prosperity and tt
the Halls of Legislation freedom from
this vexed question.
! THE CURRENCY:
In regard to the currency the Gene
raj is equally as unsatisfactory as to biz
own position, while he greatly misrep
resents mine. / have constantly sale
that I did not think we had money
enough to answer the wants of the Coun
try, but that great caution should be OBJ
served in its expansion lest We might &c
beyond the point of q sound and stable
medium. That as contraction haC
brought ruin on the country, / was and
am in favor of reversing the action Of
| n TIM - T.,