Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-10-16
For tie Herald.
General EchOIs as a Candidate.

INA NV ANAoANs
General EehOIs as a Candidate.
The speech Of this gentleman in the
court house on court day was the most
demagogical of the campaign. 1t was
the more reprehensible because it was
the presentation of the minority view OF
two questions. on enc Of which General
Echols was wholly insincere, and en- the
other excelling even the mendacious
Blaine in Misrepresentation. Last
winter General Echols urged, voted for
and carried though tie legislature, a
bill for the settlement Of the State debt,
setting forth IN the preamble that Viz
cinia is wholly unable to pay more than
three Der cent. on her debt. The reader
may see this bill on page go Of acts OF
last winter and learn there exactly what
General EcLols' real sentiments on the
State debt. are. lie was readjuster III
Auousta TO get q scat III the House OF
Dclccates. GONG even so far in his coun-
tv canvass as 10 get the votes of men
@, posed TO paying any part OF the State
debt. To satisfy his readjasting friends
he advocated aud voted for the bill
above referred to. New TO geta seat
IN congress. luolan' with the hope that
a division of readjustors between Paul
and Harris may elect him, he puts Oh
the fraudulent funding harness and be-
comes a court day lecturer on honesty
As the chief Champion OF that bill, he
went a bow shot beyond reasonable
and equitable readjustment. To settle
at three per cent would be equivalent
to splitting our debt in twain and re
pudating half; whereas readjus'ei'
would only take out Of tthat interest
which under the law they DO not owe
aud which lribe agents put upon tie
State with not less than fifty purchased
votes.
Let the voter look at that bill and
read how General Echols declared IN a
long preamble that Virginia could only
nav one half Of her debt, and then
decide how honest this honest candidate
q when he wants to 60 to congress.
On one other point the Generals re
cord and speeches are not IN exact mar
monv. lie says we should reduce state
EXPENSES to 5000, OOO,as they were before
the war. State expenses in Virginia
never were as low as this, and never
were lover than now. Legislative eX-
nenscs alone at the session Of '5S -
when pay was only 81 per day were
slC0. 600. and all other expenses were
aboul IN proportion. The only differ
once * in the cost Of lunatic asylums.
Now we have three to support win
douhle the number Of lunatics. "
conrse we leave cut the free school sys-
tenn. which we DO not suppose General
Fcbols would abolish. at least under cur
rrescnt constitution. But last winter
the readiusters Of the house Of delegates
settled down Oh bill reducing expenses
TO s75O. 900. This was loaded down with
an amendment Of $1,000 and this
same General Echols was among those
who aided in thiswork. HoT does
this practice fit the prccept?
On National Finances" General
Echols is even less tolerable. As
Sheridan said ola distinguished coniom-
pvrary, he draws Oh lis memory for his
wit and his Imagination for his facts
The National lank system IS the best
ever devised says the General: For
whom: For the stockholders we inter-
Certainly not for a State that produces
wheat and corn. 1t is oest for Ne"
England and New York with Their
millions OF bonds to bank upon, but not
for Virginia who is forbidden by clrcum-
stances to have more than monopoly
or two in the larrer cities. independent
OF State usury laws and charging the
people p percent for a currency which
they pay the government c per cent iol
supplying.
When tie General asserts that these
banks pay more taxes than the interest
On their bonds amounts TO, he asserts
what is not susceptible Of proof. The
bonds are not taxed at all. What j:
taxed. then: The currency and deposits
The General never said. lie simply
entured the broad declaration.
The General says he would 90 bach
to The days OF the fathers. So say VIC,
and here VIC all 20 t0gether-back &c
the days Of Benjamin Franklin an
Thomas jefferson, and thence forward
a.aln 10 Andrew Jackson, when tho
Nauonal bank and allits branches were
knocked higher than balloon. never tC
be heard of again till the money rings
got control Of the government in 1864
General Echols derisively assigns
Butler 10 US as a political companion
Very well, we leave the General Will
Blaine and Dawes and Belknap ano
Robson. With such associations tol
Butler as Thurmaa and Hendricks anC