The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-08-31
For tie Dispatch.l
To the Poor Of Virginia.

SlOESS.
For tie Dispatch.l
To the Poor Of Virginia.
With poverty cnmes suffering; with such
suffering temptation; but he Is cynic, in
deed, who believes it impossible to be both
poor and honest. The purest and the best
are often the humblest. Those who bave
nothing to be proud OF save ga conscience
void. OF offence" to whom good name is as
q blessed heritage; who realize the law OF
life "by the sweat of tiny brow shalt thou
earn thy bread"; and that it is by the sweat
OF the brow, like heavenly dew, that the
laurel is watered wherewith the head OF he
roes is crowned.
The Door OF Virginia constitute majority
of the people, and from this fact arise GER
tain temptations to which they are often
subjected.
Men, frequently OF talent,-who seek to
be leaders OF the Dcople-who. by thrift
lessneSs or misfortune have involved them
selves in debt, presuming Oh what they
consider the ignorance Of the masses upon
public affairs, beg to be elevated to Office that
they may inaugurate measures OF policy
whereby they promise relief to the poor !;
and by way OF obscuring the Judgment Of
those whom they would influence, excite
their emotions by highly colored descrip-
tons Of their distress and promises OF relief
which their experience will show them
could never have been fulfilled.
For months, not only in Virginia but
throughout the country, has there been
preached, upon one preteXt or another, the
policy Of diSregarding the promise to per-
form according to the spirit OF the con-
tracts public obligations; aud by like fall
lacious reasoning it will not be long, unless
the demoraIiZlng tendency is checked, be-
fore the sanctily OF private agreements
will sustain similar attack. The iniunc-
ton OF Holy Writ, g Owe no man any
thing" cannot be distorted to justify repu-
diation or quasi reputation, until are for
gotten those commands "Thou shalt not
steal" and Render unto Cesar the things
that arc C1sar's."
Rather in violation Of that Injunction, Vir-
ginians entrusted with the conduct Of State
affairs incurred Virginia's debt in order to
raise the money to build colleges, asylums,
prisons, railroads, canals, turnpikes,
bridges, and other improvements, whereby
not only was the comfort and happiness of
society greatly promoted, but the property
of many Of our people largely enhanced in
value. And now some of those most instru-
mental in mourning the debt-and whose
immediate section OF the State derived the
greatest benefit observation-disclosures most
loudly for what they call readi uStment.
In the last session Of the General Assem-
bly, of Virginia it was 4 strange and sad
spectacle to see gentlemen from Piedmont,
Southside, and Southwest Virginia, who
had beer largely responsible for the inter-
nal-improvement policy OF the State, and
whose sections had derived great benefits
therefrom, reminded by full-blooded negro
representative from Tidewater that nearly
every representative from his section had
voted against the incurrence Of the State
debt, and that although not dollar of the
money had been spent among his people,
they were more nearly unanimous in the
wish to see our obligations performed than
they had been in the wish not to see them
incurred.
The relief promised the poor is from re-
adjustment and imitation. The practical re-
suit Of both will be to make the rich man
richer and the poor man poorer. This can
be demonstrated by both argument and
illustration.
Reimbursement is advocated by some who
confess that they would force it upon the
creditors; by others who pretend to think,
and no doubt many of them honestly do.
that it can be accomplished with the consent
Of the creditors. The truth IS that dny re-
adjustment of the present indebtedness, eren
If the creditors aoould accept 1t, aooutd be
necessarily .forCible and dishonest; and no
thing short Of the exact perfo77ndnce Of our
contract acould place, or ought to place, The
credit of the State, either. financially or NOR
ally upon the footing of former times. For
our Legislature, after making pledge after
pledge that our obligations were sacred and
should be met, enacted the funding
bill, whereby the debt was reduced
SIS, 100000, and the State released
from that amount except so far as she
may hereafter become liable as trustee for
so much Of that amount as she may receive
from West Virginia. From the passage of
that law continuous effort has been made to
derive all the benefits therefrom and to crade
the performance Of the obligations it i'm
poses. Every means inimical TO the inter-
est OF creditors has been reSorted to or at
tempted, whereby our bonds have been de-
preclated in the market, while money which
ought in good faith to have gone to pay the
interest OH them, and thus preserve their
value, has been voted into the hands OF
State agency to buy up these bonds, depre-
ciated by the bad faith Of Virginia; large
sums have been donated to public educa-
ton and charity, and there has been practi-
callY donated to railroad corporation sew
eral millions. Thus by our prodigality in
expenditure and our supineness in meeting
our obligations was the faith OF our creditors
shaken; next, by their knowledge that we
were resorting to evasions of our duty;
md lastly, by the bold and unscrnpulous
OF orr leaders and the dis
honest legislation attempted In our last ses-