The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-07-25

NER AND GENERAL ECHoLS-STUB-
BORN ARGUMENTS, FACTS AND FIG
URES MET BY OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES CON-
GRESSIONAL BALL COMMENCES TO RE
voLvE.
After months OF quiet, during which q
considerable amount of enthusiasm has
oozed out un,ier the influence of mercury
among The nineJies, an opportunity was af-
forded last Monday of laying in a fresh
supply of political fervcur, preparatory to
the fall demands. The long calm had SER
we'd to wean the people from State or ma
tional agitations, and the sounds OF IRE
Adjustment 'sfunders,'' ''repudiation,"
&c., once so familiar. seemed for moment
the echoes of a forgotten past. and came
with sort Of sepulchral grating to ears
that had been listening for months to the
click of the reaper and merry song of the
harvesters. But the spell was short lived,
for under the influence of such speakers as
Paul, Skinner and Ecliols. the sturdy yeo-
man lungs soon commenced to expand and
thump around, until they found vent in
that mighty reserve of American patriotism.
good strong yell.
1t had been announced that the Hon. j.
It. Harris and Senator Jno Paul of Rock
ingham, would meet in SIaunton on Mon-
day and the excitement grew warm in the
pleasing anticipation Of witnessing repe-
tition OF the Harrisonburg court-day scene,
and perhaps such another free exercise of
lung power as in the palmy days of the re-
cent past was brought to bear in the deliber-
atoms of nominating convention. And so
good many people came to town, and
about o'clock the court house was hand
ed over from the Blind Goddess to the
boisterous Demos. Judge Harris, however,
did not appear, and though enquiries were
numerous and solicitous, his whereabouts
was undiscovered. One man had seen him
in Goochland another of his own personal
knowledge, knew that he was wandering
around in Green; third had seen him
pass Stribling Springs on bis way to High
land others swore that he was at home
sick and when o'clock came and no Har-
ris, there was universal belief that ''some-
thing was the matter"
Shortly after that hour, the crowd began
to gather slowly into the court room. and
when Mr.. C. S. Roller, introduced to the
audience Mr.. Jno. Paul, of Harrisonburg,
there were not more than hundred peo-
pie in the house. In that calm and deliber-
ate way of his, Paul came to the front, and
ere ten minutes had elapsed the room was
full.
PAUL'S SPEECH.
In commencing, Mr.. Paul said that in re-
Spouse to an invitation from the Re adjust
ers of the county, he came for the purpose
of presenting his views and the views Of
those with whom he acted, upon the sub
fact that the one vital issue upon which the
people of the State are divided is that of the
finances OF the State. On the one side are
arrayed the funders, on the other, and by
far the largest, are the re. adjusters. 70 the
latter he belonged, and he was prepared to
vindicate their past record, present position
and action for the future. They had been
denounced as regulators, agitators, and by
every epthet that ingenuity could coin from
language, but they had thrown themselves
into the breach for the salvation of the State
and were not to be frightened from their
purpose by the liowlings Of their enemies
They demanded settlement of this vexed
and absorbing question of the State debt,
and would be satisfied with nothing less.
It should be a settlement, too, in accordance
with reason, and logic and facts. and it was
senseless and childish to attempt to meet
them with denunciation and vituperation.
Let the opponents of REIMBURSEMENT come
forward and face the condition Of affairs as
they find it, let them meet the arguments
adduced by the other side by facts and
figures and not meaningless epthets and
empty defamation. The question had to
be settled one way or the other, and it was
time the funders were measuring up to the
gravity of the issue, for the worn out shift
of personal abuse had about lost its virtue
and frightened no one. In answer to the
charge of reputation, the speaker declared
that he was
NO ADVOCATE OF REPUTATION.
He yielded to no one in devotion to the in
terests of his native State, and had sealed
that devotion by four of the best years of his
life. He had followed her flag till her flag
went down, and the honor of Virginia was
as sacred to him as to any man that
treads her soil. Neither was he replldia-
| bow Of "a affiliations for ho roid
dollar he owed, both as principal and secu-
rity. 1t is useless to continue this crimina-
ton and recrimination,
THE PEOPLE WANT FACTS,
and they intend TO have them. What are
those facts? In 1860 the debt was s31 ,000,-
600; in 1866 the war interest was recognized;
in 1871 the legislature capitalized the war
and reconstruction interest and ran the debt
up to $46,000,0C0. They then repudiated
one-third of it-cut off West Virginia's por
ton, and declared the old State no longer
responsible for it. But has West Virginia
eyer recognized the obligation? Not bit
of it, and to-day no public speaker in the
State dares to advocate the payment of one
copper, and the New York Tribune, the Or
gan of the money rings, declares that Vir-
ginia will be held for it. II such is the
case, the debt now amounts to over $62 ,000,-
600. But even without that, if we assume
| that the State is bound only for the naked
bonds, without the sinking and literary
fund, the debt is s29,35O,s56, and the an
nual deficit is $3.50, 1920; Ii the sinking and
literary fund are included, the debt is $685.
924,344, with deficit of sl,25S.3S7; and il
to this sum accrued interest is added, the
amount reaches s4l ,220, 1853, and the annual
deficit ST ,576, III. This is the condition that
faces you under the present rate of taxation.
Can that rate be increased ? The response
! has come from every portion of the State
| that it cannot be without disaster. The
people through their delegated representa-
tives have said as much. and there is no pow
err on earth higher thaa that voice. The Au-
gust platform said the rate cannot be raised;
the preamble to every bill on the subject Of
the debt presented in the last Legislature,
l xu1,ov bo nua