The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-11
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BnIs7oL, VA, June 25,i 1879.

BRISTOL, VA, june; SVJ' Ao'''
Mr.. Paris Y. Jones: -,
j Dear sir,-Your esteemed favor OF 18Th
Instant would have been ansWed sooner out
Tor unavoidable absence from my once.
recognizing YOU as a genuine and efn-
don't readiuster. and not doubling that
vn,Ir pnrpose In writing Is consultation
with those who for years have tried to ald
eact other In bringing the great burden OF
onr state debt within the impaired ability
of our people to pay, very cheerfully re-
spond to your specific inquiries, which are
as follows: ,....,. a., 1870,
biH9 III not. how and what relief or Detter
solution is offered by further opposiuon 10
Second. Do you believethat an increase
of taxes will be necessary to carry out lts
"Tbird. What course would you advise
Irtadjusters to take In the elections TO take
place this fallS"
These questions strike at the root OF the
whole matter-cover the situation complete
". To answer them properly would be 10
fell what rcadjustcr should now do.
From such an attempt have so lar sbrnnk,
feeling that, unless bavc something SUI
stantiaIIv better to offer than the McCulloch
| bill, bad better remain silent. need not
tell YOU that our party Is now divided. 1t
divided in tue Legislature last winter.
Otherwise, this bill would not have passed.
| The same body that passed the Barbour bill
passed the McCullcch bill. The same body
| that agreed to pay the bondholders what we
| had left decided that enough would be left TO
tpay the amounts required by this Dill. l
| need not tell you that similar division
exists among the rank and file OF the read
justers at home. Feeling keenlY the mag
nitude OF this rent in our ranks, have
been embarrassed between the duty owe
to the public rs a journalist 10 indicate rs
best / could The line Of duty and pro-
found indisposition to array myself in
seeming antagonism to some OF my read
justing friends who are sure TO differ with
me. So I have thus far remained silent,
hoping that current and rapidIy-approach-
ing developments might prevent al issue in
our ranks. was deeply solicllous Tor the
tiDal glory OF our movement, and as deeply
anxious for that glory to attach to each and
every member OF our party, without
single exception. I have been panied by
the prospect that, by dividing now, one or
the other wing OF it might place itself In
position where its fair share in the honor OF
rcadiustng the debt would be denied by
the other or withheld by the general public.
Ne have batiled for eight years, and have
not been, and ain not now, willing that
those who antagonlZed Us shall run away
with the victory. You will see, then. that
while would not wantOGly volunteer to IN
jet my opinions into the canvass, will not
shrink from the duty to do so when called
on for them. SO proceed, rs wcllas l can,
to answer your questions Seridtln:
First. / do not think we have now the
opportunity OF accepting" the brokers
or McCulloch bill. That opportunity has
passed by, unless the bondholderS refuse to
fund under it. You will remember en-
deavorcd 20 furnish to the people OF VIZ
rinia in this very canvass the opportunity
to accept" or reject 1t. Before went to
the last session told my friends here
would attempt to Lave submitted to vote
OF the people any bill we might adopt
touching the debt settlement. l Introduced
| that amendment. to the bill, hut it was de-
| featcd in the House by 10 to IL.
When the next LegisIalu re shall meet in
December mkt portion (and in my opin-
ion large portion) Of the debt will have
been funded under it. Ii the bill could be
repealed then, it could only be- repealed as
to tie uniundcd portion. The funded por-
ton would stand in spite of any repeal.
That much Of it would haze TO be "acccpt-
cd" by us.
confess to you, in the poverty of my in
ventivc faculties, l do not now know " what
relief or hetter solution is offered by further
opposition to it" at this time.
We must remember that the EXTREMIST
proposition 81 our party has been to pay
three per cent. on the whole debt. This bill
gives us our EXTREMIST demands for ten
years, or nearly so. Aside from the view
that renewal OF the agitation would be for
4 point ten years ahead OF Us, we must con-
slider as to how, il we now repeal and 20
back to sir per cent, we are going to get
away again from six per cent. There arc
ways to do it, | admit, but they are very eX-
IRENE ones, and would require Il grip
OF popular purpose and degree Of popu-
lar indignation which could never be en-
cited under the old siX-per-ccnt. set
Element, and would be still more diff
cult to excite under the reduced rates OF
this bill. The hope OF it is so nearly i'm
practicable that | think we had as well
abandon it. In other words, think this
bill has weakened our line OF battle, though
it does not give us all wc wished, nor all
we ought to have had. With all The indus
try and power I could command cndear-
orcd to prevent its passage in its present
shape, and il it were now before me for It's
passage would DO so again. A majority
Of the Legislature have taken on themselves
the responsibility Of accepting its bad Tea
lures. its good features were secured by
MS and we can afford to be responsible Tor
them.
TO repeal the bill and go back to six per
cent. without some practical plan by when
TO o ct away from that position again, could
only be justified by those OF our frlendS
who think this bill is worse than the Ola
funding bill Of 1871, which is an admission
am not willing to make. SUCH an asser-
t,on proves too E.uch. II, after battling
with the public debt for eight years we, the
readiustcrs, have gotten it into worse hN
than we found it, we had better quit the aSi-
t,tion. Certainly think this is Il poor plea
n 90 before the country with. There are
features In this bill which | would again
resist with all my might il 1t was now be-
fore me, as 1 did when it was before me
last winter. But will no, Say 10 the peo-
pie that our battle, instead OF lettering
their situation. us we promised, has render.
ed it .sintiniteIv wors"." Sucii would he il
confession OF our incapacity 70 manage it,
and our employers, the people, would be
apt to relieve Us OF our agency.
Second. AS to an increase CT taxation, I
think SIC are estcpped from considering hat
question during the tcn-ycar period For
ten years the t.ii gives us what Ge asked.
Ii it could increase taxation during the ten
years next to como our own terms would
increase il, and we would not be allowed TO
enter the complaint Il we had the face TO
attcmni lt. | Io hplipya tba hill mill ,,,i-o