Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-12-17
For the Uerah.l
Letter from Richmond.

L. it any wonder the funders howl? Is
it to be marveled at that their curses
are so loud and deep? Think of two
hundred fat and sleek pensioners-The
uncles and cousins and aunts of the ring
masters-being suddenly returned to
the body polite, to make living by the
sweat of their faces. In the retirement
of some of those gentlemen we can take
no pleasure, when we reflect on cir
cumstances and families; but when we
recur to the canvass, in which they
made themselves prominent actors by
ISSUING weekly or monthly bulletins, in
the interest Of the Brokers, we must
conclude that the ultimate success OF
our cause demands new men who can
not be terrorized by congressman and
organs into using their offices for parti-
Fan purposes. For eight years there
has been an universal cutlery for civil
service reform that will mark the dis
tinction between the servant and the
sovereign. 1t utter defiance of this, ii
is notorious that the State offices have
been used as mere machinery ofpolitics,
or what is worse, thrown into the scales
20 determine purely domestic question,
concerning only the people OF the State.
By the prompt action Of the readjusters
in this behalf, wholesome lesson has
been taught, and the first important
step taken toward a final solution OF the
debt problem. Acting no nonsense the
commercial Spectator will see that we
mean business, and Captain Scotts
coon will come down.
In the distribution Of these offices the
readiusters have pursued wise policy
in my humble judgment. They have
apportioned them among the several
congressional districts. Of course the
funders denounce this as spells grab
bing. We think the people who pay
the taxes are entitled to have as much
of their money returned to them in the
shape of salaries to Office holders as
possible and further, that the country
should have men here who feel and
sympathize with them, instead Of men
who have never seen over the boundary
lines Of the capital city. This was the
import of the resolutions and plan OF
organization offered in the first read
busters conference which the funding
organs and Office holders so much abuse.
1t has been rigidly pursued to this time
and will doubtless be to the ehd.
As it was in the canvass so it is now
and will be-villifcation and falsehood,
written and spoken, being the whole
funding stock IN trade.
Notwithstanding the boasts Of plenty,
there is to-day not money enough to
run the government half the winter,
with an instalment Of interest staring
us in the face for the first Of January.
The organs now, to cover up their base
ness, allege the success Of the readjus-
tiers as the cause, as though that success
has made the revenue greater or less or
the demands larger or smaller within
thirty or sixty days. In this dilemma,
under the Mccullough bill, we would
proceed at once to borrow money OF
the banks, at bank discount, which ls
compound interest, or sell dollars at
seventy-fve cents and tax the people
10 buy back the seventy five cents with
dollars. How lamentable to contem-
plate How shameful the efrontery OF
persistent assembling!
Almost every official estimate Of the
canvass is falsifed.b the official re-
ports now before US. Instead ola gross
revenue of s2.SOO.OOO, we have s2.64o.'
600. The Auditor now reports the re
ceipt from the Mofiatt Punch Sl54.OOO
less. Criminal charges were 100000
instead of 100000 Officers of govern
ment exceed estimates by $4,000.
Penitentiary expenses by $4,000 War
rants on account by $4,000. EXpen-
ses of Lunatlcs by $1,000: and so on
through the annual reports, these diff
erences run against US, except three or
four items aggregating a bagatelle.
The state is now carrying sl5O.OOO Of
bank loans, with coupons outstanding
to absorb the revenues of another year.
Whittier would we drift till 1888? and
why all this campaign lying. now sup
plemeRted and augmented by the Chin
csc gongs laundering of patriotism and
confederate soldiers?
This brings me to consider the plat
form of the funders as they are now
here. 1t is made up Of two
soldiers minus a leg and an arm, re-
speetively.
The Misrepresentation oftheir organs !
and orators pale into insigniicance COM
pared with the gross and outrageous |
falsehood which has gone out to the
country within the last two weeks TO
prejudice the people against this gener-
al assembly.
Mr.. Sullivan was brought here some |
years ago by the readjusters from the
who aided by those of the
Valley, put him in position and kept |
him there, while the fuEders supported |
an able bodied citizen Of Richmond who
left his State at the beginning of the
war to return only when it was over.
Mr.. Sullivan compensated his friends by |
becoming one Of the most violent fun
ders in the Southwest, and being one Of
an influential family, struck hard and |
rapid blows at the very men who had