The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-22
The Agitation.

Mhp isto be benefited by the agitation Of
he question az the repeal OF the McCuL. |
TO- en- bills Who Is TO De injured u that bill
be allowed to 90 into full operation Who
d so deeply interested In The matter as
nstrtot as 70 be justified In travelling from
county to county at his own expense 70 dss,
surb the pablic mtad and to bring discoia
md dissatisfaction .into the ranks OF tue
CONSERVATIVE party
Let us take the case of Parson MASSEY.
The entire State tax IS dity cents on one
hundred dollars worth Of property, OF ave
do,tars on a thousand dollars worth. we
VII, suppose that this pious clergy man owns
4Centy thousand dollars worth OF real ana
r,ersonal property, Then the whoieamopnt
of his State tax IS one hundFca doilaEs'
Now, how much OF this small tax OF one
hundred dollars on twenty thousand DOL
iars' worth 81 property does our patriotic
parson aepe TO save by traNersing the
Commonwealth fre<n end to end ana
creating trouble and disquktude in the
minds 81 uninforned votersS Not one
dollar, On the contrar@, he mas Ho
doubt expended twice the entire amount 81
HE Stste taxes Ia his unhcfy work OF ESi-
satirr and disturbing the public mina:fnd
preycnting the people from settling de~n
into q state Of peace sud contenttseht'
Acsin. we ask, WHAT IS ais motiveS Men
do not 20 upon these crusades Wahou'
some motive, good or bad. what moves
Parsou MASSEY? Is ke animated by pa
triotism? is be moved by regarE Tor tht
welfare Of his iellow-citiZens? We DO mo-
su,pnose that there san honest aud candle
man In Virginia whe would answer the las
two,quessions afirsnatiyely. What, then
Is he alter? Let the voters ponder this
question.
But even II Parssn MASSEY AID bis asso
ciates could induce the voters to elect
General Assembly that would attempt to re
pealthe MCGUEBsoH bill, would that bod.
be able to do se? Certainly not. Unde
]. the MCCUuLocH bill the parties who are au
T. therized to refaad the public debt, IL the!
refund eight ,rqilions OF dollars OF tina
debt before the LIST OF January mex
will have 1rso Jucto concluded al
irrepcalabe "scontract," the obligation
OF which the General Assembly will
. have no power 10 impair by any legis
latiYe action whatever. And there seem
to be no reason for doubling that more thai
that amount OF the public debt will be re
funded before January i, 1880. What sense
then, is there in Parson MAssEY's agita
ton? Who, we again ask, is TO be bene
flied by it.? Ii the contract become perfec
by next january the Legislature can d.
nothing to get rid OF it. II, on the con
trary, it fail. there will be left nothing 0
the McCULLoCH bill for the Parsons force
to fight against.
But the debt-paycrs, how is it as to them
They act on the defensive only. The,
would willingly leave the question to th
unbiased Judgment of the voters. The
have no desire TO speak on the subject
But they cannot remain idle and allow th'
State TO drift into reputation. They woult
feel the disgrace too kecnly. They are
therefore, compelled to raise their voice:
against the repcalers. They are forced
against their will to take the stump in be-
half Of acquiescence in the McCULLocH bill
as q settlement honorable to the State ant
liberal upon the part OF her creditors.