The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-11-06
The Result.

The result of the election in Virginia on
the 4th, forming an opinion from present
information, gives assurance that the peo-
pie accept the McCulloch Bill settlement of
the debt question. In this county it NAV
be fairly assumed that the vote was almost
unanimous for the Bill, as the defeated can
didates, Messrs. Allen and VanLear. had
declared their intention to abide by the
legislation, provided it did not require an
increase of taxation to carry out its pro-
visions. Many persons voted for them be-
cause of this assurance, as they are known
to be honorable gentlemen, and would not
have gone back upon their public declara-
ton. The majority of the voters, howev-
er, believe that the Bill is what it pro-
fesses to be-a settlement of the debt ques-
tion-and preferred to support the candi-
dates who accepted it without qualification
or reservation.
Throughout the State the result would
have been more emphatic had different
style of augmentation prevailed. There
was too much bitter denunciation and too
many harsh epithets employed to convince
men who were open to conviction. Nine
tenths of the people of the State were
anxious for the permanent settlement of
the controversy, and all they wanted was
to be convinced that it would not require
an increase of taxation to accomplishlthis
end under the McCulloch Bill. Instead
of approaching men calmly and dspas-
sionately, and imparting such information
as would confirm the assumption of the
friends of the Bill. the press and public
speakers resortcd TO denunciation and
abuse and arraigned the motives of those
who questioned the sufficiency of the legis-
lation for the purpose in view. There
Il re very few persons in Virginia who
w ould vote to repudiate any part of the
honest debt of the State, if the fact had
beenmade plain that thcpresent rate eff taxa
tion-the measure of their ability to pay, las
they believc-would meet all the demands
under the McCulloch Bill, and we, there
fore do not regard the vote cast against the
Bill as rejecting a purpose to repudiatc the
debt, as some have charged.
We think we may assume, with perfect
justification, that the result in favor of the
settlement is due to the Republican party.
They had it in their power to determine the
issue either way, and is to their credit, that
nearly every recognized leading Republi-
can gave it his hearty support. The col
ored people, or the representative men Of
their race in the various local contests,
J, ranged on the side of the settlement, and a
large preponderance of that vote was cast
for the Bill. In this city and county the
vote was almost unanimous for it. Is was
the same in Rockingham, Frederick and
Albemarle counties. 1t is source of ex-
trcme qualification to us to be able so record
this fact, as it demonstrate that upon a
vital question affecting for all time to come
the welfare Of the Commonwealth, the Re-
publicans have proven true to their State,
and thus significantly rebuked those who
have persistently slandered them. They
scorned to take advantage of Democratic
discussions, but looking alone to Virginia IS
interests, came to the rescue and in this
great crisis turned the scales of battle in
favor of the credit and integrity of the old
Commonwealth.
N. B.-Later returns considerably modi-
fly the above estimate and transfer the prob
ability of a majority on joint ballot from the
debt-payers to the re-adiusters. 1t will be
impossible, however, to determine the ex-
act result before this evening.