Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-05-25
Readiusters' Meeting Yesterday.

DELEGATES NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. BY CAPT.
JOHN s. WISE AND CAPT. JOHN PAUL.
On Observation-Disclosures meeting of the
Readiusters was held in the Courthouse. MIR.
s. BROWN Allen called the meeting to order and |
explained it's object to be the election of dele
oates to the Readjuster convention in Rich |
mond on the 18th of July, and to hear a speech |
from Capt. John S. Wise, Of Richmond. Mr.. |
Allen maintained that REIMBURSEMENT had some |
thing to do with Federal politics.
On motion Of D. N. VanLear. ESQ.,, Mr.. A. A
Arnold was appointed Secretary.
Capt. Chas. s. Roller moved that a committee,
to be composed of one from each Mag1sterlal
district and one from each Ward of the city OF
Staunton, be appointed to recommend sultapie
delegates to the Readjuster convention to meet
in Richmond on the 18th of July next.
The chair appointed the following to consti-
tute that committee: G. S. Roller. Fletcher Vim
cent. Lewis Dull, Capt. E. A. Fulcher, S. A.
East. and H. A. Hamilton, from the Magiste-
rial districts and VIM. H. Peyton and DR.. I.
w, Shelton from the Wards of Staunton.
During the retirement of this committee, Mr..
Allen introduced Capt. ]. s. Wise. son of Hon.
Henry A. Wise, as a noble son of a noble sire,
who then delivered an able and interesting
speech of near two hours length, and was fol-
lowed by Capt. John Paul in speech of near
an hours length.
The committee reported the following as del
egates:
DELEGATES. at Largc-s. Brown Allen and D.
N. VanLear.
Pastures.-Geo. w. McCutchen and Andrew
Beck.
North Rirer-S. A. East and DR.. J. T. Robson.
Middle Riper.-C. A. Roller and w. B. Craw-
ford.
South Riper-J. E. Hamilton and A. A. Ar
mold.
Riverheads.-Col. q. ]. Williams and Lewis
Dull.
Ward No. 1.-Wm. H. Peyton.
Word No. 2.-Thos S. Davis.
The report of the committee was adopted.
We regret that the crowded condition of our
columns prevents US from giving fuller no
tice of Mr.. Wise's speech.
JOHN s. WISE
in his opening remarks gave expression 10 inc
demogogical IDEAS which marked his wnoie
speech, by sayingthat he would address the au-
dience as "fellow- citizens" and not v1tuperate
as the Funders do when they call the Re-adJus-
tiers "poor white-folks and negroes" He mad
been a supporter of Malone, and In the iast
convention had made the speech nominating
him for the Governor Of the State. and he de-
sired to say that had he been so elected tne
question of the State debt would now be set
tied matter.
Too much abuse had been INDUCED in by
both parties and he hoped that it would no
longer be continued.
He had been quiet during the first efforts on
the part of those who had gotten up this read
justment party, and he firmly believed that IL
required more true courage to keep silent than
it did to rush headlong into the STRIFE But
this question of REIMBURSEMENT had been the
outgrowth of the feelings of the people OF VIZ
ginia and the people in their sovereign capac-
ity had right to rule the State The Read
justers, as party, must keep together, for with
them 1t was question f"root hog or die"
Funders had charged that all men who are
Re-adjusters were rascals but he knew men
who were Funders and were rascals. but he
mentioned no names,]
He then branched out upon the difference be-
tween public debt and private debt, and
claimed that in the case Of a public debt the
common veal OVERRIDE the obligation pre-
viously entered into, and that therefore, un-
der certain circumstances, the contracts en-
tered into by State sovereignty are not bind
ing and could be set aside by the people OF that
State AT this point sturdy citizen OF old
Augusta left the house saying i've got
enough."]
He then pitched into the Funders. saying
that it ill became the descendants of a people
who had resisted the stamp tax under Geo.
III to now refuse to increase the tax, seeming
to forget as any reader of America knows, that
it was not the amount of the tax levied, but the
principle which underlay it, that caused the
people of America to run to arms against lIs
enforcement. A State, he claimed, was sove-
reign power, and in common equity was only
called upon to pay such taxes as she could pay
That no State could bind herself to pay debt
which would bankrupt and ruin her own peo-
pie.
Pursuing the wide and discursive course
which marked his whole speech, he now spoke
ofpersons drawing 5000 salaries, who, a 1e"
years ago, settled their Indebtedness at 10 cents
on the dollar, and were now richer than evel
before and riding in their carriages behind hne
teams of two and four horses. This generaliza'
ton, however, was not enforced by the mentor
of the individuals referred to.
After drawing q vivid picture of the impOver
ishment of Eastern Virginia, he declared ina
whatever settlement of the debt was mad
would have to be ratified by the people of tn
State. He declared that no settlement hat
ever yet been made which had been ratified
by the people, and this ratification was abso
lutely necessary to the binding obligation Q
any settlement. The Funding Bill of 1871 wa
no such settlement, for that Legislature MAJ
been elected for no such purpose.
He seemed to think that all the Funders hat
grandfathers and were proud Of it, but he helt
them at quite discount, and seemed even t.
forget that he was the son of the old warrior
democrat of Virginia, Henry A. Wise, who's
name is household word in the Tenth Legiol
of Virginia a.
He urged that this fight in Virginia was
mere personal fight between the adherents Q
OH
test for Office yelled under the garb OF debt
payer and readjuster.
He deprecated the contest between readjus
tiers and debt.payers or flinders, and as an IL
Illustration of how far it was carried, said ina
he had been, in Richmond, blackballed by
vote of fifteen for memberihip in the West
moreland Club He said that act of social os
tracism placed a brand upon him, and III
avowed in the most emphatic manner that he
would have revenge for it it took a hundred
years to do it.
In describing the characters Of those who. he
said, voted against him, we noticed that he
followed what he claimed the funders did In
the line of vituperation, wiz did not mention
any names.
AS to the course that would be pursued in the
July Convention at Richmond, he said tina
Nhey would do what they should choose to d.
.ar ask Of no odds. If they decided to vot
with the Republicans, they would do SO, ant
mot ask the flinders about it,
Hehimself was democrat, was born a dem
cucrat, and would die democrat. He was op
posed to the Independent ticket and would
work hard against It,
Tie closed with TRADE against what he styl
ed +, We shrinking aristocrsts." meaning there
by. we suppose. funders. IF he didn't NEAR
them, we don't know to whom he referred.
Npv Mrrs1 I've are indebted to the publish
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son of ourtProf. A, ]. Turner. The piece is ded
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