Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-02-27

tHIOugu Gu6 D6udu0 Wdo Aou I'LL uHiS" ~
Jars among the members Of that party.
The point at which violent dlssolu-
zion of the caucus compact was apparently
threatened, was the consideration OF the
18th section, which provides that one
third of the property tax and one-half OF
the license tax shall be collected separately
and applied to the payment OF interest on
the debt. After cutting down his claim
without the consent of the claimant it
would not seem unreasonable that an &C.
curate provision should be made for pay
ment of the interest on the remainder;
nor would it seem unbusiness-like, or
taking any risk, to specify that out OF
81, 500 900, left after the State government
and schools were provided for, $500, 00o Tor
interest should be specially set apart. But
srch was not the view of some of the Re-
adiuster Senators.-One of them, Mr..
Fulkerson, offered, and another of them,
Mr., Paul, supported, a substitute for the
18th section, providing that no money
should be set apart. bnt the creditors
should look for their interest to such
money as was mot otherwise appropria-
ted" From the bitterness of the debate
which followed this substitute we infer
that there is something more in it than
strikes the public eye. Mr.. Riddleberger,
who opposed the substitute, gave the
Senate to understand that there had been
a secret agreement by its supporters with
the colored Senator Mr.. Davis from
MeckLenburg. to the effect that the 18th
section should be stricken out. and color
ed school established at a village in his
section. Mr.. Fulke 1sen denied this charge,
and added that the information upon which
it was based sprang from ''a corrupt, ma
licious and slanderous heart" Senators
Paul and Davis also emphatically denied
that there had been any agreement as in
timated. The substitute was defeated.
and the original bill was then passed by
strict party vote, including Fulkerson and
Paul, It is stated however, that this
trouble in the Senate was hushed at a
meeting of the Readjuter caucus at which
Messrs. Malone and Massey were present,
where it was agreed that the Fulkerson
amendment should be inserted when the
bill comes up in the House. So if this is
true Senators Fulkerson and Paul carried
the day
This action is worthy of special regard
in view of the apparent intention OF that
wing of the Readjusters, who the promls-
ed concession on the 18th section clearly
shows are too strong to offend. to make nc
4bo the
twenty million bill. 1t justifes the appre-
hension that even the views OF Malone
Riddleberger and those who think like
them, and which bear semblance at ieas
Of recognizing the creditor as person IN
terested, will not rule. and that the plar
of giving him the leavings after all othe
appropriations are satisfied will be adop
ted. With this substitute the States rev
enue may be disposed of by free-hanaet
legislation-the colored college in Prince
Edward for instance and similar. or. may
hap. not as worthy schemes-and ther
will at last not be found in the Treasur.
of the Commonwealth: 'snot otherwise az
propriated,' - money in sufficient amour
to make the payment of interest on tht
debt anything more than farce
Nothing gives more grave concern thar
the frequent and unmistakable sign
that the wiser and more conservative ele
ment of the victorious party is rapid
falling into minority. a decline accelers
ted by frequent retreats. When we Sc
the wisest man Of the party taking hl
stand at $50 .OOO, 900, then falling back t
$4,000, 900 and now falling back still IA
ther to the surrender of provision in tn
bill, evincing the good faith OF those VIII
pass it, the progress of that element
Reimbursement which is not the wisest
no longer a matter of doubt. We canno
feel atall sure that if the Riddleberger bi
were already law, in complete operation
with the Fulkerson amendment, that til
creditors would receive the interest prom
ised them, or half of it.
~o-e4<)sS-O.