The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-02-24

cuLrrrra, February 81 1880

have a decided choice aitei ~ q, oil, 10 =.
have made their nomipat'ons ~ WI. I've u
i;ttIe singular, and, having c"olee' .lu.!
surprising II fail to sus'a'h my "''''
ence. =, =. :, hut little mo,.
ment would much sooner KNOW .'at
am right than consistent. inous.. l wa
right in advocating the auieno'neu. " .ne
Constitution requiring the pay u'en' vi .ne wv.
poI.tay as condition OK suiirase, an ye'
more certain, since the merit Oh 'ne 'sm nea
been tested. that | am right 10 auVoGa'Ing
lis repeal: and will explain WY III my
speech here last Monday saiu sups,a"'
tally. " az an old Wbi2 bad always auVo,
Gated property qualification. anu "ou,o
have been well content to place Tue conoi'
lion of suffrage so high as 10 u>iI"hcnse
myself i'm order to disfranchi'e Tue 'nou'
sands who were so worthless mat lbey con
tributed not one cent to the support vi tlieiii'
selves, their families, or the ota'e. oucu
men hold had no right to voice III con-
ducting the affairs Of State" &c. nevei
was, am not now, and never can ne JeUer'
sonian Democrat. / believe he connecting
his wonderful intellectl, with all OF ms
abominable leyclling doctrines OF an equal
ity that never has or should exist wh'Ie
merit and intelligence occupy and deserve
q more elevated and pureI atmosphere than
vice and ignorance, with his pernlcl0u,
teachings OF universal suffrage, that has led
IN mobocracy commuulsui, ana hndl ruin
10 every country that has ever persistently
practiced il, was curse 10 THIS country
Madison and George Mason were the Re-
pubIicans or Democrats whose statesman
ship / admired. Holding these general
yi+ws before the war, | was very glad in
1876 to return, il only one step, in the dl-
rectlOn OF the George Mason Constitution
the best we ever had in many respects
and therefore, as you say, adyocated the
payment Of the pOll-taX a. n condition oil
suffrage. Experience, however, now fully
satisfies me that this law Is most pernictOUS
one. II the requirement had been the pay
ment OF taxes upon property assessed al
5000, which would have been $l-iust the
same as the pol-taX-the vote could not be
purchased by the payment OF one dOuar un-
less the party was assessed with two hun
dred dollars worth Of property; but
how Is it now with the tax upon the
hedd? A large percentage OF the
negroes do not pay this tax, either
because they cannot or because they pre-
fer to have it paid for them by one or
the other of the rival candidates for their
suffrage. Now, what has this led to, and
what will it continue TO lead to while the
law stands as il is? Why, TO the placing OF
nearly every office in the State, where the
official is elected by the people, at the mer-
| CIV OF men or combinations that can COM
mand money. That 1t has been the fruitful
source OF corruption, who can queS-
| tioUI And that 1t will continue to be
So while the law sands. who can doubt
As TO the negro vote, with our the
Ory OF government, TIE result OF their
| Embarrassment was Inevitable from the
moment they ceased to be property and
became citizens. | must add while my
views remain the same as To the suffrage
question in the abstract with those have
ever held. yet have been forced to modify
| them, tHiS experiment hIying failed, ana to
meet the political eXieency demanded by
the fourteenth amendment, which reduces
our Federal representation in proportion as
we di>qualify as voters for snv cause " other
than participation in rebellion or other
crime" therefore ] am forced to advocate
universal suffrage for the tmebeing. You
say "but for his Efforts thai amendment
might have failed OF rdtiticllOn." Tnis,
probably, is true to a greater extent than
you are aware OF, and aS never shrink
cumbent upon me to assume II, or
the consequences OF 1t when | may
have blundered, | will say here when these
amendments were before the people for rat
ihcation or rejection | was chairman, rs
you have said, OF the State Executive Com
mittee, and it WAS my business to see that
the names Of all the electors were spet
cDrIectly So the offer was made to fur
nisn all the candidates for Congress with
tickets printed in Richmond at cost prices,
tDat the names Of the electors might be
given correctly, believing | was doing my
state good service. / took the response
bility OF printing upon nearly every
ticket the word "FOR" in the place
Of having IT g. constitutional amend
ment" for the voter to ill IN the blank with
a " for" or " against" as he might please,
fearing many might not have the means or
would not take the trouble to write the
word "fOr." Doubtless thousands Of votes
we've thus secured for the amendments. or
course it was The privilege OF all 50 dis
posed with pen or pencil to strike ont the
for and insert against. Pardon me II / give
you more than you dSked for but let me.
without intending to inteIject a ReadjuSi-
or speech in your columns, explain that |
earnestly desire thi. debt question finally
and forever disposed OF, and on the credit
OrS' account deplOre the 6lund made
in causing the defeat OF the Barbour
bin last winter. The bondholders nerer
again viii be able 10 secure As tdUOrQbie
terms rs were then offered, and the i0nqer
they continue the .tigM the ,cOrse IL 1cW be
TOR them in this county 50 far as T know
and believe the sentiment is all but unani-
NOUS for the bill now before the Lcgisa-
N ipf tbo ca, ~
OF the United states has held, could not be
collected Us between citizens North and
South during the war; as TO those at home
who would have been paid in the only eur
rency we had, and which was forced upon
the Confederate soldier and every one else.
but who tcOuLd not accept IL, why he only
suffers in common with all the rest whose
property was either wholly lost or greatly de-
preciated. SO as 10 the interest accruing du-
ring the Time Virginia was military district
No. |, with officials not OF her election forced
upon her. This is the interest that has been
compounded. Strike it of, and let's pay after
the payment OF The current expenses Of the
State government and the amounts due
the schools, AL the rest TO our creditors that
the revenues Of the State will afford .'With- |
out increased taxation" This will be
about 3 per cent, and the great body OF the |
present holders OF the bonds, while they
have failed to make the speculation they an
tcipated, Will not be bddty hurt. / doubt |
about my being representative man " |
in the Readiuster,' party-certainly | speak |
by no authority, and do not aspire to do so.
| AN but poor, struggling farmer, who |
finds It uphill work to make "buckle and |
tongue meet, and who but speaks for him
self, and gives utterance to his own homes, |
Truly,
NATHANIEL Il. MEADE.