Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-19
The ISeEJjESdera,
editor of the alexandria Guzctte

10 the editor of the alexandria Gazette
L regret the opportunity lost by the debt
payers in not having present bore some able
representative of honesty and truth to expose
the fsllacies and sophislries that wero sought
to be imposed upon the people Of this county on
Monday last by the Rev. John E. Massie, by
the grace of God and the disjoiutedness Of tho
times, now Auditor of the State of Virgins.
1t being the March term of the county court, a
large number of porsons were here and listened
to this State funoionarg in his attempt to JUS
tify the readiuster party 10 their determinati:n
ii possible, to degrade the State Of Virginia.
Your correspondent, who had heard of Parson
MBssie as presenting tho best argument Of any
on the reatjuster side, was greatly surprised to
find bis reasoning to consist of glaring sophis-
tries. of which the following is fair specimen
He supposed case Of debtor who owed five
Thousand dollars and by losses had had his ts-
late reduced to one half of ts value at tho time
of the contracting Of his debt. and then ap-
pcaled to tho audience to agree with him that
it was perfectly fair and just that the debtor
should only pay of the five thousand dollars O
! sum equal 10 proportion to the amount of his
| losses, admitting, toe, as he did, that the cgedia
tor may not have been 10 anywiso responsible
| for the losses sustained By the debtor. This
was ono of tho reasonable propositions ad.
Sanc?d by this leader of the new party, that i
striving for asoendency in Virginia. He said
that tho debt Of Virginia had no legal txi5
talo,. aud that the State could not b. forced
| 10 pay one dollar of ii; it was only moral OBJ
legation, and, therefore, the people had a right
| to al ust it in manner to suit themselves
without any regard to the rights or opinions Of
those to whom tho obligation was given. He
| labored hard to lei cot this dIcSriuo If deadly
virus into the minds OF bis audience. Aud yet,
be spoke quite cl0quently Of the necessity OF
| teaching to The people moral idcps know not
With what church the reverend gentleman
| claims fellowship, and iuit cs ignorant am [ 81
| any church or s, CT that would 20. blush to OWE
| as its les ching such morally AZ that Of which
this political Parson is tho exponent. He closed
| with the subject Of tho election Of tho negro
d0o!koeIcr of thu House of Delegates, and the
| negroes Ia good many of whom were present.
| evil I'd great delight, az tho speaker would
tickle them with glbes at the expense Of Ar
| thur Sullivan aud tho Conservative party. liz
response 10 a question as to how the roadjustcr
party would stand in national politics. the
| opSuhEl sElu iIC ucfCI ClUSSCu DliuSD uUlll Lit
came to it. Your correspondent observed this
| fast, that every thrust aimod at tho conserva
tive party was applau1Cd by tho noercc, aud
| white republicans present, and by them alone.
This fact was noticeable and is worth noting
! Tho attempt to bclitto the State cor irvaliVc
committee was abandoned as soon as it was ap
parent that it fell upon unwilling carr. There
was no mistaking the meaning of that conscr
Vativo audiorc,-RhaeVot they may Thick oil
tho State dobt. they have no idea Of b,iog lead
| out Of tho conservative party. Within The
ranks must this question b, fought out, and
Malone, Massio Il Co., will find it so. The
nearer they draw to their NJ gro allies the more
| conservatives will they leave behind them
Massio Il Co. may manage to keep up q non.
dcscript crg 'uiaation until the Gle ion of lha
next Legislature. two years heEc,, provided it
doesn't have its life squeezed out 10 Novom
Der. At any rate. like the bears cub this now
| party has hard time before it.
FAIRFAX COUNTY.
March IS. 1880.