The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-01-13

I the Common e3iIth to the conflicting and unjus
claims OF the creditor?
H. AIN the election Of all State officers embracin
the Secretary of ColnlnoRW eaith, treasurer, Fits
and second AUDITORS, Register OF Land Office, Con
missioner OF PupHc Works, superintendent OF Fen
ttentiary, e aperintendent a Public Printing an
Penitentiary Storekeeper.. These offices are nov
faithfully and efficiently filled hggentIemen of You
own patty. In the brieI period ofiess than a year
the discoveries they have made ofpast extrayaganc
| aud Observation-Disclosures, and the reforms anu eco
Monies they have instituted, justify the demand o
last winter for these changes in the Executive blu
of the Government, and yindicate the wisdom
and prudence that guided your party In its choic
OF public servants. ~ astrs 81 81
In The Auditors office chaos was found to reigi
supreme Scarcely a subordinate department ina
not in arrears Fraudulent accounts and pee
ulatiOns have been unearthed, covering a series o
years, and brought to the attention OF The lazy OIL
OF the State More than $35000O of the people'
money was found yet lingering fn,the pockeIs 0
collectors in violation OF law, to the wrong OF the
people and the detriment Of the public interests.
was this Office where already the Allen TaX-certih
Gates were in course of preparation: the Fundel
machinery under. which per cent. was to be pafo
In interest on the AleCulloch bonds at direct cos
to the taxpayers of54 per cent. a month. 1t was
this office whence issued all the ingenuity of imper
feet statements of the resources of the Government
and the condition of the finances, promote the
evil cause of Funderism and to confound and mis-
lead the public judgment. 1t this Office from
which all the world was officially informed that
such was the betterment In the financial condition
OF the State, there would be issue the AL
len certificates when in truth, in the last weeks OF
1872 those certificates in course Of secret ere
parat1on. 1t was this Office from which you were
advised lin order to seduce your favor to the Bro
kers Bill, that there would be in5the Treasury on
e ISL Day OF January 1856 after discharging all the
currect demands for schools, for expenses Of Gov
eminent, and after payment of interest upon the
debt, cash balance OF Ave hundred and twenty
nye thousand dollars; and yet when the LIST Of Jan
uary came, though Funderism had controlled the
government Without interruption to the very day,
1t was ascerained and disclosed by the Auditor In
stalled by your party that the Treasury contained
S22,494.o9: while against this sum (less than one.
twentieth OF thai upon which Funderism had pre-.
Amounting to 1853 s94 &c
AND the following formidable array OF
claims: ..t-a-5...
l. Unpaid appropriations to lunatic asy-
-lums 200 009 Oh
q Unpaid fines to literary fund ......... 40,52O0O
g. Unpaid interest to college endowments CO. 482 90
4 Arrearages to public free schools .5O4 245 OO
3. Interest on public debt: fe ~ =,
Consof bondS f64S, $4,000
nicGullocn ponos 134, 667 90
Peeler bonds. 2281 1874 90
Total s., 033, 1852. 80
Such Is an imperfect recital OF the conduct of this
important Office Under the Control of the Funder
Faction Will you remit 1t 10 such guardianship
WHAT has been accom- pllshed IN brief period OF
twelve months, during which your Auditor has al
ministered the affairs of TINS office? 81
The General Assembly and the public have been
furnished Win Clear and accurate Information, sad
ly neeued OF the 1nalIeial condition OF the State
me sums due the pubic schools each year since
their establishment have been ascertained and
under This administration, for the flrst time the
law requiring gradual payinentof these arrearages
has been complied with. Large due the Com
monweaitn tor past years by treasurers and other
Collectors, have Deen discovered, and taken
ENFORCE the settlement OF all SUCH accounts. The
law requiring clerks TO make report settie-
lnent with the Auditor, OK hnes and taxes COL
iected by Them had been, in numberless instances
covering periods OF from two to years, disre
sarued, and now many thousand dollars have been
recovered on This neglected account, and prompt
compliance with the statute is eXaeted Now Tor
tne fst tie Inc law III relation the listing and
endorsing VI coupons received taxes is r1gidiy
add exitetiy executed, and the county ana civ
tfeasurers are required to make monthly Statements,
ana pay luenlS efficiency and dispatch In marked
contrast To former methods, have governed the CON
duct OF the ONCE. Under Instructions and rul-
lhgS Oh the incumbent administration OF this Office
The reassessment OF lands Tor 1850 Will be made al
COST nearly, Ii not quite, one-th1i than that
OIL any former year MANY frauds which had been
pict1ced upon The State by means OF inprope ac-
counts presented to and certified by the courts for
pay meAt, have been exposed, and the taxpayers
not only saved thousands OF dollars by preventing
continuance OF these frauds, but large sums have
been recovered that had been Improperly drawn
from the treasury. By such faithful and judicious
anu by methodic and economic ad-
m1nlstration, there has been brought into the
treasury during the PAST year largely in ex-
cess OF te average receipts the past years
ana Inns excess 1t remembered is not the result
oil any Increase OF revenue, butnaS been formed by
compelling settlement OF the delfnquencies or for
hef pefiods BY thus compelling restitution of
moneys hitherto illegally drawn the Statea land
by enforcing the payment OF accounts long since
due by Collectors your Auditor has been enabled to
return S2u0000 borrowed for arrearages to the asy
lus, TO discharge $4,000 OF the arrearages due the
literary fund.- to return to school fund so5 05 the
OF past years, TO meet the current ex
penseS OF Govefnment, and to give degree of
financial ease ana quietlong unknown.
VIII you place 1t i'll the power OF Funderism to ar
rest the progress Of such reforms and economies ?
In the Second Auditor office an investigation was
ordered by your party in the General Assembly, land
the special committee appointed for that purpose
has already discovered loss 10 the State OF hun
dred thousand dollars by missing bonds and the
double funding OF coupons; and every step In the
enquiry develops fresh instances or
latlon of the law Will You remit the afafrs OF this
oliice to Funder control? VIII you call halt III
Investigation Will you be blind to your wrongs
and Torego all remedy?
The penitentiary has for series of years, and
when under Funder administration, been an ex-
pense to the state of from thirty sixty thousand
dollars per dR@an. 1t remained for your appointee
to bring to the surface deracation of thirty
nve thousand dollars !! And under the faithful and
wise conduct OF the present Superintendent the in
5tltution will soon cease to be draft upon the
treasury. VIII you consign this important agency
u the government again to Funder mt5manage-
ment?
5th The election of United States Senator. And
shall he be a champion Of your rights, advocate
of your Interests defender OF your character? Or
shall he go forth 10 join in your defamation, and
9th. The enactment Of such laws, in pursuance of
the pledge already given by the Re party,
will to the people of Virginia "a full vote
a free ballot, aud an honest count
7th. The enactment Of laws which will secure an
honest observance OF constitutional obligations,
state and Federal, and bring the Government into
to and sympathy with the people.
How shall be constituted the Legislature upon
which shall devolve such vital powers such essen
Lia duties, such pfivileges? Shall its members be
OF the people, their kinsmen, SYM
with their every interest and sharing
their burthens? Or shall they be of the society
which holds the people unfit select their own Of
cial servants to direct their affairs? Shall
Jhe be the men TO whom the highest meaning of
democracy or hepubi1cantSIn Is the sovereignty of
he people? Or shall they be of the sect which seeks
N government and In party something higher, pu-,
rer, more honest, and stronger than the people?
Why was the Re-adjuster party formed? Was 1t
not because the people resolved to accom- pJsh
. wholesome re formation In the administration Of
the pubic affairs? Was 1t not to arrest the course
If trift1ng which had been pursued with the debt
question and the further uae of experiments con-
;e1yed and prosecuted in the interests of place
ers and prokerse Was it not because they had come
to realize by past experience that vague pledges
made py candidates for office We're of avail? That
: distinct platform of principles and candidates
to their support were necessary to pre-
vent their representatives from shifting and turn
TO nothingp
Was it OF that these Something Nothing. pledg
es given by candidates In the early stages Of this
1uest1on that necesstated the formation of the par
ty OF the people?
Is 1t not true that all which has been accomplished
In the direction OF your views has through The
agency OF your organization and the power OF your
party? Preceding its formation a majority of Re.
were returned TO the Legislature, but
when they came to be tested it was found that ul,
bounded by platforms, their views as to the method
and measure OF Re-adjustment varied, from the Re-
adjustment of Funderism to absolute reputation
and that their utter lack 4f harmony and co-opera
ting and hesitatlng leadership resulted In an In.
glorious failure and rou htch swiftly followed
the arbitrary ana defiant enactment OF the McCul-
loch contract. re l'' 7i.all sls'9 sfsfs 1
This condition OF things was remedted by the
prompt formationof the party of the people, and the
election of majority Of both branches Of the Cen
eral Assembly upon declared platform of well-de-
lined views. It was then for the time since the
of the Stat that the people had their
will impressed upon Its legislation.
It was by this measure and this party, be it re-
membered, that the ruinous methods, arbitrary ex-
actions unjust and intolerable burdens and wicked
wrongs of tho McCulloch scheme of conlscation and
plunder was arresled--ere the State had been
wrecked, her sovereignty overthrow, her honor
and the education of her children confided to the
tender care and keeping of Shylocks, and her peo-
pie and their prosperity forever ensayed under the
forms OF an frrepealable contract which Fundersrn
with an arrogance and 1nSolence unknown to this
Commonwealth sought by every agency and in1u-i
ence-alfen and donestic-to impose and place be-
yond the consideration and reach of the people
Thus, and thus alone, was advance mad Q to the
pot6Qf definite scheme for the settlement Of the
dehtthe re establishment of the public credit-and
traion of State affairs which for so many long and
weary years had been obviously and sadly needed
fourfepresentatives perfected and passed through
both branches OF the General Assembly bill for the
e.adJustinent OF the public debt he Riddleberger
billl to become the law not until it had been fully
considered and ratified by the people 1t was be-
lieved to comprehend the full measure of vtrgnias
just and equitable Indebtedness to the bondholder
aud to impose the largest rate of interest which
could be paid of her revenues derived from the
ted the Industrial interests of the State can bear
me privilege to you OF passing upon this measure
OF read ustment was forbidden by the tnterposi-
ton or the Executive veto sustained by all Frn-
cord on the part of your Governor with the neonie
upon this grave and In portant I'M esttorf Totbing