Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-10-25

happy in his avoidance of difficult points pre-
scented by his adversary, and as Col. Skinner
says. 20 splendid advocate In a bad cause
His divergences from the main points at ISSUE
were 80 frequent and his jokes SO numerous
that we could not possibly follow him in thu
sinuosities of his speech.
He was here, he said, to discuss issues, mo-
men. but at once began to ref,r to Col. Skinner
as an office-seeker, and created some amuse
ment when he said that he. too, was an Office
seeker, but was yet young one.
He stood by what is known as the Riddle
berger Bill and wanted to know II 1t wasn'
right to set aside to West Virginia one-third o
the original debt of the State, which he claimed
the Riddleberger Bill did, but he deducted thil
| one third from some amount that left the Stat,
owing only $40 900 900, instead Of taking 1t from
the 45,000,0 600 that was admitted by the Leg
islature after the war. He argued to Prov
| that 1t was right to set aside this amount o
| one-third Of the debt to West Virginia. II
which all agreed with him a. 1t had already
been disposed Of in the funding bill Of 1871. H,
then built up his 900 900 to $50 100000 agar
by adding war and reconstruct ion interest, &c.
| and then took it of again by ella ming that W.
didn't owe 1t, that it had been SO decided by
the courts, and that q State in making a con
| tract made it as an individual, was entitled tt
| the rights. of an individual as to her contracts
and, therefore, was not responsible for war in
terest.
Under the McCulloch Bill the State was una.
| BILE to pay out, and therefore the Riddlebe rgel
Bill was the only remedy.
At this point he diverged to the State ticket
and wanted to know how Barbour got on it, as
when Editor Of the Enquirer, he not only ad.
vocated the reputation Of public debts but Of
private ones also.
Returning to the State debt, he said that, in
what will always be known as the Baldwin
Legislature. ali act was passed directing the
payment of the interest on two thirds of the
debt, but not a cent to be paid ON accrued In
terest. --,5..,-. - :.
Forgetting that he was '.here to discuss IL.
sues not men, he turned upon Skinner and
Hanger and said they don't know the q. b. G. Of
Democracy, for no democrat could vote to pass
a law binding up the revenues of State for a
number of years by tax-receiv BILE coupons.
He had subscribed to the reconstruction acts
and proposed to abide by them to their fullest
extent, and any man who had taken the oath
to support them and then attempts the restric-
ton of suffrage will carry aperjured soul to the
God who gave It. He advocated free-suffrage,
acts In Virginia connected with the subject up
to 1851 when every white man was allowed to
VOTE with the statutory exceptions. After the
war Virginia was readmitted into the union
with the provision that there should be no
restriction Of suffrage. except for felony. insan-
ity and idiotcy, and yet this law requiring
the prepayment Of the capftation tax before
voting had been passed in contravention of ex-
q
capitation tax had not been paid as fully since
the adoption OF the law as before.
The cry of the Authorization OF the State was
all bosh, for that could only be accomplished
by coalition ofbankers and bond-holdsrs and
the further restriction Of suffrage so that these
parties could 60 to the polls with a ticket in
one hand and money in the other and buy up
the eolored vote of the State.
AS to the debt of the o. s., lie vas In favor of
paying 1t, war interest and all. but he claimed
that there was no war interest. Probably be-
cause 1t has been paid) erf
He argued that the State WAS not able to pay
under the McCulloch Bill aud adduced the fact
Of the recent severe drought in tie South west
and the more recent destruction OF the tobacco
crop by frost and seemed inclined to attribute
1t to an angry Providence inter ding to punish
the Funders.
The Rlddlebergsr Bill, he said, would enforce
itself by compulsion Of law. for it was right and
just. Ifhe had millions Of dollars OF surplus
revenue. he would pay no more than what we
justly owed. get he admits v owe s2O.0O0, 900
In round numbers, and refuses to pay more
than 3 per cent. ON that, though 1t was six
per cent. debt)
He did not say whether or not he wrote
the Henkel bill. but left the impression on the
crowd that he had had much to do with 1t.
As to putting Mr.. Yost ON the comfy ticket,
he said that had Yost been put on the flnder
ticket not one of them would have refused to
vote for him. He dared any funder to say
that he wouldn't have voted for him. He
would give two dollars and q half for the pho
tograph Of the funder who would say he would
not have voted for him. Here a well-known
gentleman arose and said. You can have my
photo. 1 would not have voted for him, and the
widest applause ensued for several minutes.
There were cries to ''pay up" pay up" and
Riddleberger saying''a readjuster never goes
back on his contract" handed out the money;
but the gentleman told him to keep 1. for
campaign purposes" and Riddleberger's time
being up he took his seat.
THE RESPONSES
were lively with anecdote and repartse, but no
new points were a0Vanceu. COl. oRlnueI
in reply to the question as to whether
be would be in favor of raising the taxes
If the revenue of the State should prove insult
flcient," said that he stood upon the platform Of
the Conservative Democratic party, which had
declared against such increase that in the
words Of Malone "he was in favor Of settling
the debt on such basis as will carry on the
government, fustain the free schools. and pay
the interest on the debt; to do more would be
improper to do less would be dishonest" He
wanted the schools maintain, d in their intee-
rity and the DEBT question settled.
Riddleberger In his reply was full Of quips
and quirks, which were very amusing and
much enjoyed. As to his candidacy for Ser
geant-at-Arms of the U. 8. Senate, he said that
Malone had told him that II he would take 1t
he could ret it for him. He said he would take
1t, for it was worth s.. coo. He didn't think he
had done wrong. II he had, he was to blame
for 1t, and not the readjuster party. and vindi-
Gated himself by reciting the number Of the re.
latives of Democratic Senators and Congress-
men who had positions under the Government.
He defended Mahone's course in the Senate.
and approved the action OF the Legislature in
turning out the one-legeed Con federate soldier,
Arthur Sullivan.