The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-03-25
RICHMOND, Va, March "a, 1881.


10 the ReddJuSters Of Viginia- Greet'nJ'
At a meeting Of your State Committee
held on the 23f instant 1t was reso'eu ~
mold a State Convention on THURSDAY tue
ID day Of June, 1891, in the city OF Ricp-
mond. I'm pursuance Of this oction OF your
committee YOU are now invited TO appoint
delegates 10 represent you In That ConNen-
ton. ,,,.,
ton the several counties and cities VIII he
entitled TO vote in the Convention as by The
annexed schedule. The manner, time, aud
place OF appointing delegates Is RENTED 10
The county and city chairmen.
II is proper. however unnecessary. to
state that the object Of this Convention IL 10
nominate State ticket for Governor. Lieu
tenant. Governor, and Attorney General.
and to take such other and further action as
in the wisdom OF your representatives may
conduce o the good OF the people and State.
Readju>imeni. with all that term cOmpre-
bends IN the NlrginlaD mind, baS been
distinct and abiding issue since 1870 IL. 1t
was then the people OF Virginia rein>ti-
tuted in reality their State government. 1t
was then they accepted under sacred
pledges the civil and political oquality OF
all men before the law. Ii was then they
resolved upon a system OF free and general
education as the panacea for the possible
evils OF an enlarged and uneducated SUI
frage. II was then they were made ac-
qualnted, for the first time, with charac-
ter OF specious legislation which led TO an
increase OF public obligations and taxation
without regard TO the devastating conse-
qnences Of unsuccessful war or the legal
and equitable rights OF the citizen. From
that period till 1879 it was impossible to ac'
complish anv OF the objects OF reaGiust-
ment, notwithstanding each succeeding
election established the majority strength
Of the questions il c0mprehended before The
people OF the State. Ii was proved to de-
moustraiion that the contest could not he
successfully made inside OF party lines.
This truth impressed itself upon our people
in 1879, and II was then our organization
within the State had it, BIRTH From that
time 10 this the actions OF our party ana
people speak in louder tones than any words
your committee can indie.
Readjustrr, have bad control 81 the SUBJ
ordinate offices OF the State but little over
wear. Within that time we have Il ln.bnr>cd
the plundered school fund to tn amount %
Sl6j 900, and the literary fund Qhe interest
on which Is PAYABLE annually to TIE public
free.schoOl fund.- Sl0,j20, and paid ~ lull
the aunuiteS and the seml-aunnllly accru-
ing interest duc 10 our struggling colleges.
For the first time in ten years the conSiilG-
tlonal obligations to support our public
schools have been complied with.
Bv the statistics Of the safe Supcrin-
tendent OF Public instruction for lSS0-ihe
year OF Rcadiuster management OF the
-ch 1ol fund-we had 1874 schools as against
2.4gl for the year 1879. The number oi
pupils. which had decreased in 1919 TO
lOS,O7l, was increased IN 1880 to 22O. l36. or
80 6lS in excess OF the highest number Tor
any year since the establishment Of the >t>-
TEN in 1871. The teachers, who numbered
2.J0l i'm 1879, were Increased 10 4,S'3 IN
1880. and generally received their pay. not
outstanding the large sums requredto lis
charge debts which had been contracted TO
maintain a Oretence OF the support OF our
schools. The expenditures on school dc-
count, which were S5.0,3S9 IL from all
sources in 1879, were 1916, 1903 81 IN 1850.
And all this was simply due 10 The fact
that the Readiustrrs gave TO the sup
mort of The schools the money which
had been collected from the taxpayers
on State. county. and district levy for
that specific purpose, supplemented nv
$l6j 600 (Which was IN one year refund.
eN of the diverted school fund. With
in one wear we have discovered unnOted
defaults in one department OF nearly Il
haii million dollars; We have developed
embpzZlements OF over $50 ,0G0; and an
unfinished investigation a>certalnS that more
than SIO0.000 Of bonds and unclnceled
couponS, which were once used IN payment
of taxes, &C., due the State, are missing
from the Second Auditors office, wbcn they
oupht TO have been cancelled ana kept.
Some of these have been received the see
ond time; all the others are yet 0ul>tand-
ING. and may, and doubtless will, be used
IN the same way.
\ penItentiary that has been for years 4
heavy charge upon our Treasury Is made
notwithstanding within single year, ana may
now be relied on as a source OF revenue.
ON the question OF the debt, it i only
necessary 10 recall the various positions OF
our adversarie>, and what their position l.
to-day. They have In detail repudated ali
of their So.cllled irreDcalabe contracts, IN
each one OF which they held the sacred
honor OF the Commonwealth TO be involved,
and now they would put them-elve> before
the country rs the special custodlans OF
public honor with a prelaced purpose 10
recover lost prestige and power at whatever
sacrifice, appealing, as IL each succet ding
canvas. since 1871. 10 sectional aud race
preiudice u a cover to their real designs
aud the true ISSUES involved.
They still insist upon The payment OF their
fraudulently compounded and war and IT,
construction interest, which amounts 10
more than fourteen millions Of d0liqrS,
against the assumption OF which conyen-
lion resolves and their own platform decla-
ration, have long since pronounced.
From mistaken sense Of honor, false
pride, or worse, they insist upon Cypress
ing us with the interest upon tins more than
Sl1. 600. 900 OF improperly charged and
compounded interest, which at per cent.
will amount 10 more than 300, 900 annually.
II we add 10 this the amount which VIII
have TO he paid annually 10 redeem this
s14 COO. OGO, which has been improperly
ADDED TO the principal OF the debt In iorty
wears. we should impose upon our taN'rIc-
den people an annual burden OF S'IO,OO0
more than they can Justly be called upon 10
nay. notwithstanding the acknowledged fact
that this would neceS>itate large increase
in the rate OF taxation, which repeated at
tennis have demonstrated 10 be utterly I'M
possible.
Readjusfers have but to look over the past
TO note whether readiustment has impaired,
a, was charged it would. the material inter-
cs's OF our State. or whether, as we pre-.
dicted, there has been more capital invested
in our mineral lands and manufactures
within the last year than for the five years
preceding. They have but to note the
change that has come over the minds OF the
people all over our great country respecting
Virginia and her affairs to be rea>sured ~
well of the eXpediency OF readjustment,