Daily Republican., 1881-08-16
hist IL M ahOu0isIsl 2


hist IL MahOneisEn
Senator Malone is confident of success
for the Coalitionists in Virginia at tn
coming election. He is acknowledge
to be the greatest political organizer IL
the State and his opponents fear hi
power. If shown that the coalition
means more than the name 1t bears, h
proposes to let the Republicans choos'
the candidates for the Legislature il
every county in the State in which the,
have clear majority, and the only
thing he requires of them is to vot'
solidly with the Readjusters on tht
question of a capitation tax, the i'm
provement Of the public schools and tht
settlement of the financial affairs Of the
State. The Senator believes that tht
people are ready to accept the Read
juster movement as means for break
ing up the old party lines, and for help
ing the State out of the deep rut of fun
derism in which it has been so unprotit
ably run for the last fifteen years. The
people not only in Virginia but outside
Oft, are beginning to understand the
full meaning Of readjustment, and with
1t all tina. it implies, and after it is
properly understood it is found not to be
the hideous creature it has been painted
1t means in fact that Virginia will pay
all that she owes and no more, and that
West Virginia, part of old Virginia
when the debt was contracted, shall pay
her share of the debt and nothing less.
The whole debt Of the State was thirty
three million of dollars, which was as
sumed by the cd State, while West
Virginia by being formed into new
State escaped the payment of any part
of the debt, and started as an independ
olt State ofthe Union entirely free from
debt. Her action was something like a
child lsaving home, but at the same
time leaving number of debts for the
parents to pay off. AS West Virginia |
contains about one-third the area of the |
old State and the richest in mineral
wealth and manufactures, Malone and
his party thought it was no more than
right that West Virginia should at least
pay thirteen million dollars of the debt;
the old State devastated by war and
scourged with poverty assuming to pay
the balance-thirty million dollars.
This is the r.adjustment OF the debt of
Virginia. 1t is true that by this read
justment there are thirteen million dol
lars for which payment is unproyided,
and which is virtually repudiated. But
why should it be repudiated Why !
does not West Virginia assume the debt
she knows she owes and honestly make
provision for Its payment. as Malone
and his party have made for the part she
owes?
West Virginia is represented in Con-
Shooe Wy WV oCnatoIS anu IHTte tDU.
gressmen of the Bourbon type who pre-
tend to be honest, but there are none
more loud in their denunciation of
Mahoneism than they. The public can
not fail to see that they are interested
parties, posing themselves before the
country as honest men and auti-repudi.
ationists, while they at the same time
refuse not only to pay the thirteen mil
lion dollars West Virginia honestly
owes, but they are satisfied to see the
old mother State pay it off, and find
fault with her and stigmatize her if she
makes any wry faces about paying it.
What did Malone and his party do
when they came into power? He read
justed the State debt of Virginia by
finding ont what part of the thirty three
million dollars she owed and agreed
to pay it. This amount was found to
be about twenty million of dollars. The
balance-;hirteen millions thar he con.
sideled West Virginia should pay he
left alone, and made noprOvlsion for it,
payment. If this is repudiation then are
MahoNe a4d his party fepudiationists,
y will not be amiss 10 review Tor a
moment the action of the Debt Fuuders
name now Synonymous with Bourbon
ism. What were they doing when in
power? They neither paid principal or
interest, and from year 10 year the debt
with interest added, was assuming
frightful proportions. They could not
raise money enough by revenue AMI tax
alton to pay the interest on the debt
without taking iuio account the pay
ment of the principal. The issue be-
tween tbs two larties which figure now
In Virginia politics 10 which is the more
honest OF the two? The Read, ,jusIers
promise TO pay twenty million dollars
o. the State dobt-all they say the State
owes and they are tor paying it. The
bourbons profess to pay the whole of
lhe state deot-'hirty three million of
doiiars--and defaulted to pay any part
OF II, not even the interest
he New Commissioner OF Pen.
sIOns.