The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-01-15
ontside sympathy,

Wa aSsure the Baltimore American 'na'
We have not "lost our temper nor even
fe,t that we were IN danger os losing ~ on
aecouot Of ANYTHING II has said In c'mment-
tnr upon The cause Of the DebtPsyers OF
virginia. That Journal lsocrs under tue
letusica, which we have IN vain tried U
slispel, that the regular Democrats OF NT-
yin,a propose to repudiale portion OF the
ate debt In order 10 retain WITHIN 'ne'r
ranks the Re;sdjustcrs who last fall sup.
ported the Nav electoral ticket. we quote
from the americaa two interrogatories'
substantially the same, whose very wording
proves that that journal thiuks II has crowd
"a us into tight place. II asks:
"Now. what the Americdn wants 10
know al the Dispatch l. this: Does u SIM
adhere to the position which u oceopleu
wear ago towards the debt question: 'ns.
the obligations OF the state must be PAID IN
fuI,--or i II now willing. In order to retain
the support Of the Readjusiers who voteu
for the Fuuder electoral ticket last fall. 10
knock of something Of the principal! les
or nor
Again: II asks:
"Now, once and for all, we say TO
our contemporary that we are opposed
10 sacrificing principle TO eNpedieney
under any consideration, aud we would
rathe9 see the Republican party defeated IN
Virginia than soop to a compromise Win
repudiation,sts. Is the Dispatch willing TO
take the sane position towards the Read
iusters whose votes it is so anxious TO re-
tain in the ueXt campaign"
= q ,tnh sp1IlpnHH
know what we are willing to do, ss we are
not authorized in any way TO speak Tor the
regular Democratic party; but 1t is so easy
10 answer The imericdn'S questions that We
do so without the least hesitation. We still
hold that the obligations OF the State ought
10 be paid in full, and are opposed 10
"kuocking Of any OF the principal Nor
have we ever thought Of "stoopinS TO a
compromise with repudiationists." The
Resdiusters who voted the regular ticket
lat fall do not admit that they are repudla-
tionlsls: nor do we class them as such. We
assume that they are willing to pay all the
debt of Virginia that Is Justly OWING.
But they hold that the State is not
able TO pay more than 3 per cent. IN
terest upon her whole Indebtedness, ana
they are opposed to the issuing of any
more TAX receivable coupons. There is no
design on their part TO repudiaie any por-
ton OF the State debt. The question forthe
regular Democrats to consider is, therefore,
not whether they are willing to "stoop to a
compromise with the rcpudiationistS,' as
the American phases il, but whether they
can frame bill which will at one and the
same time be acceptable to the creditors and
TO such of the Readjusiers as are disposed
to remain in communication with the Dem
ocratic party.
We wish the American TO understand.
however, that we do not consider 1t any
evidence OF weakening" on the part OF
the Democrats for them to abandon the
funding bill OF 1871, or the MCCULLOCH
bill OF 1879, now that those bills have been
voted down by the people. The wisesi
thing for the Democrats 10 do is to yield to
the inevitable, aud save the State from re-
pudiatiou II possible. They will never dc
1t il the voters OF Virginia shall treat then
az the American does.
The American denies that it has ever
given any aid and comfort to the repudla
tronists. But the fact that it is engaged in
a controversy with the Dispatch. and make
such unfouDded iuslnuatloDs against the
Debt.Payers as II has made, Is evidence
enough that we have not misrepresented IT.
The whole tone OF its article upon which
we are now commenting, as the reader vii
understand from the questions quoteI
above, Is unfriendly TO the Debt-Pay
ing Democrats OF Virginia, and calculated
il not intended TO induce the uninformet
to believe that the regular Democrats o.
Virginia are no more to be relied upon a.
opponents Of reputation than the Riddle
bergerites. II will he useless for the Ameyt
can TO claim that 1t is not giving aid anC
comfort TO the repudiationisls so long rs i
shall persist 10 its innuenGOeS against the
only Debt.Paying party in Virginia; fol
nine.tenths of the Republicans in Virgins
vafe negroes. and these would repudiatc th'
entire debt II by so doing they could &C
complsh other schemes of theirs. Genera
MALONE knows the negroes much bette
than DO those people WHO suppose that h'
has no bold upon them.