National Republican., 1882-08-14
Masseyism and StraiGhtoutism in Vir-
Dinia.

ginia.
What has become of the Democratic
Indignation about Reputation in Vir-
ginia? Since the absorption of the Bour-
bons in that State by the "Big Four"
with Massey at the head, the Democratic
organs have become wonderfully quiet on
that pet subject. The Readjusters, under
HE lead of Malone and Rddeberger,
have not denied or eliminated" dollar
of either the principal or interest of the
State debt of Virginia, except the one
third of the debt as it stood in 1861, which,
by the unanimous voice of both parties
in the State, is declared to be the just
proportion of the State of West Virginia
u view which has the sanction of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. The
only difference there has been between
the Readiusters and the Bourbon Funders
is that, while both agree in refusing to
pay West Virginia's share of the old
State debt of 1861, the Readjusters also
refused to pay anything more than the
remaining two-thirds, with simple inter-
est in the past and 3 per cent. in the fl-
ture, while the Funders have labored to
preserve TO wreckers and brokers the
fruits of vicious legislation, procured by
the latter for their own benefit and
against the rights and interests of the
people. In short, the issue has been be-
tween simple interest honestly due and
compound interest recklessly promised
by legislature under the influence of
x.l,r I;l ~ nloit,, 10 M
creditors, but were simply missionaries,
volunteering their advice. But now that
the debt of Virginia has been honestly
ascertained and provided for, and the last
hope of the plotters against the State has
died out; now that the people have
taken steps to pay interest and eXtin-
guish principal instead of inviting buz-
yards to Richmond at every session for a
new funding bill to pile up more bonds on
which again to default interest, and then
to recompound it, the virtue of the debt
payers" is seen no more. They have
taken into their counsels-nay, they
have placed in supreme command of
their party, John Z. Massey, who did
all in his power to carry the Read
justers over to reputation. The rec
ords of the State senate of Virginia
show that this same Massey in 1879
offered resolution for the reputation
of onc-haT Of the t'ro-thirds of the debt of
1861. Here are the resolutions, as re-
corded on pages 306-7 of the Virginia
Senate Journal for the session of 1889
Rtsolued, That no settlement of the aforesaid
debt will be just and equitable, or ought TO be
made, which does not fully and forever release the
State of Virginia from third thereof as 1t stcd
in January, 1861.
ResOlrcd, That rs the taxable values of that part
of the old State which constitutes the State OF
Virginia have been reduced as aforesaid TO one.
half Of what they were in January, 1861, Tr9nia'S
share ought also 10 be reduced 10 one hay Of thdt
Irds al he same time.
This was measure of base and fla
grant reputation. "Virginia's share
(two-thirds) ought TO be re3uccd Onc-half"
The whole debt was thirty millions.
Virginia's share was twenty millions
Massey, who heads the ticket of the
Bourbon-F -Funder- -Dcbt-Payers ticket in
this year of our Lord 1882, was engaged
in 1879 in trying to induce the Read
iusters to repudiate ten millions of the
twenty millions honestly owed by the
new State of Virginia. Is it to be
wondered at that we now so seldom see
in the Bourbon organs any reference to
the debt question?
But the Virginia Bourbons are not only
debt-payers, they are also Reformers.
And III Massey they have as suitable Il
representative Rcformer as Debt. Payer.
This is evidenced by statement made
public over the signature of Hon. Edmond
Parr Patrick County member of the
house Of delegates of Virginia, supported
by Rev Amos Dickerson, a member of the
same body from Floyd County.
MIR. PARIS statement, which is quite
lengthy, charges John f.. Massey with
having offered him bribe of five hun
dred dollars 10 abandon the Readjuster
senatorial caucus and join the Bourbons
in electlng him (Massey) to the United
States Senate. Mr.. Parr says that he
was so startled and confounded that he
left Mr.. Massey's presence Immediately,
without making any reply, and that he
felt so humili ated in his own esteem
at having been thus approached that
for some time he did not mention the
matter to any one. Parr had been Mas
sey's personal and political friend, but as
Massey wanted him to join in perfdious
R4 toward his party, he offered him a
bTibe. Subsequently, during the strug-