The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-12-01
The Debt Question.

The llahoncites show already a DISPOSE
lion 10 cut loose from the dead corpus OF
the Republican party. At least, this Is the
only Interpretation we can put upon their
assertions TO the effect that the debt ques-
ton Is not settled, and that the voters Of
Virginia must and will again be asked 10
pass upon It.
Pass upon whaty They have already
passed upon the RiDpLEpERGER bill, so the
Mahoneites claim. They have already done
all that they can do. Their approval OF any
statute that may hereafter be passed by The
Legislature can have no more effect than
had their approval OF the statutes hereto
fore passed. Out OF your own mouths are
We condemned, We false guides and hypo-
critics. You proicssed to believe, and
made the voters believe. that it was in
their power TO dictate the terms upon
which the State debt must be settled. They
decided. so you claim, in favor Of the RID
DLgBERGER settlement. Now the Supreme
Court OF the United States Is expected to
decide that that settlement cannot stand.
and the same blind guides are already be-
ginning to cry out that the debt question
must again he discussed before the voters.
Why, prayy The courts will decide it
finally. The voters may approve a
dozen bills, as they approved the
RIppLEBERGER bill, and yet when the SUI
premc Court Of the United States decides
those bills 10 be unconstitutional, rs it is
II % I,ntIn N Btpnf hill
to be, the approval OF the people will have
been shown 10 be worth not one straw.
The voters may disapproye a dozen bills,
as they disapproved the funding bill of
1879 and the funding bill Of 1871, and yet
when the Supreme Court OF the United
States decides, as il is expected to decide,
that the State must receive for taxes the
coupons issued under these two last-namcd
bills, the disapproval of the people will
have been shown 10 be as worthless as
their approval. All the facts lead to the
conclusion that the people are powerless in
the premises. and that as TO the courts the
case must at last be referred. therefore to
the courts it might rs well be referred
now rs at any other time.
There cannot be future contest over
the State debt unless there be two parties
in Virginia divided upon that question.
What event can happen that will demand
a division of the people into two parties
upon this question! The Democrats have
washed their hands Of il once for all.
They do not propose TO have their counsels
distracted by it again. MALONE has prom
ised to settle ii. Let him settle it, Let
him call his Legislature together, and lay
before that body his plan for settling 1t, if
he desires any better settlement to be made
than the RIDDLEBERCER reputation rig
marole will have proved itself to be. We
as Democrats will none OF it.
We said in the beginning Of this article !
that the MALONE talk about fighting over
the debt question again indicated q purpose |
on the part Of the Mahoneitcs to get rid OF I
the dead body OF the Republican party. /
We say this because the Republican party |
will Of course at once break with MALONE |
If nc shall treat with contempt a solemn
decision of the Supreme Court Of the
United States. ii that august tribunal de-
cides that Virginia must receive coupons for |
taxes, and thereupon General MALONE shall |
undertake TO render the decision Of none !
effect, and appeal to the people for their |
approval Of his conduct, it Will be impos- |
sible fol- Mr.. ARTHUR longer to continue |
to lend his countenance and support to the /
Mahonetes. But the troubles viii all be |
General MAHoNE's own troubles. The /
Democrats will look serenely on whilst he
makes renewed effort to devise plan OF
not paying debt which the highest court
in Virginia and the highest court in the
United States have or viii have decided to
be binding upon this State. At any
rate, we can safely promise that if General
MALONE can devise for settling Nirginia's
debts a new scheme which will meet the
appreciation OF Mr.. Arthur and the Re
publican party the Democrats OF Virginia
will gladly come up to the support OF that
scheme. They are in earnest when they
declare that for that purpose they have no
plan Of their own, and intend to have
nonc-that is, the purpose OF settling the
State debt.
But supposing that the debt question
were one which might properly be again
brought before the people, does anybody
suppose that they would again entrust its
settlement to the leaders who Will have
proved themselves incompetent the mo-
ment the Supreme Court of the United
States renders its decision Are the
voters expected again to put their conf
dence in men who will have so cruelty and
wickedly deceived themi Hardly. SO we
conclude that the debt question is not
very promising bit Of party capital at the
present moment