The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-09-20
COL. RUFFIN'S REJOINDER
To RiddIeberger's Denial OF sta'e'
meuts Contained I'm His open
Letter 60 Mr.. Massey.
What MIR. RiddIebcrRcr Really III" !" D'
half OF the Richmond ana Dan
willie Railroad Bills.
RICHMOND, September 10, 1882.


have waited few days for the return
OF gentleman on whom 4! relicd 10 no.Ice
n card in the Richmond Wh'g OF oepteni-
Der 18th, in which Mr.. ii. II. Kiddieperger
impeacbes the accuracy OF certain state
ments OF mine In my letter 70 Mr. MASSEY
as to his relation to the proceedings IN the
late regular and extra sessions OF the Legs
hture in regard to the Richmond ana Dan
vile Railroad Company. am Obliged 10
Mr.. Riddleberger for these contradictions,
as they enable me to go somewhat more
into detail on the subject they suggest than
would have suited the plan OF my letter.
But before doing that wish to eXonerate
the anti-Coalition gentlemen, VINO nave
done me the honor to publish the letter as
n campaign document, from the censure IN.
simulated in the charge that the document
varied from the original. These gentlemen
had nothing to do with that. l made the
additions myself, with the same right that
every other man has to revise, alter, ana
amend anv original publication in a subse-
ouent edition. / only regret that l did
not at the time Of this second publication
possess certain other information which l
now haye-yery damaging to some OF the
officers under the Malone plan OF appoint-
ment-for Iwould certainly have used it.
For convenience / take up first
MIR. RIDDLEBERGER's DENIAL
that ga resolution to investigate the con-
duct Of an officer Of the Senate who had
become one OF the lobbyists OF the" (Rich-
mond and Danvillc) "rOad was opposed by
Mr.. RiddIebcrgcr and Defeated The
facts are these: Mr.. French, the Sergeant
it-Arms of the Senate, was said TO have
opposed one Of the bills OF the Norfolk and
Western Railroad Company in the House
committee. Mr.. Fowler, brother OF the
Speaker OF the House. and representative
of the Norfolk and Western railroad, re-
scented that, and charged Mr.. French with
having received money in the Capitol ro-
tunda from a lobbyist Of the Richmond
and Danvile railroad, and offered TO pro-
duce a sworn witness TO the transaction.
Mr.. French said the sum was only So, fur
nished him
TO BUY WHISKY AND CIGARS
for special meeting of the Committee OF
Roads, which he was instructed to call at
the lodgings Of the chairman, Mr. Rawls,
TO report one OF the Richmond and Dan
Vile railroad bills. This scandal having
got into the papers, Mr.. Digs, the senator
for Campbell county-a member OF the
Committee on RoadS-brought the matter
before the Senate, stating that himself. Mr..
Ueaton, and another senator, opposing
members, had not been summoned, and
asked an explanation OF the chairman,
who, in very few remarks, intimated
that he had never ordered such call;
whereupon Mr. Diggs said that il the
chairman was willing to let the mat
ter rest where it was, he was satisfied,
as it did not reflect upon his side OF the
committee. And then Mr.. Hiddleberger
rose and made a speech, dcnouncing the
article and its author, who had
suggested an inquiry, and belittled the
whole affair, but said not a word in favor
OF m investigation. by the light OF this
explanation, which get from 4 gentleman
who was present and offers TO back his &C.
count with his name, the public can correct
nv statement of what occurred, and can
also Judge how far it would have suited
the lobby OF the Richmond and Danvillc
railroad and their allies in the Senate 10
have ordered an investigation Of this affair.
100000 LOST TO THE STATE.
| next take up his denial OF my state
ment that ga law was introduced and ac-
lively advocated by Mr.. Hiddlebcrgcr,
chairman OF the Senate Committee on
Roads. by which, in it, prescribed mode OF
settlement OF an old debt, the state lost and
the company publicly claim 10 have made
upwards OF S2G0,000." He says he did
not introduce the bill referred TO, nor did
he advocate the bill rs introduced" and
that he "WaS not the chairman OF the SEN
ate Committee on Roads" Observe, said
nothing about the introduction or advo-
cacv Of "A "JW" / said ." idlC was intro
duced and actively advocated,' &C.. refer
ring to the law that was passed. Read
MIR. RIDDLEBERGER's EXPLANATION:
'The bill" he says, ''was introduced by
Senator Walker, and went necessarily to its
appropriate committee, OF which | was Il
member. | opposed it, and ii slumbcred
there but only for ten days Of active ses-
sion, he might have added. as the journal
proves. "Then came a bill TO increase the
capital stock OF the company, which was
also opposed by some OF the Road sic
Committee at meeting at which ! was not
present. / subsequently had an interview
with the gentlemen interested in this COM
Dany, which resulted III an agreement that
they would accept both bills, - amended
as that they should discharge their indebt-
edncss IN bonds funded under the new
debt bill and would surrender their char
ter-cXemptiOn from State taxation. wrote
the amendments to both bills, and both
were reported and passed, | being from
that time forward the advocate Of both"
SO it appears that rs chairman OF the
Committee on FinQnce-fOr such he was,
though he does not state the fact-hc
"wrOte" and had "reported" and sad
vocated" the "ido" which | said he had
introduced" and " advocated" as chair
man of the Senate Committee on Roads.
The public may find out the difference il
they can.
But what are the facts in regard to the
amendments? That one which allowed
the railroad to pay in coupons operated,
according TO the following figures, as of
March 80, 1882, gain to the road
AT THE EXPENSE OF TIE STATE,
which state thus
OF the original loan 10 the Danvile road
by the State Of Virginia there Is now
due for money borrowed. .............. 100000
six months Interest. ;................".. l3,6O0
There Is also due Judgment on account
of stock purchased. INSTRUMENTATION. 26,57l
With eleven years interest thereOn.... 1896
s477.707
For convenience, say, In round num-
bers.. Observation-Disclosures. S475,0O0
The Senate bill allows this sum to be
paid in the State bonds, to be hereafter is
sued under the Riddleberger law, at par.
Now, to get $4,000 of these Riddleber-
gers would take in peelers, funding them
at GO per cent, as the law provides, $685.
400. But peelers can now be boughtat say
80 cents. Therefore SGSS, 4O5 face value OF
peelers would cost only S2i0,94.9j. 1t
follows then. conclusiyely, that the Senate
bill authorizes the Danville railroad to pay
ITS debts to the State at half price, or about
fifty cents in the dollar. A clear gift TO the
railroad, i'm round numbers. OF fro HIM