National Republican., 1883-06-06
A Few Of the Advantages II Has Bestowed on
Virginia Enumerated.
A Defense Of the Party Against the
Charge Of Reputation.
The Readuster Doctrine Stated 50 Clear That Even
George W. Curtis May Understand It
Statements which the Alleged "Debt
Payers" Have Not Rcfuted.
To me Editor.

aud malignant attack ON Senator Malone in
Hdrper's Weekly, was read with more than
pleasure by your numerous readers in Vir-
ginia. And here permit one of your daily
readers to thank you sincerely for tho bold
and fearless course which The REPUBLICAN
has pursued in standing by, encouraging, aud
defending the great liberal readjuster move
ment in Virginia. You have in the past do
now, and will in the future labor under tho
disadvantage Of not only having to fight the
open avowed and sworn onomies-the bour-
bon democracy-to readjustmont and liberal
ism in this state, but foes no less false and
INSCRIPTIONS in tho ranks of your own
party. You, however, enjoy the advantage
OF an intelligent understanding of the acts
and aims of tho readjustor party and
thorough knowledge of the Justice honesty
and right of its enactments and its purposes.
On no other ground than an absolute ig-
norance on the part of these hostile editors of
northern journals as TO what readjustment
really means can / account for this vast diff
ference of sentiment among men who, from
their political professions and relations, should
be harmonious in their support of a cause
that has DONE and is doing, so much good for
all OF the people in Virginia. They affect
great horror at the mode and manner in
which Virginia has settled her public obliga-
tions, and lest they be suspected of sympa-
thizing with this settlement they are con-
stantly huring at the readjusters the epithet
"repudiationist." This charge is as ground
less as it is unjust and cruel TO the Virginia
people, and one that man with proper re-
gard for truth and justice should not
make against any people without a solid
foundation on which to base it, Men am
bitious to serve their people wisely and well
III their day and generation, and to link their
names honorably with their country's history,
VIII do no act to tarnish that history, or
blacken the names they would connect with
1t. So in Virginia, the leaders of the road
Juster party are men as lofty and pure in
their aims, as high toned, honorable, and in
telligent as any within her borders, or to be
found outside of her limits Another consid-
GRAFTON which should lead these gentlemen
who are continually assailing the honesty of
the readjuster party to take pause is this.
No party in this country can succeed that Is
founded in fraud, dishonesty, and corrup-
tion. Had the readjuster party been the
party of fraud as pictured by its enemies,
1T could never have been crowned with
the brilliant victories it has achieved. In
stead of being blessing to the state, as it
has been, it would have been a curse and an
indignant people would have stamped it out
long ago, instead of its growing stronger and
stronger from year to year. What the read
justers complain of most bitterly is that they
are daily and hourly denounced as repudiators
by men who have never examined the ques-
tion on which they base their charge. They
have never given it one hours serious and
careful study, but they are content to follow
blindly the leadership of men whose political
stock in trade consists of personal abuse, false
hood, and Misrepresentation, and have re-
ceived the partisan and malignant decara-
tions of these blind leaders as having the
sanctity of gospel truths. The readjustors do
not seek the Endorsement of any party or of
any set of men who qualify that Endorsement
by saying, Without approval of reputation
They will not stultity themselves by accepting
the friendship of men who in extending their
approval insult the intelligence, manhood,
and sense of honor of those OH whom they
bestow it, The readjusters yield nothing,
concede nothing that in the least compro-
misses the honor and integrity of Virginia
This question of reputation is the only one
in connection with our party record that we
ask our accusers to examine carefully, hon
estly, conscientiously. In all else the record
of the party speaks for itself Its brilliant
achievements are seen in the securement of a
free ballot for every man in tho state in the
fact that under readjuster rule the number of
free schools white and colOred, has been
nearly doubled; number of pupils, white and
colored, nearly doubled number of teachers
white and colored, nearly doubled length
of sessions of schools doubled amount of
money expended on schools double what
the bourbons expended, and all of the
teachers promptly paid A normal school
established for the education of colored
teachers; three hundred lunatics, white and
black, taken from the common .jails, where
bourbonism was allowing them to rot and die,
and placed in comfortable asylums where
many have been and many more will be
cured; five times as many miles of railroad
built in the state in four years of Ieadjuster
rule as in twenty of bourbon fundcr rule !;
five times as much capital invested in Vir.
far In In
quarter OF century Of previous bourbon
government the tide of emigration turning
toward instead of away from Virginia; her
children being educated as becomes
great commonwealth all classes
of hcr people contented, prosperous,
and happy, No party, in the. history
of politics in the United States has ever
accomplished in so short time SO much
good Tor the people placed under its govern
ment
With this glorious record of the read
iuster party before us, may we not hope that
Mr.. Curtis, and other gentlemen who are SO
ready to cast oblOquy on Gen. Mahone and
the great party of which he is the leader, do
us the justice to examine this important
question OF Nirginia's settlement of her
financesp 1t is too important matter, and
the consequences attending IL too serious for
it to bo treated lightly and recf-
lessly. If these critics of our honor
and honesty will turn to the Congressional
Record iorty-seYenth congress- first session,
pages d352-3 they will find "a statement of
the public debt of Virginia" placed there by
one of her representatives (Mr. Paul, in
speech delivered in the house, as an enduring
testimony of her honesty and integrity and
as u complete defense against the assaults of
all of the enemies of readjustment. That
statement is too lengthy for insertion in this
letter, but suffice to say that it has never
been assailed IL the aggregate or in its de-
tails by opposition orators or newspapers, al
though 1t was used as campaign document
in the gubernatorial campaign of 1881, and
has been published time aud again in every
readiuster journal in Virginia / cannot bet
ter vindcate its justice than by quoting from
the speech of Mr.. Paul:
We say that West Virginia left u.s. having helped
TO incur this .bt and that one third of The debt
should follow the territory OF West Virginia. She
took away more than oue-thtrd of our territory
ana nearly one-lhird of our population
Now, we say that we Will do this: we will go
right back to 1868 when West Virginia left u.s. and
phy simple interest ON that two o-thirds up to the
present time aud 3 per cent interest (the almost
universally recognized rate Of Interest on public
share of that debt,
Virginia proposes to settle her public debt upon
basis admitting every dollar OF her share OF the
principal OF the debt of the old state, with legal
interest, that Nominated in the bondh computed
10 July J. 1882 She takes the principal a, II stood
on the first Of july, 1868, eleven DAYS subsequent
70 the formal admission Of West Virginia as an in-
depehueht STATE INTO lhe union, aud the balance
OF all nc rued and unpaid int, rest as Of that date
aud for her equitable share assumes TWO. thirds of
each. She ventures to make such partition OF her
ndeOtedness OF the old slate upon the well estab-
ished principle that public Indebtedness follows
erritory,
This principle Is fully recognized by American