National Republican., 1883-10-06
Their Pretense that They Have Accepted the
Debt Settlement Wholly Meaningless.
They Have Fought and are Fighting It
lndustriousIy in the Courts.
Attorney General Blair Explains How They Have
Persistenty Impeded Progress.
The Baltimore and Ohio Railway and Its
Coupon Suits.
npecidl Later.

been forever blotted out OF the book OF polit-
ical issues in Virginia, they are nevertheless
making it the leading issue in the present
campaign. Ever since the passage of the
Riddleberger bill tho debt question has been
repeatedly brought forward by bourbon DEM
ocrats in high standing in their party. and,
like Banquo's ghost, it will not down, but
will forever stand prominently forward il left
to the democrats to settle. Attorney General
Blair who is one of the ablest and most fearless
leaders of the liberal party, has been actively
engaged in fighting for the state in coupon
suits for two years. Upon his arrival in
Richmond from Staunton, whore he had been
in attendance upon the session of the supre me
court looking after coupon cases. your corre-
spondent called upon him at his office, and
had quite an interesting interview in relation
to the debt question.
Said your correspond ent: "You seem quite
engaged in your official affairs. What is,the
troube?"
Yes" answered tho attorney general, 81
have been at Staunton in attendance on the
supreme court of appeals, now in session, and
where l had quito an important common
wealth docket, but my secretary. Mr.. Ward,
wrote me that my presence was needed here,
and so l have ran down to attend to matters"
time Just now2"
"More coupon suits against the state. Here
(holding in his hands large package of
papers) are ten new coupon suits brought
against the city treasurer of Richmond by diff
ferent merchants and bankers, in the circuit
court of Richmond, and here are three writs of
error that l have just received. They are
taken to the supreme court of tho United
States by Mr. William L.. Royal, the recog-
nized counsel for the foreign bondholders, from
decisions rendered in the circuit court of the
United States in favor of the state Of Virginia
in the three cases of Smith, White, and
Carter against the treasurer of Richmond.
These are the common law suits brought by
Mr. Royal before Judge Hugh l.. Bond and
which L won by demurrers to his declarations,
sustained by Judges Bond and Hughes You
must not confound these common law suits
with those decided by Judge Bond against
the commonwealth, and which were injunc-
tions sued out by taxpayers prohibiting our
treasurers from levying on their property for
taxes. These taxpayers had offered unveri-
fed~coupons to the treasurers and they were
refused and levies made, and Judge Bond
perpetuated the injunctions. l will appeal
to the supreme court of the United States in
all Of these injunction cases, and am now at
work on the records"
"How many coupon cases have you in oil in
which the state is concerned. ani in what
courts are they?"
"There will be some six or seven in the su-
preme court of the United States by appeals ;
about % in the supreme court of Virginia to
be heard at Richmond early in November |;
ten in the circuit court of Richmond and a
great many in the hustings court of Rich
mond, where there were seventy at one time.
Others are now pending in the Richmond
courts, to say nothing of those in other cities
and counties which amount to over fifty.
The total will exceed 100 cases."
"What effect have these suits had on fund
ing the debit"
1.-THE decision of Judge Bond and these nu-
merous suits have almost entirely stopped all
funding. Nothing could have more COM
pletely blocked our progress in settling the
debt unless it was total repeal of the coupon
act itself"
"What result do you expect from the su-
preme court of the United States ?"
Il confidently expect the supreme court of
the United States to reafiirm their decision in
Antoni VS.. Greenbow, and this will, in my
opinion reverse Judge Bond in the cases de-
cided by him adversely to the commonwealth.
Judge Bonds decisions in these cases are,
plainly, in direct conflict with the supreme
court in Antoni VS.. Grcenhow, which l won
over Mr.. Royal at the December term in 1882
at Washington"
Have you any other coupon cases of special
importance pending"
"Yes; the Baltimore and Ohio railway has
the commonwealth enjoined in the United
States circuit court at Harrisonburg by Judge
Bond, aud | must appeal from his decision
there. This arises from our effort to make
the valley branches located in Virginia) of
the Baltimore and Ohio railway pay taxes on
their rolling stock, property, &c. and our levy
for which was enjoined by them through
Judge Bond"
"Did the other railways enjon ?'
"No; the Baltimore and Ohio railway is
the only one, in or out of the state, that has
10 ,1xrx thn1 nf
the state and pay its taxes in money or veri-
fled coupons This company has defied us,
and we are now tied up in federal court by
them, and prevented from the collection of
their taxes, except in the unverifed and un-
identified coupons rendered by them"
do you then consider the debt question
settled? 2"
'The readjuster party passed all just and
proper legislation to settle the debt on fair
and equitable principles, and the supreme
court of both this state and of the United
States declared our acts valid and constitu-
tional, and if the readjuster party were not
obstructed, ii would soon settle the debt the
creditors funding all their old bonds into new
3per cent Riddleberger bonds. of course
the debt itself can never be said
TO be settled so long as the old
unjust and illegal bonds and coupons are out
standing, and our creditors refuse to sur
render them to the state and accept our new
Judge Bonds decision and of these frequent
suits against the state and her officers, iu all
of our courts, is to unsettle the debt or pre-
vent its settlement, so far as agitation and
opposition by litigation can do so. Tho
blame will all lie and the door of funderlsm,
as the readjuster party has secured legislation
that would bring repose to tho country settle
etiectually the debt and give confidence and
security in financial circles"
81 presume these numerous pom suits
against the state are expensive to the state,
aud annoying to you as her law ofiicer?"
Yes, they have been and are now very ex-
pensive. The bitteTest enemy of the state
could not have subjected her TO greater and
more unnecessary expense and her officers to
greater annoyance than have resulted from
the almost countless suits in nearly every
court-federal, state, county, corporate, and
polce-wherein suit could be brought, for
/ have known coupon cases pending at tho
same time in every court in Richmond. |
have often been ordered by the governor to
other cities and counties to defend the COM
monwealth in similar suits-notably to Char
lottosvlle, where / defended eighteen coupon
cases. aud Lynchburg, whore L appealed
twenty-five cases decided by Judge WinRield.
You may rest assured, however,, that we will
defend all of these cases from the police court
10 the United States supreme court whenever
and wherever they arise"
"Do you fear the result Of any OF these
suits2 ?"
mo, indeed. They show that funderism
and bourbon democracy would defeat our debt
settlement If it could and thoy prove that