National Republican., 1883-10-04
TO THE VOTERS OF VIRGINIA.
Bourbon and Readjuster Rule Ably Contrasted
by Senator Malone.
Nearly Three Hundred Thousand Dollars
Saved Annually in Expenses.
Over FOrty-Eight Millions in Principal and Interes!
Saved by tho Riddleberger Settlement.
Convincing Argument to Those "Rea-
sonably Open TO Conviction"

PETERSBURG, VA, Sept. 25, 1S53.-To
THE VOTERS OF VIRGINIA: On the sixth
of November next (now near at handy you
are to determine, by your ballots, which
Of the contending parties in this state shall
administer your public affairs. One is a
party Of your own immediate creation
formed from your own ranks-consisting of
the very body of the people, who had been
exhausted, fatigued and outraged by the rule
Of a self assured leadership and controlling
oliRarchy, that had illustrated no higher am
bition than to perpetuate their dynasty of ex-
travagance, plumber, aud oppression even
upon the ruins Of the commonwealth and the
wreck of popular liberty.
The intolerance; the manifest lack of ca
pacty for affairs; the insoent dictation as to
men and measures the supercilous indiffer-
ence TO the interests of the people; the con-
tempt for the popular will tho cruel caro-
lessness with which burden was superadded
to burden upon tho masses the studied pur-
pose to circumscribo the rights of manhood
oil OF which so signally characterized the
bourbon funder facton--these awoke you to
indignation and aroused you to resistance.
The efforts Of this faction to shackle suffrage:
to suppress general public education; to sad
dle you with fraudulent and intolerable
debt, and to drain your very substance by
taxation--while sat the same time it main
tanned sectional attitude toward the ma
tional government which at once forbade tn o
growth of the commonwealth and the welfare
of the citizen, by repelling the inflow of cap
ltal and immigrants-all these inflictions aud
1mpositions infiamed your just displeasure to
TO the ultimate point where you revolted and
resumed the mastery and direction of your
own governmental affairs. For over three
years you have hold tho political fortifca-
tions which you stormed in 1879, and on
every hand you behold the blessed fruits of
your patriotism and valor
Yet to-day you are confronted by the reor-
ganized enemies of the public veal whom you
SO righteously overthrow and hurled from
place and power. Their inspiration and pur-
pose is, if possible, to regain their lost do
minion, and subject you, your fortunes, and
your liberties anew to their greed and ty-
Tanny. Assuming an alias, and voluble of
false pretences, their gross insncority is only
approached in degree by the insult they thus
offer to your intelligence.
You, the sovereigns of the state, are to de-
eide between this audacious faction and the
party which is bone of your bone and flesh of
your hesh-a party which has administered
your affairs with scrupulous fidelity to your
wishes, and which has inaugurated great re-
forms in public policy that already aggran-
lille. liberty, prosperity and happiness to all
her population. Amicable relations have
been restored between Virginia and the fed
eral government, and once more we reioin
the common brotherhood of American citi-
zens, with no sectional animosities to be cher
ished and perpetuated, but with love of
country that knows no south, no north, no
east. no west-only the union, one and insep-
arabic!
This party of state reform and national res
toration is the readjuster party. You behold
its works-works to be defended You behold
its unfinished designs-yet to be completed.
1t is for you to say who shall defend and COM
plete this great political and material redemp-
tion SO auspiciously and successfully initiated
by the party sprung from your own loins.
We, who speak to you in behalf of this great
party and its policy, declare to you most
solemnly that only in its faithful guardian
ship are you safe, and only by its strong and
willing hands can you be placed beyond the
reach of the evils from which you have been
so recently delivered To go back to bour-
bon-funder rule is not only the revocation of
all that is now SO happily established; but is
slavery and ruin. viii you-can you-again
trust those who have heretofore so shamefully
abused your confidence2 Are you to be de-
ceived by the shallow arts of pretense that
would only lure your misguided feet into the
old bog of misfortune and misery? Citizens
of Virginia, you cannot afford to risk the in
valuable blessings you have won to the tender
mercies of the crew whose mock friendship
for you but covers implacable malice and re-
venge. They stoop to conquer; they "ac-
quiesce" only because they hope to mount
the throne of power through fatal popular
credulity. You dare not commit your meas
ures, nor yourselves. to these political pre-
tenders; and it requires no prophet to fore
tell that. if you could do so, you would bitterly
rue the day in which S3Ay, gone mad, led you
into fresh bondnpe. VT
In confirmation and attestation of what we
have said, we beg to call to your most serious
attention the following summary of facts,
figures, and reasonable conclusions. Hear us
for our cause.-the cause that is yours and
Virginia's
THE STATE DEBT.
The bourbon funder faction as early as 1871
had contrived to fully fasten itself upon
your shoulders 1t had caioled the governor
and had foisted upon the judiciary men
mostly from its own body, or bound to it by
the strongest ties of interest Although a
minority OF your general assembly. it won to
its side the aid of other factionists; and,
without your consent-without even con-
sulting you--it enacted tho measure known
as the funding bill, to take effect July 1. 1871
You remember the years of strife that en-
sued but 1t is our only purpose here to remind
you that by that funding bill, under
scheme which purported to relieve Won and
10 set apart third of the public debt to
West Virginia (yet which really exceeded
your just obligAtions), it was sought to bind
you and your posterity to principal of over
$3l, 100000. with interest at the rate of 6 per
cent. per annum, in tax receivable coupons.
Eight years after lin 1879, having vainly
endeavored to carry on the government ntunder
their reckless financial policy which exhib-
tied q deficit of nearly $1,O0O,0O0 n wear. tho
bourbon fnnders were forced to a now adjust
ment devised by Hugh McCulloch, and known
as the brokers bill. 1t is enough to saw here
that you at once voted down that bill and its
faction by a majority of over 90 900 votes. and
called to power the party of readiustment
whose plan of relief had won your approval
as not only necessary, but as Just and eouit
able. Yet it was not until 1852 with read
iuster governor) that this plan was put into
form and force as the Riddleberger bill, to
take effect July /, 1882. And it is tho con.
trast between funderism and readjustment at
that date to which now we wish particularly
to call your attention. We refer to the official |
reports as our authority for the statements we
make.
Upon a stated official account (which pre-
faces the Riddleberger bill between the com
monwealth and her creditors-an account !
which remains wholly uncontested and nm
challenged-your Just Indebtedness, after de-
Quoting one-third as the fair amount for
which West Virginia is liable, was found to
be, on the first of July, 1882, principal and
interest, including the literary fund, $2l ,035.-
37Il5 and this is the sum which our settle |
ment (the Riddleberger bill assumes aud |