National Republican., 1883-10-04

hoJ uOllhI was cNcT nnlu Inb
and now the readjusters have already paid
S7S5,000 of these arroarages, 100000 Of this
sum being derived from the sale of tho states
interest in the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio
railway. And here let it bo remembered
that this interest of e. state in that railway
had been utterly neg 4 by the funder ad-
minstration, unless ST. ,accpt an unwiso and
General Field, which resulted in nothing.
Even Gov. Holiday wholly ignored the in
tcrestS of the state, direct and indirect in tho
greatest of our lines Of transportation; at no
time did he call legislative attention to tho
jeopardy in which tho road stood, or suggest
any action of rescue or defense, and when
the Atlantic, Mississippi and Ohio Rail-
road company had made contract with the
purchasers of tho road that they should pay
tho state %500.000 for her interest in 10 he, as
member Of tho board of public works, re-
fused to ratify the bargain and sought to de-
privo the commonwealth of the money which
had been secured to hor by tho foresight and
diligence of others. OF tho $j00,O00 thus
saved to the state (all clear gain, 100000
was afterward voted to the schools by the
rcadj djusters las we have sald), and by tho
same authority tho remaining 100000 was
appropriated to tho construction of n colored
normal school, with an annuity Of $4,000.
Thus, through readjustment, the free schools
have been delivered from funderism and Won
derfully increased and improved; they have
been redeemed from the coupons; their mr.
rearagos are being rapidly liquidated; and
every man, woman, and child in tho common
wealth is sure that not ouly are our public FREQ
schools safe in. the hands of the eadjusters,
but that the readjustor party will never fail
in anything that will promote and extend
them. We need not ask any father, mother,
or child of the people which policy toward
the schools should be maintained and perpot-
uated-that of funderism or that of read ust-
mont. The contrast presented in this impor-
tant matter by the facts and figures is start
ling; and 10 citizen Of Virginia who desires
our school system to prosper will vote to
commit it again to the caro- Of funderism.
Never
OUR PROSPERITY.
Many striking contrasts to tho condemna-
tion of bourbon funderism, and to the credit
readjustment, have been called to your at
tention in our public affairs; but while these,
in q general way attest the private relief
which always accompanies the deliverance of
public affairs from distress and disaster,
there are yet other evidences to which we in
vite your serious consideration.
Sine 1879 there have been constru ctod in
Virginia T26 miles of railway (equal to per-
manent investment here of full S21, 900, ,000),
an increase of AZ per cent. for tho period, and
the greatest number of miles of railway
built in Virginia during any like period since
been 2,OiS,6lS tons, or 81 per cent; the in
crease of the number Of passengers carried
has been 1,127,995, or 7S per cent, and the
gross earnings of the roads have increased
$6,5OO,OOO or SS per cent. No better gauge
of progress, development, and betterment can
be found than III the railways of n state and
whom we see by their statistics that they are
not only wonderfully increasing in mileage,
but in tonnage, passengers, and income, we
know that our people are in easy circun-
stances that enable them to travel and that
1t is their surplus productions of mine, field,
forest, furnace, factory, &C., which make the
increased railway tonnage, both in going out
to market and in returning by exchange in
increased comforts and luxuries for the
homes of the people.
signal instance of growth since 1870 is
shown in the cotton statistics OF our port of
Norfolk, which has become the second cotton
port of tho whole country. In 1879 the total
shipment Of cotton from Norfolk was 442, ,69i
bales, of which only 203,J36 bales, valued at
50, l43,015, were exported direct by Norfolk
merchants. In 1882 we sec that the total
shipment was 7S7, 1862 bales. of which 372, ,529
bales, valued at $17,S69,652, were shipped
direct on account Of her own merchants.
This is an increase Of local expansion in
leading trade of the world, in four years, of
SO per cent. upon the article handled.
An emphatic proof of popular ease and gem
eral thrift is established by tho willingness
and capacity of the people to pay their taxes
and thus we find that whereas in 1873 the
collectors of state taxes had to distrain for or
otherwise collect $1,207,6S2.32, with per
cont. added, in 1882 the sum thus collected
was only 1858, ,319.3S. Another item of sig
nifcance in the same direction is the increase
of 8 per cent. in license taxes over those for
1879. That enterprise, capital and labor
among us are aroused to greater activity
than ever, is further demonstrated by tho
number OF charters granted by our courts and
filed in the Office of the secretary of the COM
monwealth. In 1879 there were only thirty
one charters thus granted and filed; in 1882
the number was eighty-nine, or nearly three
times the number of 1879. Beside indi-
vidual enterprise is no less busy, as all of us
can see in the rise of new industries on every
hand. The aggregate productive values
and the aggregate values of all pro-
ductions in the sta to have increased
every section of the commonwealth; while
every citizen can atte st for himself that he is
receiving higher wages for his labor, better
prices for his products of whatever nature,
and that the very air is filed with the hum of
awakened energy and the light of cheerful
content and satisfaction. With her face to
the sunset in 1872 Virginia has now turned
her face to the morning, and all her popula-
tion is rejoicing at the new and happy direc-
tion her eyes and her feet have taken. Tho
path she has entered upon has already led us
out of the wilderness; and if she remain in it
and pursue 1t, all our waste places will bios
som as the rose and all hearts will be made
glad. Who is ready to leave this path, SO
strewn with good fruits, and blooming with
assured promises? Fellow-citizens, we may
look back wisely for warning and instruction;
but to turn back would be madness and
destruction. Readjustment cries "Forwar1w
Funderism, far in the rear of progress says
Come back p Your fate and the fate of
Virginia depend on your ballots.
THE FREE BALLOT.
Yes, voters Of Virginia, il is upon your bal
lots--your free balots--that it now wholly
depends whether tho evil you have escaped
shall return, or whether the good that has
been accomplished shall be confirmed, per-
petuated, and multiplied. All of you now
have your suffrage free and unbought; and
even you who are able to pay for it, and did
pay for it, should be grateful for deliverance
from qualification which put your dearest
right ut the mercy of partzan assessors
and collectors, and conditioned that right
upon stipulations that were derogatory to
your manhood. But the repeal of
the qualification by the readiuster
party absolutely enfranchised thousands
of white and colored citizens and these, to
whom the ballot box and tho path to it were
closed by funderism and now reopened by
readjustmont, should consider it the proudest
privilege of their lives to cast their ballots
for the readjuster party. All of u.s. indeed,
should desire free ballots for ourselves and
free schools for our children; for even though
we may not use the free ballots ours elves,
and although our children may not require a