The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-01-19
Colonel Y. q. Runin on tho Couve"'i"''
Question.

| throng. hat
First "a 10 the time. In view oil VIVA.
may happen IN the near future may no.
those who wish an carly meeting pc r'tiiel
lprecipitatel Suppose, fol. instance, .ho
Supreme Court shall undo the debt leglsia-
ton Of the late Readjuster party. as i. ior
one, hope they will not, aud think tnsy
should not; but suppose they snoulu
| Two thing must follow-onc. certalniy, q
meeting Of the Legislature to adapt inc
| financial needs Of the State to the altered
condition OF affairs; the other proDapg
an effort Of General Malone to again take
| the lead on this question, n he assumed 10
do before. This effort OF General Dshohe
will be strongly resisted by some tnatac,
cepted him rs a leader before. For u VIII
| in that case have become evident that ne
misled them when he had full power ana
discretion to do whatever he chose about
the debt. His failure, all the more con-
spicuous because OF the boastflll manner III
which he conducted himself, and the conf
dent assurance that all would be properly
done, his failure will have discrcdted him
with enough Readiusters to destroy his
power. il only they are Adequately sup
ported bv the Democrats. 1t is plain That
out Of this state Of things may grow COM
plications, which it were unwisc in con-
yentlon to ignore or anticipate. Whereas
il the Supreme Court shall uphold the ke-
adiusters' plan OF settlement, the question
will he ont Of politics, and General Ma
hone so far functuS oticio.
Second, rs to the policy OF the party.
] am an original Readiuster, and ii gives
me very great pleasure TO declare that
have never received anything but the most
courteous treatment from the other size.
But am sorry TO say that all OF my ASSOC
ciaies have not received the same clvllltY.
This was natural in the past, and | make
no complaint OF it; but | hope to be en-
cused for saying that | see in some lew
quarters disposition to visit upon certain
members OF the party, now coalesced WIN
| the Democrats, something OF the same cen
sure. distrust, and superciiousness that
characterized the antagOnism OF the cam
yass. Until the feeling that prompts this
| is quenched, n convention should not be
held. The Rcadiusters that leave Cen
eral Malone do not rccnter the Dem
ocratc party 10y sutlerancc. or on
probation: they have no excuses to
make; whether they be alTaigned for bad
political objects or bad means or morals,
they either admit and justify or they plead
offsets; and they will he equals or nothing.
They will accept restoration OF the ola
! Democratic relations because they honestly
wish TO put down General Malone and his
methods and to defeat Repuhlicanism; but
they solicit nobody'S favor; they deprecaic
nobody's wrath. They will not force
any men OF their persuasion upon the De-
mocratS; but they wish it understood that
! there are Funder Democrats who are quite
as obnoxious to them as any OF their men
can be TO the Funder Democrats. And
! this ! say in no heat, but that we may all
"beware of entrance TO quarrel one
quarrel has cost us General MahOne's cleo
| ton: another may insure his supremacy.
Another matter OF policy is involved IN
the question which has been somewhat dis
cussed, a. to who shall be the chairman Of
| tie Executive Committee. And here again
| think il well TO give warning against
mistake. One of the gentlemen named for
the place, man OF high personal charac-
ter. OF fine talents, sound judgment, great
political sagacity, and matchless amenity OF
manner, is yet, grieve to say, disqualified
for the place by one circumstance that, in
my judgment, negatives his high qualli-
cations us completely a. il he were Re-
publican-the gentleman Is the president
OF a railroad.
Say what we may, the attitude OF ali
those monopolics is generally regarded by
the people at largo as hostile TO their inter-
ests, and the corrupt bargains made by some
Of them last winter guarantees that the
same thing will be again attempted with
whatever party may he in power; and we
cannot afford TO have any connection with
them through any OF their officers, no mat
ter how high his character or how amiable
his temper. These corporations have
brought themselves under suspicion all over
these United States by the purchase OF men,
bers OF Congress OF both houses, OF men,
hers Of State Legislatures, OF judges. both
State and Federal, aud OfnewspapcrS divide
circulation and influence. Here i'm Virginia
we have seen them engaging the best law
yerS as their retained counsel throughout
the State, until The question has been
raised whether they should not be put
upon the same footing OF exclusion with
Federal influences by a constitutional
amendment forbiddng all railroad en-
ployes. and especially railroad lawyers,
from having seat in the Legislature.
There are other questions bearing on
this subject which would like to discuss,
but have said enough, at least for this
time. FRANK 6. RUFFIN,
THE CONVENTION QUESTION.
JANUARY II, 1888.
| To the Editor Of The Dispatch:
/ feel great respect for the views Of the
chairman OF or State Committee, who has
rendered such good service in our causc.
| vet feel constrained to differ with him in
/ regard TO the time of holding our State
convention.
A sufficient period has elapsed since the
election for our minds TO DE in a state Of
repose aud ready for thought and rellec-
| ton. The so-called Flinders are in much
better spirits in our state from the result
OF the elections throughout the Union than
those who were arrayed under the Re-
adiuster banner; they feel that they
committed worse than ault-a blum
dcr-and many regret their temporary
alienation from the Conservative flag,
and would be heartily glad to come back
under its folds il they could do 30 with
good grace. They now feel that there
would he some degree Of inconsistency on
| Their part TO ask admission into our ranks.
differed rs il l. entirely by those whom
! they have heretofore been opposing tOtiS
Uiri6uS. Let us have a convention carly in
| the spring and remove this objection by
appointing on our State committee proper
men, who are Conservative Democrats.
without the slightest regard for their past
position as Funders or Resdiusters. Let
all the selections for posts filed ~
the convention be made in the same
way, and then we will give manifest evi-
dence that on this temporary question by
cones are by-gones. Conclusive evidence
Of this was not afforded by the general sup
port given to Mr.. Massey by the Conserva-
! tive-Democrats. II has been said, and may
no doubt be said again, that this support
was only given as 4 matter OF policy and i'll
despair Of success under any other leader,
and that, we having failed in this, our lines