The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-11-22
Gen. Mahone's Address.


To The Readyuster Party Of Virginia:
When u dominant party, organized
around great and enduring principles and
composed OF decided majority OF voters
| in state is suddenly overwhelmed and
made to appear minority, it is of the
highest consequence that every member of
| the party should inform himself whether
| that result has been brought about by Il
| free and honest expression Of the popular
will and, if so, which of its avowed prin-
ciplas has become obnoxious to the major
| ity, or, if all are still adhered to, which of
! them has been betrayed by those entrusted
with the great duty of applying and en-
| forcing them in the government of the
State.
The party in power in Virginia came in
| to being as the expression OF the popular
will concerning the State finances, the
rights Of citizens in the matter of suffrage
and free education. the protection of all
our people under the laws, and last, but by
no means least, the relations existing and
| to exist between the state and federal gov
ernmentS.
The status of our debt had been so dis
tOrted by Legislative fraud, corruption, and
stupidity, that the principal of our bonded
| Indebtedness had been made to seem 3d.
900, 900 more than our actual Indebtedness.
as shown on the public records, exclusive
Of the one-third owed by the state of West
[ Virginia -
| The right to vote had been gradually
curtailed, by whipping post disqualification
| and capitatiOn tax laws passed in violation
of the conditions to which the state SOL
EMMY pledged herself when readmitted to
representation in congress- until free Suf-
| frage was mOckery in Virginia.
The school funds had been diverted from
their proper use. in like violation of funda-
mental conditions of readmission.
The Bourbons had kept the state in an
attitude of sullenness and narrow adher
ence to defeated and discarded notions as
to state sovereignty and national obliga-
tions, most injurious to her interests, be-
| getting diStrust, excluding capital and i'm
migration, and depressing enterprise and
4 developenaont. ------
The righting of these wrongs, the cor
rection of these evils. and resistance to the
old bourbon spirit of caste, intolerance,
and prescription, which belonged to for
mer period, these were the grand objects
which had brought together a great ma
jority of our people, without regard to race
OF previous conditions OF party seryltude.
Our enimies hated and bitterly opposed
each one of these objects.
Their piracies upon the treasury they
called debt paying. though our creditors
only knew of their efforts to pay the debt
through tax receivable coupons created by
lobbyists in the pay OF brokers.
The suffrage was by them deemed mere
form, to be exercised within limits imposed
by themselves, and in no case to be en-
joyed by opponents i'll numbers sufficient
to drive them from thepublic crib, and the
enjoyment of despotic power.
The public school system was us hateful
90 r1,A IU
with whites, were entitled to its benefits.
They starved it in order to feed the plum
derers of the state and one day denounced
it as a monster OF iniquities, and an
other .sneeringly pronounced tia luxury. +"
Between the contending ideas thus AZ
rayed the people decided against bourbon
ism by majority Of $4,000 in 1881, despite
the crosses misrepresentation and the
Disqualification of the capitation tax.
So much for the principles of our party.
Have they been faithfully adhered to by
those intrusted with that duty?
That the state administration, i'll its eX-
ecutive and legislative departments, has
been faithful in all things, and true to it's
pledges, let the following account OF its
transactions testify:
THE STATE DEBT
} has been settled without faint of repudia-
ton of dollar, either of principal or in
terest Our enemies have this year, after
years of denunciation of our settlement,
stamped it with their prOfeSSed approval.
, This settlement saved the state from liza
bility for $13, 900, 900 of falsely created
principal and effected a saving in future
interest of $35 ,000,0 900. The judgement of
the financial world upon this ascertainment
and settlement of the debt is attested by
, the fact that the Riddleberger3 per cent.
l nlc tod Of 70
old bonds, bearing per cent, are quoted
at but A.
} The bourbonS ruled the state from 1871
to 1880. When they took power they
found 81, $4,000 in the treasury, with nc
floating debt. They left less than 1923 ,00C
IN the treasury, with a floating debt OF
nearly two millions, of which one million
and half was due the public free schools.
and arrearages of over five and II half mil
lions on account of interest and debts due
the literary and sinking funds.
..eto.- til 90 y oelIo oI UunJIO1, nave exJl1l-
guished the floating debt, except $4,000,
and have now in the treasury over a mil
lion and half of money.
The cost of maintaining the government
under bourbon rule averaged 81 1854, 1854 an
! nually, while it has been reduced under
+, Readjusters to an average of $500, 234 an
| nually. The burdens OF the people have
been lightened by reduction of the rate
, of taxation from so to 40 cents. The cost
of collecting the revenue has been greatly
l diminished. and considerable reductions
4 have been made in the assessment of lands
: Great reforms have been made in the
f. provision for receiving and caring for the
insane they have been removed from
d prisons to comfortable asylums, and, in
0 stead of confirming their fearful malady
| Inv haot i'm hon 1.-Two nett
: of felOns' cells, they are cared for by
humane and expert attendants.
In spite of $4,000 bourbon votes to the
contrary
THE SUFFRAGE
has been liberated from the stumbling
block of the capitation tax and the whip
ping post, erected as DISTINGUISHING ma
S chine against negroes, has been abolished
e Up to the recent election the right to vOtt
" has been freely exercised under readjuStel
rule, and all the laws of the state have
been administered without discrimination
S between rich or poor, white OF black.
It In the matter of public education, tn,
r following statement exhibits facts which
in all time to come will reflect honor on thu
Il readjuster party, and, what is still better
l. will advance the state in the general Ell
II lightenment which makes civilization pos
4 sible.
Comparing 1879 with 1871, the funders
by their unfriendly legislation and admin
n istration. reduced the number OF public
v schools from 3,O47, of which 100 were col
a ored, to 2.49l, of which but SIS were col
- ored. They reduced the pupils from ISL.
~ 0SS, of whom 38. 976 were colored, to los, O74
3 of whom but 35,76S were colOred. The
n reduced the teachers from 3,0S4, OF whom
I 504 were colOred, to 8, 1904, of whom but Al
70 were colored. They reduced the eXpendi
y lures from 1857 ,472 for the year to SSH
5 902
# Now, compare the readjuster rule of las
:, year with the last year of bourbon rule
Il and the books show the readjusters hay
increased the number of schools from 2, 40
10 to 5,5s7 the number of colored school
# from 675 to ,525; the pupils from 10S, 074t
!, 257 1862; the colored pupils from 35,76S t
IL S5,32S the teachers from 1854 to 4,53S
e the colored teachers from AIS to l, 059. Th
lie expenditures from $5ll 1902 were increase
% to 81, ISL, 152
The establishment of the first state MOI
10 nal school for colored teachers in tn
II United States is another milestone plante
lie by our party on the road of progress.
If Since the accession to power OF the read
n justers 726 miles of railway have bee
~ built, equal to a permanent investment Q
le $2l ,000, 900, an increase OF 43 per cent. TO