The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-11-19
STIRRING ADDRESS
OF SENATOR mAHoNF, OF VIRGINIA,
To tho RsAtJ .,sr. of tA.. State on the ps.ul. Ol
tbs Recent EltetiOn-rAs Desperate Methods
Ofthe BOuibons to sseurs yIetorJ-Ths
BrOksn Lines to b. Reformed for 1884.

the Readjuster State Committee Of Virginia,
has issued an address to that party, ol
which tho following are extracts:
The party in power in Virginia came into
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 be-
tween the State and federal government.
Our enemies hated and bitterly opposed
each one OF these objects.
READJUsTER ADMINISTRATION OF AFFAIRS.
That the State administration, in It's ex.
ecative and legislative departments, has
been faithful in all things, and true to its
pledges, let the following account Of It's
transactions testify:
The State debt mas been settled without
faint Of repudiation Of dollar, either Of
principal or interest. Our enemies have
this year, after years OF denunciation OF
our settlement, stamped It with their pro-
fcsaed approval. This settlement saved the
State from liability for $l3 900, 900 OF false
ly created principal and effected a saving
in future interest OF $35 000, ,000. The iudg.
mentof the financial world upon this as.
certainment and settlement OF the debt Is
attested by the fact that the Riddleberger 8
per cent bonds arc quoted at So to-day,
while the old bonds, bearing per cent,
are quoted at but44.
The bourbons ruled the State from 1870
10 1850. When they took power they found
81, SIG. 900 in the treasury, with no floating
debt. They left less than $4,000 in the
treasury, with floating debt OF nearly two
millions, OF whicn one million and half
was due the public free schools, and ar
rearages OF over five and half millions on
account OF interest and debts due the liter
ary and sinking funds.
Behold the contrast! The readjusters,
after three years OF control, have extin-
guished the Il ,ating debt, except S7l5, 900,
and have now In The treasury over q. mil
lion and half Of money.
REApJusrER ECONOMY.
The cost Of maintaining the government
under bourbon rule averaged Sl,0S4. .6Gi
annually, while it has been rednced under
the readiusters to an average OF $500, ,234
annually. The burdens Of the people have
been lightened by reduction Of the rate
OF taxation from 80 to 40 cents. The cost
Of collecting the revenue has been greatly
diminished, and considerable reductions
have been made in the assessment OF lands
| Great reforms have been made in the
| TO- fpta II ~ Ia !,
insane; they have been removed from
prisons 10 comfortable asylums, and,
instead Of confirming their fearful malady
by beating themselves against the iron
bars Of lelons' cells, they are cared for by
humane and expert attendants.
In spite Of G5,000 bourbon yotea to the
contrary, the suffrage has been liberated
from the stumbling block Of the capitation
tax; and the whipping post, erected as
disiranch!sing machine against negroes,
has been abolished. Up to the recent elec.
ton the right to vote has been freely exer-
cised under readjuster rule, and all the
laws CT the state have been administered
without discrimination between rich or
poor, white or black.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Comparing 1879 with 1871, the funders,
by their unfriendly legislation and admin
istration, reduced the number OF public
schools from 3,047 OF which 700 were color
ed, to 9, ,4Ol, OF which but so were col0red.
They reduced the number OF pupils from
lS1 ,0Ss, Of whom 3S.976 were colored, to
l0S,074, Of whom but 5,208 were colored.
They reduced the teachers from S,OSi. CT
whom 504 were colored, to 2504, OF whom
but Oh were colored. They reduced the ex.
penditures from S5S7, ,472 for the year to
S5ll ,002. --
Now, compare the readjuster rule Of last
year with the last year Of bourbon rule,
and the books show the readjusters have
| increased the number ofschoos from 2,40l
to 55S7; the number OF colored schools
from SO to $50; the pupils from 10s,074 to
PSI, 1862; the colored pupils from 3,20S to
40 500; the teachers from 2,504 to 4. .53S; the
the colored teachers from 94 to 6i4. The
expenditures from S5ll ,902 were increased
to 81, ,l57, ,l42.
the establishment OF the first State nor
NAL school for colored teachers in the Uni
ted States is another milestone planted by
our party on the road to progress.
Virginia, 80 long exempt from the blood.
shed and violence which has left such foul
tracts upon the political records OF some Of
her sisters, has, under bourbon instigation,
been dragged, even at this late day when
the whole country hoped for peace, into
scenes and methods no whit less bloody
nor less brutal than those which hourished
in the palmiest days Of kuklux and white
leagues.
TIE COLOR LINE.
When the bourbon faction assembled in
Lynchburg in July last to formulate plat
form,' a large element Of It's membership
avowedly and openly favored the adoption
Of the "color line" Bourbon journals pro-
claimed that tho true issue oil the canvass
WAS the race Issue, and that the contest
should be forced into struggle between
the whites and the blacks That such
plank would be incorporated inte the plat
forna adopted seemed highly probable un-
iii the final action taken developed the fact
that, for reasons best known to themselves
The bourbons bad determined not 10 make
written proclamation OF their purpose to
draw the color line. Even the most mod.
crate bourbon did not pretend that this
failure TO draw the color line in the plat.
form sprung from lack OF purpose 80 todo,
Int Il was admitted on all hands that 1t
had not been formally adopted from mo.
lives Of policy.
The debt question was not the issue on
which bourbonism hoped to win, for their
attitude toward 1t was one OF abiect aban:
doument OF all pretence OF principle and
acceptance oi every measure they have de-
nounced.
PARTY WITHOUT AN ISSUE.
As early as September leading bour-
bon editor announced 10 member Of our
party In a public place that the bourbon
plan Of campaign was ITO buy all they
could and bully the remainder" How
faithfully this programme was carried out
-. ...s,of iii ahau What yraa NJ tha