Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1883-12-11
GEN. WICKHAM ON THE PUBLIC
DEBT.
In the State Senate yesterday Gen. Wick.
ham offered the following:

DEBT.
In the State Senate yesterday Gen. Wick
ham offered the following:
Rcsolred (the House of delegates concur
ring), That the State Treasurer be and he
is hereby instructed not to refund any
money that may hereafter be paid into the
Treasury for taxes under and in pursuance
of an act Of the General Assembly of Vir-
ginia approved 14th January, 1882, entitled
in act to prevent frauds upon the Common
wealth and the holders of her securities in
the collection and disbursement of revenues
until an appropriation has been made by
the General Assembly of Virginia for the
purpose Of paying coupons rendered for
taxes under said act.
Gen. Wick ham spoke as follows:
Mr.. President In offering this resolution
which desire to have referred to the Com
mittee on Finance, it is proper that should
make few remarks.
1t is very generally known that have
been what may he called one Of the most
pronounced debtpayers in the State, and
that | am firm Deliver in the sanrlity of
governmental obligations Now, without
Yielding that belief, or in any way changing
my conviction that the debt of this Stale is
just one, that with proper handling of the
resources of the State it can paid without
imposing too heavy burden upon the
people, and that it ought to be paid, find
that the attempt TO pay it has resulted in Il
combination, which imperils interests OF our
people of far more than ] aramount i'm
porlance to the debt question, which Inter
est regard my duty to endeavor to protect
in advance of all other questions.
| For the past three years the people OF
this State have been divided upon the qucs-
ton of the mode Of handling the State debt,
and those who favored the 'ciimination"
Of considerable portion of it, succeed
ing in obtaining control Of the govern
mcnt Of the State chiefly upon that issue,
it became apparent that so long as that
question was an issue they would be likely
| to retain that control. Had they given the
pcople good and honest government, out
| side of the State debt, it is probable that
they would not have been disturbed in their
control of the State, but Immediately upon
obtaining power, they inaugurated q system
| of partisan measures with the view Of rem
dering permanent their tenure, which pro-
duced in the minds the whole conservative
element of the State the most serious appre-
tensions in regard to its probable elect
upon the interests of our people. Thereupon
the democratic party of the State deterlnn-
ed to withdraw from their contest TO pre-
serve the States credit, and in their plat
form at Lynchburg declared that they ac-
cepted the legislation Of their opponents as
a settlement of the debt question and would
abide by it. Many republicans in the State
of Virginia having vainly attempted to rally
the republican party of the State to the sup
port OF the sanctity of governmental obliga-
TONS which they regarded as a cardinal
principle ofthe party, and being thwared III
their efforts to that end after the lamentablc
assassination Of General Garfield by the &C
ton of the Administration at Washington
in throwing the whole power aud patronage
of the National Government in Virginia
against them and in favor of the leader of
the Coaltionists, " no had ridden into power
by his opposition TO the honest payment OF
the debt, thus enabling him to seduce the
great mass Of the more ignorant republicans
from their allegiance to the principles OF
their party through the influence of their
local leaders, who were for the most part fed
hyGovernment patronage determined to give
their support and influence in Stale cleo.
tons TO that party which, in contradistinct-
ion TO the MISREPRESENTATION party, they
regarded as the law and order and good
government party of the State, and the l5,-
900 republican votes thrown in its support in
the late election constituted most
potent element Of its success Under
these circumstances | most reluctant
w consented TO he Il candidate for a
seat in this body, and on every hustngs in
my district | announced that as the two
chief parties in the State had declared that
the measures adopted by the last Coalition
| 7 Il. ,t,>i, IL
ment of the State debt, it would be idle for
the small but staunch body of Straightout
republicans of tue State TO attempt to shout
der the fight alone, and that whatever con.
structon might be put upon the State debt
plank in the Lynchburg platform by others.
I construed il TO mean that the debt was to
be settled on the basis of the laws Of 1882
and that whatever additional legislation
was necessary 10 enforce those laws should
be had told those whose votes | asked
for that | should, as their representative,
regard their votes as instructions TO me to
sustain such Legislation and pledged myself
to do so, so long as | held the seat, and I
shall faithfully keep that pledge
| have introduced this resolution as an
earnest of my intention, and to stay the
hands of the coalition officers Of the Gov
eminent, who seem recently not only to
have released their efforts to prevent the
depletion Of the Treasury Ivy coupons, "but
to be Offering every facility for their recer-
ton in payment Of taxes
As parties now stand in Virginia The
whole question lies in a nutshell.
The debt must be settled on the basis Of
the legislation of 1882, and taken ont of pol.
itics to enable the conservative element Of
the State to control its legislation and thus
secure good and honest Government, or it
will be settled on that or some still more
unjust basis by the return Of the coalition
lists to power and the subsection of our poo
pie to the worst government with which any
people were ever afflicted.
In this view Of the question think that
there can be nc doubt as to where, in re-
gard to State politics, every one in Virginia
who honestly desires TO act for the best in
terests Of the whole people of the State
should stand.
trust, too, Mr.. President that our peo-
pie will see the necessity Of Withdrawing
this question from political agitation and
that they will sustain our efforts, as they