Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-06-12
The State Debt.

no otbtc Dcpt
In the approaching gubernatorial cam
psign each Of the two parties will put
forth platform Of principles, or formu-
late creed to which every good party
man will be expected to say. "Credo."
We shall expect our good friend SNOW
DEN, OF the Alexandria Gazette, ito
keep step to the music of the Union, !"
as JOHN p. HALE once said, or, as
might be said now, "to the music OF
Democratic harmony" We are rather
disposed, therefore, to charge our friend
ioculsrly with being a boltcr in adj
vsptc when We find him talking in the
following strain:
The Richmond Dispatch, in refer
ring to the late decision Of the United
States Supreme Court in the Virginia
coupon cases, says the people Of Eng
land in John Hampden's day refused to
slow their rights to be taken away
from them. John Hampden himself
refused to pay q wrongful tax, not be-
cause the amount was so great, but be-
cause he was not willing to pay any
such tar as the one levied upon him.
But IL John Hampden were alive now,
and held Virginia coupon, which ne
had bought in good faith, and which
bore upon its face yirginia's promise
that she would accept it in payment Of
her taxes, he would contradict his
whole history il he would not do all
that lay in his power to make her fulfil
that promise"
The Gazette is sometimes charged
with being Mr.. BARBOUR's organ--a
charge which has no foundation in fact,
and whichis abundantly disproved by the
course of that paper on the debt ques-
ton, and especially since the recent de-
cisions of the Supreme Court Of the
United States in the Virginia coupon
cases; but the Gazette is an or
gan Of the Democratic party, and
as such does injustice to itself
and to that party when it refuses
to stand by the party in their declara-
ton at Lynchburg in favor Of sustain
ing the RIDDLEBERGER bill. IL also
throws discredit upon the last Demo-
cratic Legislature, which by formal
resolution assured the creditors OF the
State that the people Of Virginia were
determined to pay no more Of the debt
than the RIDpLEBERGER settlement
provided for paying. The GaEette
must surely be satisfied that this last
statement is a fact. In 1879, and
again in 1881, and again in 1882, the
Democrats failed to carry the State be-
cause a majority Of the voters lin
GLIDING the negro voters) were bentupon
some settlement Of the public debt
more favorable to the State than was the
funding bill of 1871 OF the McCUL-
LocH bill. In 1883 the State Demo-
cratic Convention at Lynchburg recog-
nized the fact just stated, to be an in
controvertible fact, and solemnly pledged
the Democratic party not merely to ac-
quiesce in the RIDDLEBERGER settle
ment, but to do all that lay in their
power TO make it final and successful
and to induce the creditors Of the State
to accept il. From the 25th of July,
1883, to this day the Democratic party
OF Virginia has stood pledged to the
support Of that settlement. From that
day to this the Democratic party has
been successful in Virginia.
Ii is TO be presumed that the Demo-
cratic State Convention which is to as
semble in this city on the 29th Of next
month will reatirm the declaration Of
its purpose to stand by and enforce the
RIDDLEBERGER settlement. IL there
had been any doubt upon the subject
before, the Gazetfe's recent course
would have removed that doubt and
rendered it necessary for the party to
assure the people that in the popular
campaigns Of 1883 and 1884, and in the
Democratic Legislature Of 1883, the
Democratic party was in earnest when
Il declared in favor Of perfscting and
making final the RIppLEBERoER set
tlemtnt.
Now, does the Gazette intend to bolt
the nominations of the Democratic
State Convention? OF course not.
Why, then, should II alone Of all the
Democratic papers in the Common
wealth furnish arrows for the enemy's
bows' II, as we confidently believe,
Il purposes TO vote for the Democratic
candidates for Governor, Lieutenant
Governor, and Attorney General, and
purposes to do 50 with full knowledge
that these candidates viii all be men
Who favor the RIDDLEBERoER settle
nent, We cannot for our lives imagine
what good reason friead SNowDEN
can have for seeking controversy with
US or any other Democrat on the merits
of the RIDDLsBxRaER bill, or, what
Is equivalent to the same thing, the
merits Of the recent decisions of the
Saprsms Court Of the United States in