Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-01
FITz LEE UPON THE STUMP.
A Large Crowd and Great En-
thusiaSm.
THE EASTERN SHORE AROUSED
publican Charges Reviewed
aud Refuted.
,soec,., ,s,esr.m to the Dispatch,

morning about 10 o'clock. The crowd
here at that hour was immense. Early
in the day vehicles crowded with
sturdy farmers began to POLL into the
village. At noon fully fifteen hundred
persons were gathered in and about the
courthouse green. Under the shade
of the trees in the courtyard plat
form had been erected, upon which
was printed in large letters: "Demo-
cratic Meeting" About thirty yards
distant was another platform, which
had been constructed for the use Of the
Republicans, who also held meeting
here to-day. An hour before he CON-
menced his speech General Lee made
his appearance upon the court ground.
He was Immediately recognized, as the
people thronged around him to greet
him and express their congratulations.
At 2 O'Clock General lee went upon
the platform.
ON THE PLATFORM
seated near him were Hon. George L.
Garrison, late member of Congress;
Colonel W. X. Aylett, Of King Will
liam county, and Colonel l.. d.
Starke, Of Norfolk, both State can
vassers, and several other Demo
Gratis Of prominence. General Lee
was introduced by Mr.. Garri-
son. His reception was enthusiastic.
His first speech of the campaign was
brilliant success. The following synop-
sis gives its significance and main
points;
The Republican platform, said Gene
raj Lee, arraigns the Democratic party
principally for its debt legislation, for
its alleged hostility to free schools,
for the unfortunate riot at Dan
vile two years ago, and for its
general distractions of progress in
the material and political interests in
the State. These charges the General
reviewed exhaustively. The whole
debt trouble, so the speaker commended,
arose from the action of the Republic
cans. More Republicans voted in
1871 for the funding bill than De-
mocrats. Ii is very true that
the leader of the Republican party
in this State declares that it
has been the idle, inconsiderate, and
yindictive meddling through petty, i'll
considered. ill-conceived, and petulsnt
measures of the Democratic party in
the last Legislature, that has arrested
the quiet and orderly settlement of the
whole matter Of the debt on the basis
of the Riddleberger law, to the great
detriment Of the peace of the people
and against the interest of the credi-
tors.
MAHONE'S CHARGES IDLE.
But General Mahone's charges are
themselves idle. The Democratic party,
two years ago in Lynchburg and last
month in Richmond, accepted as final
the settlement Of the State debt pro-
nounced constitutional by the courts Of
last resort. Federal and State, and
pledged itself to oppose all agitation Of
the question or any disturbance of that
settlement by repeal or otherwise. The
Legislature OF Virginia also adopted
resolution in both branches that the
people Of Virginia have accepted the act
of February IA, 1882, known as the
Riddleberger bill, as the ultimate settle
ment Of the debt of this State; that it is
their unalterable purpose that the set
Element shall be final, and that the ex-
pectation that any settlement OF the
debt Of this State upon any other basis
will ever be made or be tolerated by the
people Of Virginia is absolutely illusory
and hopeless. The Democratic party
not only accepted by resolutions
adopted by its Legislature and
State conventions the Riddleber-
ger bill, but also the accompanying
measures known "a the coupon-killers,
in the spirits of its written and the
letter of its spoken promises. The
Democratic party agreed to make them
efiectual by all constitutional legisla-
tion which 1t might be called on to en-
act or which the exigencies Of any
occasion might require. This is what
the Democratic party promised and
this is what it performed nothing more
or less. Governor Cameron's first mes
sage TO the Legislature called attention
to the necessity Of prompt amendments
to these coupon killers. He said in this
message 1t is true that the Supreme
Court Of the United States, in the case
Of Antoni rs. Greenhow, sustained the
act Of January Ia, 1882, as furnishing
an adequate and constitutional remedy
to the holders Of tax-receivable cou-
pons, but experience has shown that
act to be deficient in several important
particulars.
DELFT LEGISLATION.
All the measures which the Demo-
cratic Legislature passed were passed
at the suggestion Of Governor Came
ron and with the approval of the Re-
publican members Of the Legislature.
None of these measures have impaired
or can impair the effect of the original
acts. They were designed only to
make efIectusl the Riddleberger bill,
which the Democrats had promised to
sustain.
General Lee here. AZ heretofore,
quoted from Mr.. Il. 7. Barton, Of Win
chester, in whom he said the bar Of the
State has the greatest confidence. After
full snalys sis, and after alluding to
the questions at issue between ex-Goy-
ernor u. II. Chambcrlayne, OF South
Carolina NOV Of Boston,, and John 5.
Wise, General Lee gave as the opinion
OF the highest Democratic authority
the assertion that the Democratic
party was. not responsible for the
vexstious litigations which the State
debt trouble has caused. The case Of
Poindex,er rs. Greenhow arose before
the Democratic amendment OF March
3,sIs64. aud IN that case the act OF
January &c. 1882, was declared to be
unconstitutional. null. and void. twas
therefore Unconstitutional before, and
not because OF the act Of March IL.
1884. General Lee coniended that II.
o. General Malone asserts. the action
OF the last General Assembly was idle.
III. consideraty. and sindictiye. then
General Nahone's Governor, Cameron,
"a .e ,esnouAible for H.