Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-08
Various Comments Upon Various Subjects.
THE VIRGINIA DEBT DECISION.

THE VIRGINIA DEBT DECISION.
The Federal oficeholder who
yesterday furnished a long state
ment to the correspondent of The
Times, IN which was contained
what purported to be the views OF
the Hon. John S. Wise on the stu.
alton in Virginia, as stated by him.
self, appears to have drawn a very
long bow and to have exercised his
imagination in a direction caIcu.
lated to do Mr.. Wise injustice. Mr..
Wise is in town tonight, having
come here to attend tO.day's session
Of the Supreme Court. He was in
Richmond day before yesterday and
heard of the decision of the Su.
preme Court in the Virginia cases
on his way home from a baseball
game which he had attended. lie
heard no discussion of the decision
by Readjuster. Republican leaders,
and left for Norfolk in the evening
lio did not read the decision OF the
court until he took the train for
Washington, where he arrived last
night.
'Your Federal oficeholder,' he
said, has misrepresented me in
several particulars. | was not in
Richmond on the morning of Tues.
day. did not say that Malone
would be nominated for Governor (;
| did not proclaim myself a State
rights man, and | did not advocate
reputation of the State debt, as it
had been repudiated by Arkansas,
Georgia and North Carolina. To
cover all the misstatements made |
say that | had no such CONVERSE.
tim as that reported with any.
body Mr.. Wise, however, says
that the decision of the Supreme
Court will undoubtedly have much
to do with enlivening politics in
Virginia during the campaign soon
to be open. There has been no
consultation Of our leaders, be said,
and there wi not be one until the
latter part of tbs month or early
in May. The situation Is a peculiar
one and there are many circum.
stances to make the Readjusters
hopeful of success. They will have
little difficulty in framing a plat.
form. All the Reajusters are
pledged to q settlement of the debt
question upon the basis Of the
Riddlebergsr legislation. They
will reiterate their pledges in this
respect, point to the fact that they
left sl,s00,O00 In the Treasury Of
the State which the Democrats
have dissipated, remind the people
that the schools are not provided
for az they were under Readjustsr
rule, and appeal to theIP onnsis.
tenpy ana love Of economy to re-
store rule that was prosperous.
In tho last election the Democrats
only polled $4,000 votes to our
l4l, 900, according to their own
count. You can see that there 10
not so great majority to be over.
come
but what will the Democrats
dor
TO DO consistent they must ad.
here to their determination to stand
by the RIddleberger acts. To do
otherwise would DO to take up TO.
pudiation, for nobody in Virginia
favors payment OF the bebt for both
West Virginia and Virginia. II
the Democratic Convention should
declare its determination to stand
by the Riddleberger settlement,
that action would undoubtedly re.
suit in the formation of q third
party in the State-an outand out
party OF population. | expect to
see three tickets in the field. The
repudlatsFs will draw a few votes
from the Republicans, hut by far
the greater part of their vote will
come from the Democrats, who, for
all their professions Of desire to
pay a great deal do not want to
pay anything
will not the possession Of the
patronage Of the State strengthen
the Democratic party of Virginia 7
q think not, On the contrary,
| believe tho possession and distri.
button Of patronage will prove
injurious rather than beneficial to
the Democrats. 1t has been "A
source OF weakness to the Read.
justcrs. If 1t had been used more
judiciously | believe it might have
helped the party. But if the Re.
publican Administration made
in distributing patronage,
it was infinitely more wise than the
Democrats have been. The name
of Kelley, chosen Minister to Rome,
has been tho synonym of defeat to
the Democrats in Virginia for
years. Their President has given |
them strange, incompetent law.
yer for District Attorney at Rich.
mOnd. A United States MarhRll |
has been chosen from Western Vir.
ginis for the Eastern District. |
Fifty thousand Virginians whs
wanted Office are Disguised, and |
the 90 men who have secured Off.
eos are 80 Objectionable to the par.
~ that tho BOurbons are bowling
mad. The dissatisfaction among
the disappointed men will increase
70 tho offices are distributed
How will tho debt question be
,ettledr
Probably by the next Legis-
ature, which will surely be OPP
posed to tho reception Of the cou-
Dons for taxes and a payment of
he old debt of the two States Of
Virginia and West Virginia. The
State is practically q unit on that
NIB
About tho race issue-wlll that
inter into the oOntestf
IL think not. The colOred voters
.re with Us, but We shall make the
light on the economic questions and
rust to tho good sense Of the poo.
,le to see that the party which pro-
POSED the readJustment Of the debt
md which showed that ii meant
What it protested is the best party
o be trusted now.
The representation Of the Federal
who described Mr.. ,
Wise as shouting Cor Malone for
he GOvernorship was q surprise
0 those friends of Mr.. Wise who