Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12
TFOr the Dispatch.l

Whilst everybody is exercised as to
whom the Democratic Convention shall
nominate for the honorable Office of
Governor, nobody seems to be con-
cerned as to who shall be the Attorney
General. Usually this Office has been
considered secondary, and the nomina-
ton for it has been thrown in as a sort
of makeweight. But whatever may be
the case generally, at the present time
the office is of far more Importance than
that of Governor.
The public debt is not settled.
The construction Of the Riddleberger
bill, which properly became the ulti-
matum Of the united Democratic party
at Lynchburg in July, 1888, is at this
moment in dispute between General
Malone and Judge Hughes on the one
hand and the Democratic party of Nir-
ginia on the other hand. In all the late
decisions the Federal courts from bot
tom to top have twisted the law in
favor Of the holders Of consol coupons
and ten-forty bonds. Its highest
court has given decision, the purpose
and effect Of which is to destroy the
eleventh amendment to the Con-
stitution and place Virginia at the
mercy of the sharpers who bought
the unconstitutional legislation which
is now used to enthrall her. The
British bondholders, encouraged by
this action Of the courts, announce a
determination to force the State to
comply with their demands and Judges
Bond and Hughes have seized upon the
revenues Of the State, diverted them
from her Treasury to repositories Sc
lected by themselves, and enjoined the
State officers from returning as delin-
Quent the rich men who choose to take
shelter under their wing.
To consummate their outrages upon
the liberties and revenues of Virginia,
these people will not spare, as they
have not spared, any amount of ex-
penditure. Especially are they lavish
ing it upon lawyers among whom they
now rank such men as Evarts and
Chamberlain-the first man of great
reputation, the last . man of great
ability, and both Of them utterly
INSCRIPTIONS. 1t was this in
tiuence that / suppose to have
converted, or perverted, Mr.. Justice
Stanley Matthews "to evade the
eleventh amendment by technical de-
vice ~ use the contemptuous
phrases Of the mastery dissenting
opinion" to treat that amendment as
a mere formula Of words to be slurred
over by subtle methods of interpreta-
ton so as to give literal compliance
without regarding its substantial mean
ing and purpose "; Ito fritter away
the substance of this solemn declare
ton by neat and skilful manipulation
Of words"
In the ramifed litigation that has
grown out Of the debt question it is
well known that for various reasons the
services of the Attorney General have
had to be substituted by other counsel
on some occasions and supplemented by
associate counsel on other occasions.
the responsibility Of employing counsel
in all these cases falling upon the Board
Of Commissioners Of the Sinking Fund,
and the fees being guaranteed either by
the Board themselves out of their indi-
vidual pockets in some cases of imme-
date exigency, or by certain gentlemen
Of this city outside of the basement in
other cases Of equal importance.
When mention that the Virginia
lawyers employed were Judges Staples
and Burke and Colonel w. w. Gordon,
and that those out Of the State were
such men As Judge Shipmsn, Of New
York Judge John A. Campbell, of Lou
isiana; Attorney General A. H. Gar
land, and the late Mr.. Merrick, of WASH
inston city, 1t will be seen at once that
II is Of the first consequence that the
Acknowledgment should be q man Of