The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-07-09

leaders did not understand the measure.
They had no part or lot in it's conception,
it's support or enactment, and their at
tempted Improvement of it opened the
way for the arrest of its operation.
We are satisfied that the people, Of both
parties, want to see the debt question hon.
estly and finally settled, and that they are
ready to accept the Riddleberger bill-as
nearly just as it is practicable for a great
financial question to be-believing that its
aim. intention and purpose are honest, and
that in the enforcement Of it's conditions
substantial justice will be done tothe cred
itors and the State. 1t is for them to say
whether this sincere, earnest desire to dis
pose of the yexed and yexing issue should be
committed to the leaders who opposed the
settlement in all of its provisions and now
only qequiesce in it as party necessity !;
OF to the party that risked everything IN
behalf of the measure-submitted to will
fication, defamation and outrage because
of their support of it, and now present 1t
as the true and just measure OF Virginia s
obligations to her creditors -not in
forced spirit of ocquiescence, but as a con-
ciction of right and duty.
The Republicans present the Riddleber-
ger bill as the basis Of an honorable settle
ment Of the debt matter with no threat OF
reputation if it is not accepted-no reck-
less boast that it is that for the creditors
s'or nothing" They present it to the
reason. the sense of fairness, to the moral
conviction Of the world as a measure OF
intrinsic right, Of equity and OF honor
recognizing the equitable claims OF the
creditor. the condition of the State and
the demands of public policy. They en-
tertain no insidiocs alternative that ii it
is not accepted then outright reputation
will be favored. They contemplate no
abatement of what is due the creditors as
stated in that measure. should it fail OF
becoming effective by the stupidity or
treachery Of the Democratic party. The
Republicans will stand by it as measure
of Justice. of honor, which they cannot
and will not desert, nor will they submit
| to its mutilation. They will consent to no
other settlement that takes from the cred
| itors one cent Of what that bill declares to
| be theirs. They will accept no reckless
computation, however ingeniously for
mulated, or attractively presented, which
reduces the principal of the debt down to
either 1000. 100000 OF $i0.OO0.O0O, fol-
that would be not only reputation, out it
would be bald robbery, defensible neither
in the forum Of public policy nor of pub
lie conscience. They want the fair thing
equity to the creditor and equity to the
State, and this they will demand, and ap
peal to the honest intention, the mora
courage, the conscience OF the people OF
Virginia to uphold them In It,
In contrast with this purpose and de
mand of the Republicans as to the debt
settlement, is presented the seductive fig'
ures. the fallacious arguments and often
siye threats of a few noisy political pests
who are seeking to demoralize public sen
| timent. encourage dishonesty and precipi
itate disaster upon the Commonwealth
and all that by some freak OF insanity OF
moral stabismus, the Democratic party
may obtain advantage. They do not seem
to recognize that the creditors have rights
and that one of these rights is to question
any statement or arrangement OF facts
which relates to their interests. We car
very well understand why it is they hest
tate to accept the Riddleberger Bill. Has
ty legislation formulated upon an incorrect
understanding of the debt question and the
equitable obligations of the. State, had
been enacted into law. 1t was ingenlously
framed, and so engineered in the passage
of the act and its adjudication before the
courts as to carry the conviction that II
presented the just debt of the State an(
their just dues. They never examined
the circumstances attending this legisla
ton. They considered alone the result. Il
was predicated upon a false statement o.
facts. which imposed upon the people thai
which they did not owe, and which was in
deed beyond their ability to pay. 1t wa!
passed upon by the Courts of Virginia
and thus fortified it was reasonable for the
creditors to resist any change in this
doubly protected condition, so favorable tt
them and SO unjust to the State. 1t was
not equity, however 1t was not right
and from no standpoint Of public policy Oh
public morality ought the people of Vir
ginia to be bound by legislation which was
| in, cir horn in infu Nv =
fastened upon them by the might Of
power, without the redeeming ingredient
of Justice. The real facts of the debt were
not presented the condition of the PEG
pie was not considered, nor the ends O.
stern, impartial justice sought. 1t was +;
scheme concocted by mercenary specula
tors, enacted through questionable meth
DDS, and enforced by the arts of the shys
ter. The present creditors may not hay'
been parties to this they may have gottel
and now hold their securities in good faith
but nevertheless it was an injustice and ;
wrong to the people, and with this convic
ton, is it strange that they should de
mand the surrender of the issues of this
condition OF tnlngS, ana substitution o.
other securities which represent the hon
est debt they owe?
| We lave no fear that the moral sens'
of the world will adjudge the people of Viz
ginia of any intentional wrong in the adjust
lment of the debt on the basis of the Rid
dleberger BILL when all the facts have be-
come familiar. The men now who profess
to acquiesce in that measure, had pro
! claimed it everywhere and through all thu
forms of public utterance, as Reputation
and highway robbery. Coming from those
4 who ought to have known the facts, and
their Judgment announced without condi.
tions or hesitation, it was not unreasonable
that others who knew nothing Of the{facts