Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-23


seers, with boards Of supervisors, town
ship boards, road boards, boards OF
school trustees, al paid . per diem,
with salaried clerks. al designed to be
filed with adventurous carpet-baggers
or seedy scalawags, with an occasional
sop to Cerberus. All this we have
changed. The township system is abol-
ished. The treasurer and supervisors
are retained, and all the rest to
be appointed as prescribed by law.
The article authorizing IL per cent. in
terest we abolished. The operation OF
this, as long as it lasted, was to put the
poor debtor land all ~ere poor by the
result Of the war; into the power Of the
creditor. If the debtor had property
and no money, the creditor could make
him give new bond with IL instead
Of per cent. interest and il he would
not do it, he could wiring the debt out
Of him by law and lend it out to some
one else at IL per cent. Under the
pretext Of bringing foreign capital into
the State the Republican trainers, ac-
tuated by the worst passions Of cruel
sectional and race animosities, which
some of them openly avowed in their
debates in the convention, seem to have
the deliberate purpose further to de-
spoil and ruin an already impoverished
people, so that no man in the Common
wealth, except an ofice-holder, should
be worth more than $4,000. These and
other valuable reforms successive Dem
Ocratic Assemblies effected.
Their platform charges us with tax
ing the ballot and DISTINGUISHING thou
sands Of voters, which they have no
right to complain Of, as the example has
been set by their Republican brethren
in the State Of Massachusetts, and
others. 1t is true that the Democrats
in the General Assembly offered to the
consideration and vote Of the people a
provision that the prepayment of the
capitation tax, which the Constitution
devotes to free schools. should be - pre-
requisite to suffrage. by this they de-
sired to add funds to extend the free
schools, and also it was in accordance
with a provision in the Bill of
Rights that every voter should show
some common interest in the community
IN which he lived by contributing some
thing to its support, and it was but
right that that class OF voters who had
no property to be taxed and paid less
to the free schools, which they enjoyed
in common with the rest. should at
least show some interest in them by
paying one dollar year to their fund.
This was Submitted to the people along
with other reforms, such as biennial
sessions, &C., and with them was car
RED by large majority. 1t is unfor-
tunate that the Constitution does not
require vote upon each amendment
separately. BY uniting them it may
happen that an Objectionable change
may be carried in order to Sc
cure desirable reforms. While the
provision applied to all people
alike. it was believed that it dis
franchised more colored voters than
white. But the practical operation did
not carry out this result; for, as the
elections Of treasurer, sheriff. and Com
monwealth's attorneys take place every
four years, Of clerks every six, and of |
district officers every two, and these at |
the spring elections, the candidates for
these offices. to get votes in the spriag,
would pay the capitation taxes of those
whose support they desired, thus leav-
ing them with the ability to vote for Pre-
sident of the United States. State officers, |
and members of the General Assemblyin |
the follow ing fall. So that it was really, |
in fact, requirement that the county |
should pay the delinquent |
captation taxes. The effect of it was |
generally demoralizing. BY it the
treasurers acquired undue influence. 1t
general spirit of bribery and
corruption which our General Assem-
bly, attempted to stop by an act making
it crime, but to no avail, and it be-
came so unpopular with all that it is
more than probable, had we remained
in power, we would have repealed it,
As the record shows that its repeal
could not have been effected without |
Democratic votes.
The Democratic party is charged |
with the
FUNDING BILL OF 1871.
Let us see by the record who is re-
;ponsible. by the Sd section Of the
amendment to the United
States Constitution IA Republican mea-
;ure) no person could hold any Office
n any State who, having previously
AIKEN an oath as a member of State
Legislature or holding any other office
% support the Constitution of the
nited States, shall have engaged in
nsurrection or rebellion, or given aid
)r comfort to their enemies, and as
congress was largely Republican at
hat time general disabilities had
rot been then removed, which has
Joen done since by the Democrats in
congress. In consequence of this pro-
'lslOn all our most prominent men, who
,new all about the finances and re-
sources of the State by previous service
Il the Legislature, were entirely excluded
rom the General Assembly, which was
illed with untried and inexperienced
men, who were either too old or too young
o have taken any part in the war. The
Democrats had about two thirds Of the
Assembly and the Republicans about
me third. Again, there was a general
Impression about that time that as we
lad been received into the Union our
csources would be greatly developed
nd our ability to pay the debt in
reaS ed. In consequence of these causes
he Democrats were about evenly d.
ided on the question, and the Rcpubli-
an members, therefore, held the deci-
ion in their hands. Although the lat
er had shown by their previous votes
opposition TO the bill up to a few hours
efore the vote was taken upon its
assage, they voted for it unanimously,
With one exception, which fastened
pom US the funding act-the coupons
: the Had Of all our woes" The re-
ord shows, therefore, that the Repub-