Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1886-12-16

mOTe pefpleAlUS W uay lIau ab we begin.
ing, and must so continue until settlement
is reached that will be just 20 the creditor
and honorable to the State itself
The recent decisions Of the Supreme
Court have been SO clean cut, that when
ever coupon case has been brought to
trial, the juries, though composed Of our
own people, and doubtless in sympathy
with opposing views, have been compelled
to render verdicts in favor Of the bondhold
er, or those who have presented coupons in
payment for taxes and it seems that in any
future contest the same results must follow
Assuming this to be true, sooner or latter
coupons will be used or offered generally in
payment of taxes. Popular opinion is far
the present against their u.s., but ponu)ar
opinion is tickle and cannot long be deprnd
ed upon when not firmly grounded. Nero
| sentiment cannot long survive at a cost of =
hundred, when fifty cents or less, in the
dollar, would pay the bill. 1t is too expen
slve luxury at that rate. Men cannot
and Will not pay, AS 4 rule, a hundred cents.
when their debts can BIO Cancelled at tfy
| cents in the dollar. So the time is not very
distant when the wheels of State GOV
eminent must he greatly retarded ifrot alto-
gether stopped, Notwithstanding the cpn.
iob VI Jul totolC 10 lDo contrary,
The fundamental principle Of ell govern
ment is The right to assess and consequently
the power to enforce the collection of lis
revenues. When the power to collect ceases,
| the government is o sham and no govern
ment al ALL Is that not SO? A charitable
| institution may be sustained by voluntary
contributions, but not so with State, The
laws that control human nature must uE-
dergo Il revolution befors this cardinal prin-
| cipnl can BIO other than it is.
An important factor Of all government is
stability, and upon this largely depends the
power to regulate the flow OF its revenues
as life depends upon the regular flow of the
blood ofthe body; and whea this is serious
y INSTRUCTED in either the disease becomes
organic.
| Think for moment what must of neces-
slty tJllow when the people Of State have
the option to pay their dues in full or with
coupons at adiscount of50 per cent Though
worth to the State par in the discharge of
her obIigations); or, what is worse, as some
contend, and not without show Of reason,
that the mere tender is actual payment,
which means not one cent Of cost to the tax
payer, or one cent Of profit to the State
while over all this the dear cd Common
wealth stands utterly helpless, soon TO be Il
hy.word and scot at home and abroad.
Now, who are to be held responsible for
all this before the bar of q thoughtful
healthy public opinion? It must lie at the
door of some one. Is it the readjuster party :?
Why, they have been out Of Office and pow
er for some years, ard were Indignantly
thrust out for using the arguments and
maintaining the measures that arc now 50
earnestly urged by those who took their
| plaanc Was II tho offiooS than ;,l,
that victory was won? 1t looks that way
to simple minded people, vino cannot sec
if it be wrong for ono party to hold such
views, how it can be right in the other to
hold similar. If these measures were right
when the readusters held place and power,
they are right now; but if wrong then, are
wrong now. Truth and Justice do not vary
So we must conclude (tbe democratic party
being the judge the readjuster5 were not
such sorry fellows after all. Poor old Eir-
ginia Once so honored and so renowned
Has it come to this that the best and bright
est of her sons uuconsciously it may be-
have followed the teachings of tho read
justers until she has been driven, in sheer
desperation, TO seize upon The chattles Of
her own people, as bandit, to put money
in her golfers; and when, this done, the fed
eral hand OF power treating her Us a tres
passer, if not as a criminal, forces the return
of the property or its equivalent thus law
lessly taken? Is this the result Of following
the smart tricks ofMahone and his ways
those shallow pated, false hearted disturb
ers of the peace" that we once called them :?
fear it is.
But to come more closely to this grayer SUBJ
ject that is before us, and not behind us
would that it were-what is tho duty of
| iaff 10 u 10
another political campaign with tho State
helplessly tossing, without rudder or COM
pass, the result will be ruin TO the State
and death to the democratic party. There
Is now no readjuster party. That is dead
and buried. 1t is the republican party with
whom we have to do, who claim to have
clean hands on the debt question, tho
Malone Whose hands are not very clean),
may be its leader. The republican party
will confront you and charge you with in
capacity; will say your legislature instead of
conforming to this supreme law Of the land,
has been shaped in opposition to it that
you have not only shown contempt for fed.
eral law, but have brought shame and hui.
initiation upon the Slate; you have taken
the Riddlebergcr baby, that you said was
born in iniquity, adopted it rs legitimate,
fed it upon stronger repudiation food and
| uOW say ~ Is uealtny anu SOUND. Gan tneSo
charges be denied? Would that they
| could.
Think of the democratic party, composed
of the best and purest of the land, with
misguided and binding zeal, Laundering
through the mud and mire of reputation
up TO the arm pits-the Unconstitutional
Riddleberger bill'' as its banner, with paper
wads and pyrotechnics marching to the at
tack, whilst the republican party standing
on solid ground, behind solid entertainments,
pouring solid shot from battery and rifle
pit, tearing its standard into shredz, and
dealing death and destruction on every
hand. Worse would it be, fnr worse, than
the disastrous repulse in the storming of the
heights at Gettysburg, for there our heroes
found az honored grave. The ground the
entertainments and the shotw once, alas
our own This picture would indeed be
ludicrous if not so sadly tragic
Remember that MAE. tenlhs of The repub
licans in this State pay no tax, but vote all
the same. Whether the rates be high or
low it makes no difference with them. So.
if that party succeed tn Mace ord nouor