Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-30
Observation-Disclosures 80, 1886.
Virginia Must Stand Firm.


II the bondholders had ever shown
any--even the Decentralization to ac-
cent the terms OF the RIDDLEBERGER
settlement, there might be some excuse
for calling upon Virginia to try to make
new terms with them. But to divide
the people of this State now upon that
question would be to repeat the expe-
rience of 1879, 1881, and 1882, and
turn over the control Of the State to
MALONE or to the Republican p'rty.
Three several times have the peo-
ple declared by their votes that
they will pay no more than the
RIppLEBERGER bill offers to pay.
They rejected the McCULLooH bill.
Does anybody expect the bondhold-
ers to offer voluntarily better terms
than those they offered in that bill?
Does anybody expect them voluntarily
to offer any terms to Commonwealth
whose people are divided amongst them
selves on the question of the amount to
be paid, and a respectable number of
whose citizens are advising the people
to pay their taxes in coupons, or rather
advising them to countenance the pay
ment Of taxes in coupons?
Have we forgotten so soon the in
Vulnerable pledges given to the voters
last year on this subject? Thousands
of times did the Mahoneites charge that
the Democrats would desert the RID
DLEBERGER settlement, and betray the
State to the bondholders. Thousands
Of times did the Democrats deny the
charge. Read the following extracts
from the MALONE platform of 1885.
1t declared
"For the enforcement of the Re-
adjuster settlement Of the State debt as
covering every dollar Of Virginia's
equitable share Of the debt of the I'M
divided State, and the highest rate of
interest that can be borne, against the
open opposition to Observation-Disclosures
and the more treacherous and insidious
tampering of Bourbon acquiescence,
which has betrayed us again to our
broker enemies
It arraigned the Democrats for
"Upholding the funding bill and its
coupons as superior in dignity to the
Constitution and the State, and prior in
obligation to the schools and our chart
table asylums.
Diyertipg our school-taxes to the
pockets Of coupon-scalpers, and other
wise embarrassing and injuring our free
schools until they were closed by thou
sands"
Can we now afford to prove false to
our promises? Was our professed ac-
auiescence in the RIDDLEBERGER set
Element "a treacherous and insidious
tampering" intended again to "be-
tray" Virginia to her "broksr enc
mics -? Are we going now to uphold
the coupons as "superior in dignity to
the Constitution and the State, and
prior in obligation to the schools and
our charitable asylums "? Virginia
cannot agree to take the coupons. II
would at once bankrupt her. There
are millions Of dollars of matured cou.
mons outstanding. We must keep life
in the old State, and this We
cannot do if we yield one incl
TO the States creditors. For
we lower our flag even for an instant
1t will never again be hoisted. The fiss
of repudiation-a reputation caused
BY bankruptcy--a bankruptcy caused
by tampering with the coupons "
will next be thrown to the winds.
Surely we must fear that if we au
thorize our State officers to receive cou
pons this -" diverting Of taxes to thu
pockets of coupon-scalpers" will EN-
barrass and injure our free schools, anC
close thousands Of them.
Think, too, Of the injustice OF re
csiying coupons from the few wealth.
persons and corporations able to pay II
coupons, and compelling all the poore
taxpayers to pay in money. Accord
ing to report to the General Assem-
bly, from the Second Auditor, date
November IL, 1884, there are onl
$3.50 persons in the whole State
Virginia assessed for more than fit
dollars Of taxes. There are $4,000
Taxpayers, Including all assessed wit
the capitation-tax.) Not one tax-pays
in ten can pay in coupons. Dare Il
Democrats to legislste in the intere'
Of the one and against the interest {
the ten?
We beg all good Democrats to ponds
well this subject. Can you 90 befoI
the people on platform adyocatins II
re6psning Of any question connecte
with the public debt? Would you {
before them advocating the receipt I
the "cut.worms Of the Treasury" "a
fsxesY