Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-09-13

Gen. Malone cares
about the public debt of tiie@
any man in it. Thepublic debt has.
been mere political issue to be used in
campaigns with little regard to the inten-
ton, probability, or even possibility of it's
settlement. His constant shifting of his
ground has brought him into a degree of
ridicule that his new position as a debt
payer for the nonce, only adds to.
On February %, 1879, at the Mozart
Hall Convention in Richmond, he estimated
it at $32, 977 500 and tro cents,
During the year 1881, he kept flying at
the head of the leading column of his organ,
the Richmond Wing, q tabulated statement
Of the debt showing it to be $15, $50 500 and
tweaty cents.
In the Riddleberger bill Of 1882 lin the
preamble) he accepted it as Ss21 ,035,377 and
fifteen cents.
To this, later, was added in the funding
schedules of the same bill, 1895, 722 of tax
receivable coupons outstanding Oct. 1 1881
and 81 III, 724.S7 of t;lX-receivable consol
coupons, making the total S23, 04S, S24.02.
On May II, 1885, he wrote letter to
Warner Miller of New Y DIRK, to placate the
bondholder Republican sentiment at the
the North, in which he endorsed Judge
Hughes construction of the act which in.
creases the debt to $50, 142, $50.
And so he would go on, if the people had
| tiopna with hin, chan Iii J.
Of the debt to fit any political element he
is trying to use to his personal advantage
To him the State debt simply means a seal
in the U. S. Senate. the Governorsllip OF
Virginia, and the boss-ship of political
party-nothing more.
Both parties in the State have voted al
the polls to settle the debt, as far as thu
people of Virginia ever intend to settle it
The Republican leaders after they
lost control of the State have been siding
with the British creditors; egging on thu
legal harassment of the State by the British
bondholders; causing the nominations to thu
legislature (where they could) of men il
open alliance with, and giving comfort tt
the bondholders, by paying their taxes il
coupons; and even going SO far as to furnish
the sight to the people, of prominent Repub
lican leaders engaged in peddling coupons
as sub-agents for the British bondholders
agent, j. p. Cooper-but the people do moi
intend to change their mind. The blending
OF Gen. Mahone's success in Virginia will
the interest of the bondholders, and the fact
that it is openly boosted by his henchmeI
that 1.-THE Bondholders in order to get tn,
debt settled on better terms than offered b,
the Riddleberger bill will furnish large sums
OF money to this campaign, 1--WE quot
from d. S. Lewis letter from Norfolk tt
his paper; the Spirit of the VaHey), will al
effectually reduce his vote in his own party
i. in November, as even the selfish and into
lerant bossism which the independent mine
of that party has found so intolerable.
Of all the brazen assaults to capture
government, that which seeks to make thu
people themselves contribute to their owl
bondage through increased taxes for in
creasing the debt, is the most shameless. i
is simply a proposition to the British bond
holders to give so much towards the cap
ture of Virginia, with the understanding
that after the surrender they are to b,
turned in with the privilege to loot til,
State Treasury. 5