The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-09-19
THE STATE DERT SETTLEMENT.
Colonel RUM Writes Another Essay on tho
Subject.

1 'Rfr'tt@fF~
State Board Of Agriculture had had 'an IN
| formal discussion" On the debt question and
| tho great advantage which would occur 10
] tho agricultural interests by its settlement"
| and that Major w. L. Sutherlln. the presi-
| dent Of the board deemed the present con
| dition so favorable for "a settlement that no
| would, If n younger man, run TOR tho Legs
lature on that platform"
| 10 would have been well II Major Suther-
| lin. or the editor had told the public what
| these favorable conditions are, for 1t 10 cor
tain they are not publicly known. Nor IS u
seen how they can be since al the proceed
| ings OF the late conference, both tho pFopo-
| sition Of the New York syndicate and tho
| discussion on the general subject. are secret,
except so far "a It has leaked out through the
| syndicate that they demanded upwards OF
| SIX and halt millions more of principal ana
nearly 5000 900 more of interest than the ut
most possibilities OF the real situation VIII al
| nit
| If Mr.. Sutherlin and the executive commit
| tee OF the Board OF Agriculture know any thing
| from which they can deduce more favorable
| conditions for a settlement. neither they nor
the proponents have submitted Thorn TO the
| public nor, AZ far as IL known 20 the JOINT
| committee OF the Legislature. ia very
| proper. but rather vague, expression OF wish
10 settle the debt is supplemented IN Tie
| TINES by something quite rs indefinite, %
/ wit. the suggestion of Major Mann Page,
! president Of the State Farmers Alliance. ~
| his address % that body AZ tAeir recent con-
vention.n AS Tx TINES considers this sug-
| gestIOn very eDcOuraglng,' ! give II IN tuA
with the "!fn and without" italicised. Here
it
| Il would recommend that inquiry be made
into the report that 81 tho late meeting be-
| tween the representatives OF tho state and the
! foreign bondholders there was only q dlher-
enco Of stO,O0O preventing hnal sotlemeht
! Of the state debt for IL 10 can be shown that
! the finances Of this State will justify tho
acceptance of this difference uihOW lucr3as-
| Ing taxation or interfering with the appro-
! priat'Ons necessary % administer our state
! government and provide for our asy lums'
schools and colleges, | believe we would be
| benefited by the establishment Of her credit.
and the State would be saved Thousands OF
! dollars annually now expended IN tie pay
ment OF attorneys foes and costs IN defend
| ing coupon suits
| The sense q the convention on this very
| encouraging suggestion may be inierredfrom
! the following report which was adopted. in
reference thereto. but which seems % have
escaped the notice Of THE TIMES
"Ihecommitteo onresoiut0ns aisoreported
the following:
Whereas 10 the payment Of the public debt
/ il has been the policy If the State declared
/ in the act If February a. l7-2. commonly
called the Nddieberger bill. and m suose-
! Quent amendments thereto. % engage a. pay
| only So much can be carried without IN
crease Of taxation, as fixed by the act W April
! %. 1852. and
Where's the above policy has been since
repeatedly ratified by state conventions of
( both political parties and 10y joint res9lu
/ tions passed by various Legislatures, there
/ fore be IT
Resolved. j. Thot the said policy is APP
/ proved by tho Farmers Alliance assembled
/ State Convention il this city
-. That tho opposition TINT tho State all
! thOritIes have made - receiving coupons iu
/ payment az taxes is hereby approved as le-
/ cessaTy part Cf said policy.
"3. That ia pursuance Of tho same policy
/ all members ~ the Alliance 0c urged 10 refu-o
10 countenanoe any attempt o. pay taxes .u
coupons
i. That these resolutions be g.yon ont for
! publication"
On the day before. BIr. T. Towson Smith.
/ Of Rappahannock. had offered the following
resolution. which was adopted.
Resolved. That we deem 10 both patri-
/ Otic and luiicous 10 pay our taxes 10 money
! and lot Ia coupons. and We hereby earnestly
| beseech the fax payers in tho lergerc.ties not
! 80 sacrifice our state upon Che altar OK come
mercial cupidity.'
IL was understood at the time. I believe
/ that information had reached tho convention
/ that very active member from Fauquer had
! offered coupons for tho taxes OF himself and
/ some Of his family, and that upon proof of
/ this fact the convention had adopted the re3o-
| luton unanimously.
l confess 1 do not SEQ ia all this much that
| DIS ivory encouraging % Che friends ~ % satl5-
| factory settlement, J. e p settlement that
| Will give more than is offered ly the Riddle
! berger bill as amended. For everybody
| knows by this time that g. settle upon the
! BiddleDerger iill and subsequent amend
ments' will involve ma annual deficit
10 interest OF not less than t35OI0.
and will restrict the State under
the most rigid economy and tho
most careful administration 20 20 moro eK-
pcnditure than sho now makes. This u Us
plain, leaves 10 margin for other eKpondi-
lures such as the repairs 20 existing buildings
and the erection Of now ones. additional and
% schools and colleges. an Increase Uf She
pension fund for tho benefit Of Confederate
veterans. SC, dc But expenditure for these
objects arc " will soon become ats0-
lutely necessary. and as under tho
the pockets OF tho treasury will have been
turned inside out, the money can only be
raised by additional taxation. ILCref re any
burden IL that line that MAJOR srther.ln and
the state think should he undertaken for the
sake Of Ca satisfactory settlement should bo
reserved f0f these necessities.
And / would respectfully suggest TO TIE
| IBTs that instead OF appealing o. the bone
and sinew " ~ % ilatteungiy calls the farmers
of the State % stand tho excess over and
above the Riddloberger hill for the sake ~ a
final settlement. 10 appeal 90 the b0ndh0idors
20 accept the compromise offered by ihe
State think 1t will be wise C. DO 80. for
that settlement l. tho best they can ever got.
and far better than they will got If they come
before the next Legislature and arc + them
referred as they will be- TO the people
For whatever the b0ndhoiders may con-
tend the people nre convinced that tho effort
continued for the past thirty years 90 mako
them pay debts which many of Us think they
never owed. but which even If due has been
increased by q fraudulent settlement from
twice 20 thrice as great 0s can be honestly
ciaimed-an increase secured by bublug he
Legislature. confirmed by usurpiug courts
and attempted 70 be collected by Illegally im-
prsoning the officers 0i & sovereign State aud
by persistent course or what they consider
insult and libel. FRAME g. kCfuN.
DIDN'T KHOW IT HAS LOADED.
Two Soldiers KILLED by "A Hine AZ One shot 10
the hands OF . ComTnde.