Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-08-13
THURSDAY AUGUST Is. 1891.
Tho State Debt.

The people Of Virginia are not easily
alarmed. They are not, we apprehend. "a
hostile 70 reputation ms good many per-
sons think they ought to be. They fear
neither the namo Regulator" nor the
fact of reputation. They are, in word,
thoroughly self-possessed. entirely IA
miliar with the real condition Of things IN
this old Commonwealth. Indifferent as 70
what outsiders may say concerning their
conduct, and firmly fixed in their purpose
20 afford TO the States creditors only o
G., ice between reputation AID bill
equivalent t. .he KiDDIEHEaGER bill To
tell them that they have incurred vast
los hy reason Of the failure 10 settle
the State debt is 10 tell them
what they do not believe and never can be
made 10 believe. Twenty years ago the
WA1TKR funding bill was passed. II Il had
been allowed e. operate as ITS originators
designed IL - operate the State Of Nirginia
would by this time have paid out over
thirty-fve millions Of dollars Of interest
and sent these millions Of dollars TO foreign
lands and We; would TO-DAY still owe the
principal upon which all these millions of
interest ihl bit1 lhNtl. NtuIA vi S'l''h
he in "A better condition today II she bad
pursued tho course indicated? No1ld she
no. DO n bankrupt rather, lut bankrupt
who could not improve her fortunes 10y
taking the benefit IF any bankrupt actY
We are anxious t. see the state debt
settled. We think II ought TO be settled.
But we also think that the people Of VIZ
vinia have some rights which ought 70 be
respected by the London Council Of For
eign Bondholders and their allies IN the
United States. We are utterly incredu-
lous when we are told Of the enormous
losses which Virginia has sustained rs con-
sequence Of her refusal 10 send every wear
out O. the State and across the ocean q
sum Of money more than equal TO the
combined capital of several If the largest
banks IN Virginia We say nothing u 70
the moral questions involved. We
merely declare that in our opinion
the State has never done any
thing touching her public debt
which has resulted in a loss to her "a
Commonwealth or to her people as pro-
uerty-holders and land .Owners desiring 10
substitute white nelshbors for cOlored
ones. If the negroes IN Virginia could all
lie transported beyond her limits and as
many whites put into their places the Old
state would soon blossom a. the rose.
Whilst he was department commander or
military governor Of Virginia General
ScHoIIFID drow map Of Virginia and
colored IL dark or light 10 indicate larger
or smaller proportion of negroes to
whites. and found that chcapness OF land
was indicated 10y the dark shades. He
reached tins conclusion only after accl-
dentally discovering the fact upon which
il was based.
The Alliance convention which Is 70
meet here noXt Tuesday may possibly over
look tins debt question IN their aL1icty 10
come before the public as the advocates OF
new or reform measures. We take the lib-
erty to remind our Alliance friends that
this State debt question Is one upon which
they might make an influential deliver
auce. Tell the bondho!ders what thc Viz
ginia farmers and planters think upon this
subject