The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-08-31
TUESDAY. AUGUST. 81, 1857.
THE VIRGINIA DEBT.

r..
has written a history of the virginia Dep'
Controversy. which is an interesting ana
valuable contribution to the political MS
,orv of this State. Mr. Royal Is thor-
o,gbiv copversant with this subject ana
his narrative is entirely impartial giving
the facts only, and leaving the comment
TO the reader.
After stating how and why the DEBT
was created. he presents picture OF VIZ
g,nia,s desperate condition Immediately
after the war. and. by way of emPhasiz-
ing her poverty. gives bit OF his per
sonal experience, which was the e1pe-
rience of almost every man who escaped
from the war with his life. But he shows
that in spite Of their poverty. the people
OF virginia determined to pay this debt
in full. and so declared by resolution
which was passed by the Legislature on
the 10Th Of February, 1866.
He then makes brief review Of the
various acts that were passed by the
Legislature to settle the debt upon an
equitable basis. and coming finally to the
Malone movement. he tells of the terrible
ordeal through which the state passed
under Mshone's rule and calls special at
tention TO the fact that although the Re
publicans at the North pretended to be in
full sympathy with the efforts Of the
people Of Virginia to pay their debt, the
Republican administration, nevertheless,
gave aid and encouragement to Malone In
his efforts 20 saddle upon the good people
Of Virginia the worst government Under
which any Southern State has ever
groaned.
But through this whole contest, Mr.
Royal goes on, the people of Virginia
had fought not only for the principle
that the public debt should be paid, but
contendcd also for the supremacy Of the
organic law. and cheerful implicit ODE
dience to II.
when. however. the Supreme Court OF
the United States decided that the Read
ulster bin. known as Coupon Killer, No.
l." was not in conflict with the Con-
stitution Of the United states. the people
came TO the conclusion that not only was
the Republican administration In sym
patty with Malone. but that a Republi-
can court had become part Of the bar
gain with him, and had sustained his leg
islation in opposition TO their preceding
decisions IN order that his hands might
be held up. Then It was. says he, that
the temper OF the Virginia people towards
the public debt became changed, and rad
ically changed. From desiring to pay 1t,
they became absolutely Indifferent as to
whether II was paid or not; but whether
paid or repudatcd, one stern resolve took
possession OF them they unanimously re-
solved that they would never more allow
Il 10 be used by demagogues as text by
which their own vote could be divided and
the state government thus turned over to
a hybrid party. composed OF the solid ne
groes and ,hriftlcss whites. led by UNI
scrupulous white adven;urers. They re-
solved that the formation OF a pure gov
eminent for their state was OF first i'm
portance: considerations affecting the
public debt. a secondary consideration.
Accordingly, when the convention met
in Lynchburg. July. 1885, the Democrats
declared In their platform that they
would accept the Riddlcberger settlement.
which had been pronounced constitutional
by the courts OF last resort. state ana
Federal, and would oppose all agitation
Of the question or any disturbance Of that
settlement by appeal or otherwise.
Up to this point Mr.. Royals narrative
shows that the people OF Virginia were
entirely Unstable in what they did. ana
any fair-minded man who examines the
facts as he has presented them must come
10 the same conclusion. Mr. Royal thinks.
however. that the Democratic party made
q mistake in not resting its case there.
On this point he says:
II the white people had confined them
selves 10 the position taken by the Lynch
burg platform-that Is. a position OF pas
sivenesS--their attitude would have been
one OF dignity and sclf-respect entirely con-
formable 70 the heroic effort they had
made 10 tax themselves TO pay a debt
owned by strangers They had only TO
stand with their arms folded. II the
measures OF the Readjusters worked out
their aim. TO the Rsadjusters would be-