The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-30

days when General william Malone.
sS courageous a soldier as ever Fought
IL battle against odds, advocated
plan OF readiusting the financial ont-
cations the State had incurred to de-
fray It's portion OF the war expenses,
and welded the Wing. a daily pa
per, to support his plan. "ltlly MA
hone" as he was known. had many
supporters. but he had few opponents
like John w. Daniel. leader among
the "Funders." whose policy WAS
tust what the Democrats policy IL
to-day. Realizing that h. could sef1 e
his state, Major Daniel In 1875 made
the race for State Senator.
Senator Daniel fought readjustmenf
In the Senate as ne had during the
campatsn. He believed the State
should pay every dollar It owed and
that the outstanding debts should be
taken up at their face value instead
OF being scaled. according to the Re
adtusters' plan.
After serving in the Senate until
1881, Senator Daniel made cam
paign for the governorshtp against
william e Cameron, the Readjuster
candidate. The race was one OF the
closest in the history of the State and
was characterized by much heat.
Senator Daniel engaged In number
Of Joint debates with Mr.. Cameron.
and. although entertaining views dia-
metricaIly opposed TO his competitor,
he was, as has been said. most re-
Epectful and courteous. and often
mplimentary In his references 70
him. The two candidates frequently
slept together while campaigning AND
were strong friends until Senator
Itny tAl q Z
defeated by a comfortable majority
for the governorshtp. but his cam
paign brought him into such promt-
nence and won him such respect that
three years later when the Sixth dis
trtct was created lie was sent to the
House OF Representatives.
Before he had finished his service as
congressman the people of the State
called upon him to enter the contest
for senator John s. Barbour, OF
Alexandria. was his opponent for the
senatorshtp, which was then held BY
General Malone. who was elected
when Governor Cameron took Office
After an acrid and hard fought cam
paign. Major Daniel was seated tn
the Senate on March 4, 1887. He was
reelected in 1891. 1897, 1904 and
1910.
after he became "A member of the
Senate In the Forty ninth Congress
he advocated the abolition OF the IN
ternaI revenue system. urged free
coinage OF silver and supported re-
taliation against Canada for curtatl-
ing the rights of American fishermen
In the winter OF 1887 he opposed the
force bill, advocated tariff reform and
was one OF the strongest advocates
OF the free coinage of silver
There is one interesting chapter IT
the life OF Senator Daniel with which
the public was never familiar, Hh
father, a man of prominence anc
wealth, although his fortune was con
siderably impaired by the war, stu
had a good law practice for nearly
decade after the war. tie was one o.
those who foresaw the great CONNER
ciaI development of the country ane
he interested himself in numerou!
speculative enterprises. He was san
gufne TO the point of being visionary
Everything seemed TO him promising
and he subscribed literally to stoci
In concerns, the future of which ap
peared bright. In 1879, when M
died, it was discovered that hts estat'
was insolvent. There were claims D.
creditors over and above the assets
which amounted to more than *!oV,
| oeo. These claims were assumed o!
| the son. John. He had been with nj
| rather In his law practice, but ther'
wa. no legal obligation upon him Il
settle them. He could have wiped TN
slate clean and have started the WORE
anew. but that was not John Warwici
Daniel. He chose otherwise. To mn
| II seemed that the only honorapi'
| course was to pay his fathers dep
| In full and with interest, IL 1t required
| the earnings of hts life to do 1t. AS
cordinrly. he notified the creditor
ana began upon the herculean TASK
| That was more than thirty-nve year
ago During thirty-five years OF hl
| life he lived upon the smaller por.o'
| of his income. the major portion OF
going to the creditors OF MS IaNsl
and at the age OF sixty-hve years ~
Ma the satisfaction OF dischargint
the last Of his fathers old oolieation
In full, interest as well as principal.
He was noted for the force ane
high finish of his oratory and wal
often called upon to deliver adoresse,
| at important occasions he dehveIee
| the grafton at the unvetling or tns
General Lee monument at Lexington
Va IN 1889: the address at the dedi
cation OF the Washington monument
| in 1888 by invitation OF Congress. ane
was the principal orator at many 10
| cal celebrations in Virginia ana othe'
Southern States.
He was a democrat, coming from
| long line of democratic Southern an
\ cestors and his convictions were
thoroughly In harmony with demo
cratic principles, but the broadnes'
OF his mind tempered his partisan
ship and made him conservative.
Senator Daniel was elector at lArG'
! In 1875 and delegate at large TO TN
| Democratic conventions OF 1850. 1883
1888. 1898 (when he was honore<
With the temporary chairmanship)
1900. 1904 ana 1908 {when he wal
| seriously considered for nominAtior
| against william Howard Taft. Il
ilSOf No declined TO Be candidate
for vtce.P President.
~ - ene. - - lea1ese- Aaysr(