Year: 1877

THE contest which was waged by the Vir-
ginia Democrats in their state convention for
three days with bitterness very remarkable
even for that latitude, stripped of all its dis
guises, was simply fight between public hon
esty and public dishonesty. The chief ques-
tion before the convention wfs whether the
state should pay its debt or readjust or repu-
diate it,-terms which may or may not be
synonymous. There were some half dozen
candidates for the gubernatorial nomination
but at the start the two most prominent were
Gen. Malone who was regarded as the favor
ite of the repudiationists, though he asserted
that the worst he should demand was a re-
adjustment, and Mr.. Daniel who represented
the paying party. After the report of the COM
mittee on credentials was adopted Mahone's
supporters moved that the nomination be
postponed till the committee on resolutions
had reported, it being their purpose to
bolt if the platform was not satisfactory.
The combined forces of the other can
didates were sufficient TO defeat this
scheme however and the convention pre-
ceeded to ballot. On the first ballot Malone
led, receiving 421 votes to 351 for Daniel and
636 for all others. With about the same re-
suit the balloting was continued till Friday
afternoon when Mahone's friends finding it
was impossible to nominate their fayorite
seem to have concluded that it would be bet
ter to dictate who the compromise candidate
should be while they had it in their power,
than run the risk of complete defeat by COM
binations against them, and so deserted in a
body to Halliday who was nominated on the
following ballot.


Though Malone was defeated his large
following and the fact that he was able to
dictate the nominee indicate that the
reputation sentiment which he represented
is very strong among the people. Personally
he was unpopular and doubtless many of the
delegates who voted for other candidates did
so for this reason and not because his views
on the debt question were dlstasteful to
them. The platform which the convention
adopted IS not square toed. To be sure it
recognizes the obligation of the public debt,
but admitting the validity of debt and
taking measures to pay it are very different
things. It also recommends re-adjust.
ment of the debt so as to bring the interest
within the ability of the present rate of
taxation to pay, which taken in connection
with the fact that proposition to increase
the rate of taxation was received by the
convention with storm Of Kisses looks very
much like hint to the creditors that it will
make no difference as to the result whether
they consent or not. On the other hand Mr..
Halliday, the nominee, is credited with debt
paying sentiments and interprets the plat
form as in accord with them. In the event
of failure of the re-adjusting plan he hopes
to find new subjects of taxation enough to
pay the interest without increasing the rate.
Judged from this distance the state seems
disposed to be honest if it can be so without
increasing the burdens of taxation.


But the contest is not ended by the
resolutions of the convention. An election
is to follow, and as there is no Republican
party to fight, the Democracy will doubtless
split up on the reputation issue. and in
local nominations honesty or dishonesty will
be the test. Whether the state is to keep its
promises and pay its debts or swindle its
creditors as Georgia has determined to do
cannot be decided until the legislature meets,
but it is a suggestive commentary on the
professions of reform made by Southern
Democrats to find them fighting among
themselves as to whether a state which they
control by over forty-thousand majority shall
be honest or dishonest.