Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-03-11
FoR THE VIND1cAToR
CONSTITGTIONA REFORM.

For THE VIND1cAToR.
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.
MIR. EDIroR-.Sr Among the many abuses
under our defective State constitution, we know
OF none greater than the system of legislation on
the subject of Internal improvements Ever
since our first lessons on Political Economy we
have believed that Legislation OH this subject
has been fundamentally wrong. Where do we
find ourselves? A State in debt, almost to re-
pudiation-a people murmuring under heavy
taxation, and the Legislature bartering votes for
votes, thereby making appropriations to every
project that is presented, no matter how lnjudi-
cious. If this is to continue to be the policy of
the State, when shall we be freed from an erro-
neous taxation and prohgate expenditure OF the
peoples money
We believe that the principle upon which In
ternal Improvements should be made, is that
laid down by an eminent writer on Political E.
economy, who says: /. That 'sif it IAN improve
ment) will not be profitable that is if capital
thus invested will not be as productive as that
invested in other employments, it ought not to
be undertaken by the public, because the CAPT
tai thus invested must be taken from other en-
Payments that is, it must be taken from
more productive, to be invested in less pro-
ductive employment If it be sad though it
be not itself productive, it may enrich the dis
trict in which it is conducted the answer TO this
is, then let that district pay Tor it. unless It can
be shown to be wise OR just to lmpoverlsh one
district for the purpose Of enrchng another"
,. eff it will be productive; private associations;
in all intelligent community will with proper
encouragement, be ready to undertake it. And
of the question of profabeness private indi-
viduals will Judge much more accurately than
government because the facts are equally known
to both the degree of intelligence is likely to be
4,
one party can be Influenced by no motive but
self: interest, which is here also the interest Of
the public while the other party may be inhu-
enced by party politics. sectional jealousy, love
of power, and a thousand disturbing causes"
g. "a work of this sort will be executed at
much less expense by private individuals, than
by a government The costliness of all public
works is everywhere proVerbial. The greater
the number of intermediate agencies by which
any work is performed, the more imperiectly is
the work done, and the greater is the unnecessa-
ry expenditure. Now, government IS itself an
agent: 1t must perform the work by means OF
another set of agents. Under these may be half
a dozen others, in the form of contractors and
sub-contractors. All these unnecessary agencies
must be paid out OF the public purse and their
accounts ad busted by those who have no special
motive 10 encourage economy. All this is re-
versed when those who conduct the work, pay
for it themselves and whose profits, in the end,
must depend upon the goodness of the work and
the cheapness of its execution" 4. "A work
of this kind. when completed will be more
faithfully superintendent by private, than by
public owners. The private owner knows that
he must conduct his operations economically,
and maintain the favor of the public; or else he
will gain nothing by his investment A govern
ment is under no such salutary check.o 5. "But
I'LL y, ,h.,
works to the public is, the amount of patronage
which it must, OF necessity, place in the hands
of government The power to make roads
and canals whenever it pleased, and 10 employ
upon them Whomsoe it pleased, once placed
in the hands of party would perpetuate it in Of
flee forever, in spite of any violation of right
which it might perperate, or any corruption of
which it might be guilty. There is too much
reason TO fear, that a large portion ofthe invest
ment in internal Improvements made by our
State authorities will prove an almost total loss"
For these. and many other reasons, we believe
the safest general rule is to leave works of this
kind to private enterprise. In order to accom-
plish this desirable OBJ ect. we propose to take
from the Legislature the power to carry on a
general system OF internal improvements and
to borrow money on the credit of the State for
that purpose This ruinous system of appropri-
alton and heavy taxation has given Use to what
is familiarly known as the "BAsIs" question,
and which has SO long divided the Eastern and
Western sections of the State. The East con-
tending, that if they yield the preponderance in
the Legislature, that the West will unjustiy tax
them for the purpose of making improvements
in the West, from which the East can derive lit
tie or no advantage. Now, we believe that if
this dangerous power OF making appropriations
for internal improvements by the Legislature
were taken away this yeAed "Basis' question
would be settled forever. The East would no
longer fear unjust taxation, and would consent
to the basis of representation proposed by the
West Annual sessions of the Legislature could
be dispensed with. The ordinary expenditures
of the government would be greatly reduced, SO
that the taxes to be paid would be buta fraction
of the present enormous rates. Unless this is
done we shall never see the end of oppressive
taxation, or cease to hear bitter contentious on
the basis of representation.
We believe these suggestions are founded upon
principles Of justice and right reason, and there
fore invite the attention of the Press and all
friends Of Reform, to consideration of their i'm
portance. AUGUSTA.
For THE VINpICAToR