Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1856-04-11
Who Is RcsponSihle Z


taxes and embarrassed condition of the State They
are mOnstrous willing to have partner in bearing
the responsibility Of raising money but they
want any body to help them spend money To this
latter task they perfectly competent without
aid or encouragement from any quarter but for the
odous task of replenishng the treasury there they
must have helpers
The Enquirer tells that the last Legislature is
responsible for the embarrassments of the State
We never heard any say il waS But the pre-
ceeding Legislature, and the one before that-and
the one before that agan--they had some hand in
the matter-and each and all were quite Demo
cratic, as the one which has Just adjourned.
But IL is matter of the highest moment TO the
people of the State to know who is responsible
Pu1lic affairs hare been bully managed. That IS
u point conceded on all sides. Now, until il is as
certained, who is responsible for this msnanage-
ment, We have no guarantee against its continuance
To correct an evil YOU must first know its cause
For many Years past, the Democracy have claimed
that they had the majority in all the departments of
the State Government The honors and emouments
pertaining TO that majority they have freely disbur
cd among themselves In law, in logic and in hon
or they would seem to be justly responsible for the
condition Of public affairs.
To evade this legal, logical and honorable respon-
Sibility, the Enquirer suggests, that Internal ln-
proyement-"the stupendous system of Internal I'm
provement" is the true criminal. Hear the Demo
cratic organ!
q" In consequence Of the sNpendous system of In
ternal Improvement, which it has undertaken, the
State finds itself embarrassed by demands that
neither be evaded nor postponed"
This we humbly submit is but repetition of the
Indian theory, which supposes the earth to rest
great tortoise What the tortoise is left the
Imagination. Who the men, who are response
BILE for this "Stupendous system Of Internal Improve
menty" We believe proper response to that in
terrogatory will solve the difficulty.
Many years OF close observation have satisfied us
that the Democratic majorty-not the whole De
mocracy, either in the Legislature or the country,
but active and efficient Democratic majorityhave
deliberately and Systematically used this question of
Improvement, to maintain their party ascendancy. BY
means Of the majority welding the whole power of
the State they would retain in the traces this sec
ton with a railroad, that with turnpike or buy
up another section, with one another improvement
or both, according TO circumstances. This is the
true secret of the stupendous log-rolling system,
which has swamped the resources and debauched
the morals of the Commonwealth. The real and sub
Stantia interests of the State not consulted at
all. The continued ascendancy Of the party was the
sole consideration To this end bids would be thrown
out TO Wing Sections-and have known Wing
members perfectly palsied by these patriotic lures
I'VE the majority" the Democrats would say or
intimate 1--WE have the treasury of the State, and no
man section that does not wink at our mode of adj
ministration shall have cent" The terms being
known, and general scramble proclaimed, of course
the floods Of corruption overflowed the Common
wealth.
That this view is correct, is amply attested by
abundant facts and it imparts deeper shade to the
responsibility which rests upon tie Democracy To
make an honest Of their power and then to fail
might be excused; but when they prostitute their
power To bribery and corruption, bankrupt the State
and saddle the people with double taxes the
penalty in the Code of party, is justly their due
by permitting them to retain their ascendancy a. it
bec~mes difficult for them TO carry on the Go.
yernment,-as their fortunes grow desperate,
they will be forced to more desperate expedients.-
They have already spent some twenty thirty mil
lions Of dollars in beginning stupendous system o
log-roing-n making improvements, which, when
completed, will cut onothers throats and yield
a cent Of TO the State To maintain their
majority, they must enlarge their groling system
and undertake worthless works, and continue
the system, until the whole Commonwealth is involved
in hopeless ruin Nothing but the loss Of credit the
inability to raise money by selling State stock at par
saved us last winter.
The only hope in the long run is for the substan
tial taxpayers of the State, whether Democrats OIL
Wings. to come to the rescue. The party in power
with their Governor proclaiming MORE TAXES
MORE TAXES will not pause in their career, unes.
arrested by the people until they have destroyed thu
credit OF the Commonwealth and extracted the las
dime from the peoples pockets
b,pieI DicLinson