Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1863-10-09
A GOOD MOVE.

n WUUU U1Ut ~.
Bills have heen offered in both
Houses Of the General Assembly for
the purpose Of regulating the prices OF
articles Of produce and manufacture
and the profits of dealers. AS gem
cral thing ne are opposed 70 laws, Oh
as itsi,ss been tle case in certain To-
Eealitirs since the commencenen of
The war, to officiaIs atteml ting to reg
sflates the prices of any thing, espe-
Gully the necessities Of life, since they
bring abo,tt a greater evil the reten-
zion Of and consequent scarcity of
these articles, but however much we
may be disposed to object to legisla-
tim, on such subjects, we are COM
PEELED to believe that law for the
purpose Of regulating the prices Of ar
tielrs generally, would be of incalcu-
liable advantage now. tools people and
country. These two propositions may
seem contradictory, but we are con-
WINGED Of the justice OF both
.s The prices Of articles have been
s(anl continue to b,) exaggerated to
such anaextcnt, owing to a State Of
war, when eve, ,thing runs into excess,
not excepting tlie'iissuc of money, SUI
rcriidnced by other things and effect
ing other things also, that it will he
impossible tor the poorer classes toob-
tain the actual necessaries oflife. The
farmer feeling this says, when selling
his pro luce, that he knows that he is
asking an enormous price (lilsewise ths
Manufacturer and MsSrlc Kant in refer
enee to their artieles) but is compelled
to ask this price in order to supply the
wants Of those dependent upon him,
but adds that he would willingly re-
turn to OLD PRICES if every one else
would. This is universally the case
and there is a great deal of truth in
it, but how to get all to return to old
prices is the question. The man who
would drop down from making two
and three Cor more) hundred per cent
to ten, fifteen, twenty or twenty-five
4rs u -
per cent as in times past, when all
others are making their hundreds per
cent, would be ruined thereby, as he
would soon consume profits and cap
ital in the foolish undertaking and
while this is the case the experiment
will not, can not be made. Were ev-
cry one to do thus upon the simple
knowledge that it had been COM
menced by one OF two or number of
patriotic ones, the case would be diff
ferent, but we would find many try
ing to take advantage Of the low prices
of these few while they would sell at
high prices and thus defeat the worthy
object of the few and hence it can read
lily be seen that there is but one way
to reduce the prices and that is by
legislative enactment, bearing equally
upon all, and causing all to commence
at the same time. Satisfied that this
is the case we are in favor of the inn
mediate passage ofsuch law, ard be-
lieye the Legislature will be untrue to
itself as we know it will be untrue to
the people of Virginia if it does not
pass law accomplishing the end pro-
posed
We have been brought into imme-
date juxtaposition with the people
lately and we know, from their ex-
ceedingly cheerful concurrence in an
act calculated to improve the curren-
cy and consequently reduce the prices,
that they will hail, with great delight,
any law that will reduce the prices Of
all things equally. Let the members
Of the Legislature then act as men
and patriots and pass promptly such
a bill as the exigency demands. This
action should not be confined to the
Old Dominion but should be concurred
in by every State in the Confederacy
and it will take no great victories of
our armies to raise the confidence. Of
the people since they will then have
gained the. great victory, Of the war,
over their own cupidity and ayaricious
selfishnsss.
fsss --------------------
80.