The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1866-02-14

to be 81 ,253, 4l5.5o. .a
{. Since I wrote the foregoing, have re-
ceived the Wheeling Register of Janu-
ary Is, containing what seems to be, a
carefully prepared communication
from William e. Arnold, Esq, of West
Virginia. from (which i make the fol-
lowing extracts. The facts appear to be
compiled from official documents, and
are, doubtless, correctly stated:
ANTERIOR to 1888 the sum of SO Sll IA 04
had been expended by the State OF Virginia
for internal improvements.
Navigation companies. 45dg6gS W
Plank roads n n
1='i,na 20
brlngeS tSS ~
State 4i1lSVo oA
HAtthesession of 1853 the additional sum of
S5,9l7, 600 was appropriated, and since paid.
To railroads CO0
NaNtgnttou com 64lJgOy
Turnpike companies 106iUOO
"And to this sum may be added $751;
900, appropriated TO works OF internal inn
provement prior thereto, snd not heret9toEe
called for, but since organized, and which
may, and doubtless have been, demanded
making in the aggregate the total sum OF
s3l 609,474 OF paid by the State for works of In
ternal Improvement. -sJfE
by an examination of thereport of ]. N.
Bennett, ESD, late Auditor OF public ACCOUNTS
of Virginia, untler date of December 10, 1850,
twill be seen that the outstanding public
debt of Virginia, estimated to the lst of Janu-
debt Of the state was about s, 10000. and that
by estimating the back interest 1twonld swell
the public debt of Virginia in round numbers
"There may exist in the minds OF some q
difficulty. in reconctling the deficiency be-
tween the 81. 10000 Of public debt and the
ments. But when 1t viii be recollected that
much of the public debt OF Virginia IS made
principal, we apprehend the difficulty will be
easily solved. Take for example the James
River and Kanawhn Canal. The original
but by, the process of conversion and funding,
the prihcipaIis now 900, upon which
the State pays the interest"
What proportion of the expenditures
since 1850, which have thus swelled the
debt of Virginia to such enormous pro-
portions, has been made for internal
improvements within the limits of
West Virginia have no means of as
eertaining; but when we remember that
most of the railroads of Virginia have
either been wholly built or finally COM
pleted since 1850, none of which are
within West Virginia, we may reason
priation for the benefit of West Vir-
9inia has been smaller than it was prior
to that time. / think 1 might say that
the total amount of appropriations ex-
pended for rinternal improvements with
in the limits of the new State, from the
beginning of the Commonwealth to the
wear 1861, does not exceed 5000, 600
does not exceed one-tenth, perhaps not
fifteenth of the whole amount.
And vet West Virginia contains one
third of the whole territory of the old
State. 80
1 do not forget the apology frequently
offered to excuse this fact, namely, that
we paid but small portion of the taxes
of the Commonwealth, and were, there
fore, entitled to but small appropria-
tions in return. This complaint only
adds insult to injury. We are reproach-
ed with our poverty, which is the result
of the policy which impoverished us.
"Go, therefore, now, and work: for
there shall no straw be given you, yet
shall We deliver the tale of bricks"
History often repeats itself. Pharonh
still lives in the spirit of his successors.
But what are the facts in this respect
The amount of taxes assessed on lands,
lots, and all other subjects of taxation,
excepting licenses, in the entire State of
Virginia for the year 1889 was $2, ,6OS,
O51 40. OF this sum S522, 1868 25 were as
sessed on the counties embraced within
the limits ofWest Virginia, being about
one-fifth of the whole amount. She
embraces one-third of the territory, and
paid one-fifth of the taxes, The taxes
which the counties invest Virginia
paid into the treasury of Virginia in
1COUt N6E6 FUolatSVa 3AANGA thA41 WIG
ence Is not so great. What proportion
of our taxes has been returned to us in
the way of improvements we have al
ready seen. -.rs, rssr.- a. m
But Mr.. Garnett continues his COM
plant. BE says: -F-fszes
''..Ia vie,D Of tte past, he thought Vest
Virginia had exhibited a i0dIlt of graft
t,tde by voluntarily seUeFiagi the eonnec-
tioTt." tli@ -
This, to any person familiar with the
constitutional and legislative history of
Virginia, is an astonishing assertion.
1t req uired no small amount of audaci-
ty to make it, What would "view of
tho past,p if had any disposition to
revert to it, unfoldf Ihad rather forget
mem0ries. But for thirty years and
more Western Virginia has been petit
tioning and struggling for a redress OF
grievances. 1t has been asking for aid
to developitS resources, and receiving
none. Ithas been asking for bread and
receiving stones. It has been remon-
strating against inequality of represen-
tation and equality of taxation; against
principles and policies involving the
personal degradation of its citizens;
against insult and contumely. 1t were
easy to verify. all these allegations as
Mr.. Garnett knows very we'll. Did he
not know that down to the breaking out
ern Virginia under twelve years of age
were exempt from all taxation, ;whfle
every pig and colt and calf OF Western
Virginia was taxed TO its utmost value?
That slaves over twelve years of age
were only taxed at the average nominal
value of $500 each, while their real
average value wnS upward of 5000 ench1
Does he not know that representation
was based, not on population or suf-
frage, but on taxes and population
combined, so as virtually to clothe a
holding minority with poltti-
cal power over n popular matoritya
Does he not know that at the forma-
ton of the constitution OF Virginia, in
force at the time she seseded, there was
a majority of white inhabitants west of
the Blue Ridge exceeding ninety thou
sand, and yet that the basis Of repre-
sentation was so adjusted as to give the
minority east OF the ridge the control of
the Legislature7 Does he not know
that western white men were taxed to
nav forneSro slaves executed for crime
Does he not know all this and much
more that was equally unjust and de-
rogatory to the rights and feelings of
West Virginia? And yet he denonnceS
tsher ingratitude by voluntarily sever
ing the ectiOn'1-ingratitude for
refusing to follow East Virginia into
the folly and crimes of treason and re-
and dishonoT which have overtaken
her. N lasls ---s -s.aa5-l
But / will not further pursue this
theme. Sincerely believing that the
separate existeneeof the two States will
best promote the harmony, happiness,
and prosperity of both, I would gladly
bury the differences of the past, and il
we are to have any future rivalry, let it
be for the precedence, within our re-
speetiye spheres, of progress and de-