The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1872-01-20

ed, and gives them an inestlmable and
abiding value to that section. This value
% progressive and not susceptible Of being
fixed. So certainly Il this the case that L
is probable If 1t were practicable to utter.
ly extinguish these improvements, and
thereby extinguish the debt, that the
State where they arc located would not
listen to such proposition.
II may be assumed that the public
works for which the debt was created are
worth what they cost. Virginia by sell.
ing, donating, and disposing Of these
works as her Own property, without re.
gard TO the rule laid down BY Chancellor
Kent, and without consulting West Wiz.
gtnia, must be taken 10 have accepted
them on that basis, and Is therefore char.
geable with them on that basis.
When the tables are consulted they will
show an expenditure Of over thirty mil.
lions In Virginia and about two and a
half millions in West Virginia. Much Of
this latter was expended at comparatively
recent dates, whereas the expenditures In
range through a period OF fifty
years, with benefits accruing more or less
throughout that period. In the light Of
such facts, we submit that no intelligent
mind, wishing only to do Justice, can
doubt Tor o moment that tho benefits con.
leITed, and NOT the territory and popula.
ton, should De the principal II not the
only basis Of an adjustment of the debt.
The Governor Of Virginia, in his message
Of 1870, and again in 1871, and the legis.
lature Of that State, by is funding bill,
seem, however, TO have entirely over.
looked tue foregoing considerations, and
TO have jumped 10 the conclusion that
West Virginia should pay one.third Of the
debt.
We sec the case differently. On the
one hand, for instance, we sec rich cities,
marts OF all kinds, nayiCable
rivers, fine harbors, q highly improved
and productive territory, wealthy capital
lists and well.to.do people, public insti-
tutions such as State Capitol and extern
'ive public grounds, an Executive Man.
sion, a penitentiary, armory, university,
Two Lunatic Asylums, military institute,
4 blind asylum, valuable miscellaneous
and law library, large literary fund and
The United States deposit Of surplus
revenue. All these resources in addition
10 the vast millions invested in canals and
railroads and other avenues of inland
commerce.
On the other hand we sec set in the
balance against these rich resources the
territory Of West Virginia, less than one.
Third Of the old State, much of Il broken
INTO barren mountains and hills, no nsyi
gable streams penetrating II in every di.
tection, no railroad hut the Baltimore Il
Ohio, no public works or institutions, her
ands mostly covered with unbroken
orests and rewarding industry but grudg-
ngly, no outlets in the interior Tor the
little surplus existing, the people poor
md subsisting by rough work in the
woods and fields, possessed of no capital
Therewlth either TO develop their local..
les or amClorate their own condition in
ilei in TACT their only wealth being for the
most part their poor soil, their untiring
perseverance and their indOmitable love
u liberty.
And yet, notwithstanding this great
discrepancy between the condition and
esources OF the two States, Virginia as
igns one.third OF her funded and com.
Wounded debt to West Virginia TO pay,
imply because the latter has one.third Of
he territory and one.iourth the population
ormcrly belonging TO the wole State.
And this, too, Notwithstanding her papers
AVE often proclaimed that West Vir- |
5inia was foster child OF the old State,
md rs such dependent upon her bounty,
This opinion we shall not stop To discuss,
md we only refer TO II as showing the ill.,
between the theory and praC.
Ice OF our Virginia friends. Surprising it
o be correct, the explanation as to how
I came about can never he made credi-
able 10 those who laVished all their ia
'Ors on one section of the State and with
leld them from the other, and the yindi.
alton o.. the step taken by. West Mir.
,inia during the war inseparating from
he old State Consists largely Of this tradi-
ional discrimination against her. And in
his connection II may not be out of place
o notice that tho increase of population
n West Virginia during the decade rrUm
800 10 1870 was of character 10 still
urther vindiCatc the step taken, it being
bout thirty per cent. This large in.
'rease illustrates her onward march since
Ter separation from her former foster par.
mt, and tends TO suggest how far in ad.
'ancc OF her present position she really
night have been had she received in the
last anything more than "the crumbs
nat Iell IrOuI Ilu EIeII mars I.IuiO.'
We come now TO the conclusion OF our
'cport. Having given our reasons why
We dissent entirely from the position Of
Virginia in reference to the debt, we pro.
iced to state ourown conclusions in regard
o it as follows:
Statement A, as annexed to our report,
shows that the bonded debt OF Virginia
IN tho first of January, 1861 alter all dCduc.
ions was $31 ,779,OO7, SO.
The same Statement also shows that
all Of said debt was expended within the
present State of Virginia, with the excep.
lion of $2,7S4.320,2O.
Statement E shows that 1895, ZOO, 90 was
from counties in West Virginia,
after January 1st, 1861. I
Statement F shows that the amount of
for all purposes in West Vir.
yinia was $3,343, 029,29.
We are not able TO say certainly what
part Of this expenditure was from the pro.
ceeds Of Statebonds, land, Therefore, a part
Of the State debit and what part was ap.
propriNted from the regular receipts ofthe
treasury. We have had access To no data
that could determine the question. Our
letter to the Second Auditor at Richmond
sought information on this point in vain.
But we have given Virginia the benefit Of
It all Us credit on her side of the account
although the resolutions under which wC
are acting contemplate nothing on the
part Of West Virginia but an assumption
of her proportion Of the bonded debt, in.
asmuch as both sections, and particularly
Virginia, received appropriations out OF
The ordinary receipts Of the treasury.
We have charged West Virginia with
al that we have found expended within
her limits, viz: The amount of the fun.