The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1873-02-27

ars to B aud gave his duo bill. 3. owsd-
G. aud transferred the due bill to c. Thus
Bis debt was Cancelled. The due bill went
on in this way through tweoty-three hands,
all neghbors and friends, until 1t iualiy came
into the possession Of person who owed a,
He gave the due bill up to A. and took his
receipt for the Indebtedness. Thus this SIN
gle due bill paid its face value OF indebted
ness twenty-three times and came at last to
its originator. 1t then represented the can
collation. Of five hundred and seventy five dol
lars Of Indebtedness This is not fancy
sketch, but .au actual fact. We have taken
the due bill as an illustration only because it
bore on its back record of It's travels. There
is no doubt but anons the twenty-three per-
sons through whom that. due bill passed there
were several who had the money in thel.
pockets. II ssthey had. used thai. mossYis y.
freely as they used the dae.biA, the due bill
never would have been made and The debt it
represented would never have been contract
ed. Hence We Insist that fit we're just az
customary to pay cash. as it is to contractsip-
debtedness the entire general indebtedness
could always be paid just as easily as a part
of it is now paid-and thus the immense loads
which accumulate every where and weigh ey-
cry one down, and as we have shown, hamper
both public ard private enterprise would at
once roll off and disappear. There is money
enough in the country if it were only put IN
circulation The trouble is that too many a
person feels richer with Eve dollars in his
pocket than he does after he has used that
money to pay an indebtedness of five dollars
In fact there is no difference. If this could
be realized there would be less of locking uE
money, more payment Of debts, less contract.
ing of indebtedness, and less of the attendant
evils.
We think we have written enough to de.
monstrate the truth Of our proposition that
the evil aud the cure lie deeper than enact
| tuCuL5 anu IcsOIUtlUu5 Cdu IGGCu-tuIt IL Il
with the people and that by them alone it car
be eradicatcd that each Individual must bea
his share Of the reformatory work-and tha
it is useless to attempt to shift the burden Il
other shoulders.
I. is true that it is the business aad dat,
Of the General Assembly to provide -
present State debt in some way-that 6cl
belongs to them and they should be ned t.
strict account for the discharge of the duty
1t is duty which admits of no postpoumcn Mt
Had the first General Assembly which me
after the war was over, done its duty, mil
lions of interest would have been saved. lie
this one take warning and profit by the ez
pcrience of its predecessors.
But for the future the cure Of the evil
with the people and can only be found in
change of habit and sentiment in this respee
} In this work the General Assembly can rer
der very valuable aid. While they proyid
proper examination in favor Of the wife m
children of the debtor aud shield them frol
l the heartleas ex: ctions of the creditor, X
them provide suitable laws by which the co
: lection of debts shall be far mere easy. ce
tain and speedy than now, and by which Il
laws delays" may be removed in the erea
s est degree consistent with justice. Such d
enactment would do more to restore the m
terial and financial prosperity Of the Sta
than ali the stay LAWS and immigration bures
! that can be created.