Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1873-12-02
For the Spirit of Jefferson, and the Free Press
will please copy.l
STAY-LAW.

7fr. Editor FL see that the F,se Press
and SPIRIT are both out against stay-Iaw. and
am free to admit that nothing but the present
condition ofxthe money matters of the country /
could Justify it. But they not only, in my 4
opinion, do justify d CON itional stay law, and
such 81 an one asthe memorials now being signed
largely call tor, but render it pre- eminently
expedlent and just: In reply to both eds
torials onathat subject, permit me to mention
some reasons for the opinion SO ex pressed..-
I will do SO, as think you have both over
looked the peculiar and grave circumstances
surrounding tho subject, and which can be-
neither PARTED by the suasion of the Free
Press or lufed by the onslaught of your own
article. You;are, both, speaking from wrong
premises, when, you put up a; stay>law in the
general,and not ini the present, peculiar, land
critical condition of the country Every one
knows that ifamoney. is to be paid, and es.
pecially If property is be forced to salesto
pay that is the bound en- duty Of the ov-
eminent to see that, there shall be an ade-f
quate supply of money in the country for. all
lts business and exigen cies,; but W hat, is the
fact! Why while this country requires from
$40 to $50 to the head to transact its busi-
oman average there is only S13!6o,n and 10
this locality, and many Others, in sthe South.
not SIS to the head Is this mo, reason for
atay-lsw until the deficiency is supplied2 and
does il not sound like the taskmasters of Egypt
ito their boudssmen who, were required 10
make !" brick without straw, under this state
of the case TO bawl at the top Of s1 YOUR i lungs
.. 'ye are idle, 'ye are idle" alabor abor ?se
Nor is this all, but these very N men WHO. have
Brought about this very state Of affairs the
speculators and usurers ST the land, by dis
vefting all the money of the couh TRY from the
very ind ustries Of the country, and for which
and which only the people intended #, to utn,
productive stock sjobb inga, and Speculative rail.
roads, are now the men who, having failed in
theirstock gam bling and speculative railroads,
desire. to make up their losses by cornering
tho wholeindustry ofthe country and its prop
Eerty too, especially its lands: And the most
impudent5 feature in the whole affair too is
that, while they look upon a stay-law for
farmers and all debtors with holy horror, these
bond -au.ocrats and money-mon gers-these
spectators and usurers-they, themselves,
have without the aid of the legislature, and
of their own will and motion, passed a stny-
loW for their own benefit: For what else but
stay>la is the suspension of the Banks
That swindlins vilainy, the United States
Banks leading the way, and forcing all other
Banks to follow suit j T. respectfully. Submit
Mr.. Editor with all Differences to your iiudp-
nent, and that Of your brother Editors Of the
Free Press, official counselors of the people
though .ye be. that, under such circumstances,
while they will, no doubt, thank you for your
good Intentions, it will be wise in the peonle
to consult their own upderstan ding and brains.
and to try at least to manage their own affairs
In their own way, where so much is at stake
and by all means to hurry up the memorials.
l,,ke ~ q
hope they will use it with Industry. The
wolves are bowling behind them. constables.
sheriffs. lawyers, clerks, usurers and shavers
but never mind that let them howl it is
their nature so to do; but hurry up and check
mate their stay law by your oicn IF they are
entitled to stay-law of their own making.
fair play should entitle the peorle to ono too,
s'od'ous or not o0ions" as stay laws NAV be.
One word more, and in regard to the Vir-
GINA siav>law, referred to and quoted by YOU
and the Editors of the Free Press. ar,l T have
done. You, both, refer to it as a "case in
point, and hold it up as an awful beacon
against all stay-laws. Permit me to tell YOU
that, in quoting the Virginia 'stay-law as a
''case in point" you have followed the .ex-
ample of'the most indifferent lawyers at the
bar; l mean those known as'"co$e ldnyers.''
Unable to reason on pure law and principle,
judges with their eternal cases which, NAV be
very good law in themselves, but not appli.
cable to the case at bar, and Simply because
the Jdcfs and Circumstances are totally DIFF
ferent. Though not lawyers yourselves, I
cant help thinking you must have rubbed
against one of the cease l.wycrs' when you
quoted the Virginia stay>law against the one
we seek. That stay-!aw estopped principal
and interest. This we ask does not; SO there
will be no accumulation of debt That STAY
law passed at time when there was $40 n
head to the people of currency, and this is
asked when, by desi:y7atng contraction, there
is but $3.50 to the head That law passed
when land in Virginia sold as High as 800
per acre, aye 1925, Ills. when lanSs worth
500, now. are sold for So and the courts are
constantly iojoining and refusing to confirm
sales, IS prayed for. And besides, MI. Ed
itors, even in Virginia, it was not the stay
ta'o that did The mischief, but, as before said,
the contraction of the currency from $40
head to about SIT aud now fallen to iSl3. 60
when we ask a stay-lsw..s 1hooe. bvthis fine
You see some little distinction in the two yery
different cases. II you don't, [ think the
people will see it, and feel it too, if thew are
miss advised, and suffer this Legislature to ad-
jonrn without providing for their protection
In these most critical and perilous times I
advise them, by all means, to look 70 their
own security. and to sign these tnem6rials.-
l am not deferred, and will not be, by few
big words about the fodium attaching to The
''authors and originators of stay-laws."
take the responsibility for my advice, and YOU
must take it for yours, and events and co6se-
quences will decide between u.s. 'rHa- 80
Summit Point, Nov. 25th, 1873.
g - r.
SERIOUS Acc1DENr.--On Tuesday morn
ing last. as Mr.. Joseph Morgan. of this county.
was preparing to take a deer hunt, of which