The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1875-12-16
A Contrast,

We are indebted to Gov. Kemper for the fol-
lowing exhibit of the comparative expenses Of
the State government before and since the war;.
While he did not, evidently, design to adduce'
an argument against the manner in Which the
Conservative party has administered the af-.
fairs of the State, it is neverthelcss significant
showing OF the reckless disregard OF the peo-
pies interests that party has manifested
While this is the fact, as officially stated by the
highest officer in the State government, the
very class of men who have brought about t lis
deplorable condition Of tIiing>, are loud in their
denunciations Of earpet-bag rule in the more
Southern States. The Conservative party has
had undisputeu control of every branch of tlic
State government of Virginia, ever since 1860.
yet the comparison made by the Governor, of
what the expenses were before secession. anil
since reconstruction, do not place Virginia
mach behind the most extravagant of the
Southern States. When we take into consid-
Grafton the assets of the State which have been
sqnandered, amounting to something like $780,
600, 900, the depreciation Of the landed inter-
est of the Commonwealth and the retrogrado
tendency of everything connected with the
should close the mouths Of the blatant teE,a-
gogues whose stock-in-trade is pointing out
the sins OF other communities. Let them take
the beam out of their own eyes before they cs-
say to pluck the moat out Of their neighbours.
The Governor says, and to his statement we.
call particular attention, in the hope that the
popular Intelligence may be arrested and the,
truth fairly considered
The following statistics are submitted with q:
view to thoughtful investigation and ACTION
During the period of ten years, ending with
the year 1860 inclnsively. the average annual
taxation was twenty nine cents OIL the one
hundred dollars. and the average annual dis
bursements of the government were : For leg
isaive expenses. 500, 6l9. Is for criminal ex
penses, s65, 4293; AMI for all the ordinary ex-
penses of the government, Including the two
foregoing items, 1898 ,236 81 For tile last six
fiscal years the corresponding disbursements
have annually averaged: For legislative cxpeil-
SEES $lS7, 599.22 for criminal expenses, $l45,-~
S30.17; and for all ordinary expenses, inclu-
ding the two last mentioned items and exclu-
ding all payments on the debt and for free
schools, S1.0S4, 1920. fhese figures show,
that the average annual cost of supporting the
government has been more than 81 per cent.
greater during the latte: period than the FORM
er, while the rate OF taxation has been increas-
ed by over Y per centlm. In other words. be-
fore the war when Virginia was rich and pros
porous, and embraced GIBBS square miles of
territory and population reaching i'll 1850,
1.696, 31S, the government cost absolutely but
little over half as much as during the latter Pc
Rod of impoverishment, when the State en-
bracea but 3S.3AS SQUARE miles Of te"rjtory, and
her population numbered l.225.lG3. Aud.
relatively, our dwarfed and struggling State
now carries more than twice the governmental
burthens which were borne by the original
Commonwealth in the plcntitudc of its wealth
and power, A simple calculation will show
that if the cost OF the government be now
made relatively what it was before the war,
the present revenues will more than discharge
The annual interest on the debt, and that con-
sequcntly taxation may be reduced,