Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-10-14
ADDRESS OF THE STATE eoNsEavATIv =
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STATE CONSERVATIVE COMMITTEE,
September 30, 1875.

State for the choice of members of the
House OF Delegates and Of one>hali OF
the Senate The election is an impor
tant one, and should call out full Vote
of The Conservative party. That party
has held control of the State since is
relations to the Union were restored,
aud through its wisdom and energy the
affairs of the State have been managed
by the Intelligence and experience OF
her people and all laws, State and Fed
eral, have been administered with an
Impartial eye to the rights of all 4nen,
regardless of class, color, nativity or Pc.
litical opinion. To continue this as
tendency, ii is necessary that the Com
servative party should secure MAORI
ty in both branches of the Legislature,
This is the most important department
of the State government. 1t Yields
vastly more power than. the executive
and judicial departments combined, and
its acts operate directly upon tie busi-
ness aud interests Of the people. IL
fills the Judiciary 10y its own selections,
ana with a power by two-thlrds vote
to override the veto Of the Executive,
it practically controls The executl e
power of the State. It passes all laws
affecting our civil rights, and all laws
affecting the privileges and immunities
which belong to us as citizens OF the
Stale. 1t controls the whole educa'
tional system as prescribed by the con
s:;tntion, and Is entrusted with the adj
! ministraton of the funds raised by tax
alton for educational purposes. Ii is
clothed with the power to impose tax
es. and to disburse the taxes when Col
lectel. and determines how much mon-
ey shall be raised by taxation, and from
what sources. The whole internal i'm
provement policy Of the State, her rail-
roads and Canals and the necessary
provision to meet the interest on that
portion OF the public debt assumed ny
the State, are subjects that Will engage
the attention oflhe Legislature and call
tor the exercise Of the highest quail
ties of craftsmanship. The subject Of
the public debt is alluded to not To-
the purpose Of discussing the merits
of the arrangements by which the
State assumed this portion Of the debt.
il is enough for us all who respect the
laws Of the State as construed by its
In.hest legal tribunal 10 know that the
Supreme Court Of Appeals of the State
has sustained the validity of this ar~
raugement, and declared that TO the
extent It has been accepted by the
creGitors,it is contract which the Leg
islature had the power to make; that
il is binding on the State, and that
there is no power IN the Legislature or
elsewhere TO repeal, annul OF modify it.
And il is in Difference to the opinion Of
this high tribunal, which all law abidS
ing citizens should uphold and defend,
that the Legislature has heretofore enr
deayored to pay the interest on the
portion Of the debt thus assumed by
The State. And now that lis efforts in
this bchall appear likely TO be crowned
with success and the interest paid, ii
would be the heigbth Of madness to
make it the subject Of an angry dis
cussion within the ranks Of the Cons
sentative party. In pursuance Of the
policy heretofore adopted by the Leg
islature, and by means Of the present
rate Of taxation, the State is now pay
ing about five per cent. on her portion
I'd the debt, and by means Of the Sink
ing Fund annually paying off a part Of
tt,a ,,v;t,t.i.1al l,o,r aholt
cent. Of the interest to be provided for.
Your committee believe that, by reason
Of the rapidly increasing taxable val~
ues throughout the State, that the ads
ditonal amount necessary to meet the
full interest oD the public debt can be
raised, if the present assessment law be
enforced and the commissioners Of the
revenue viii do their duty, without in~
creasing the rate of taxation ON pros
petty or merchants licenses. But
should this fail, chen the additional sum
c..a be raised by the selection Of new
Subjects Of taxation, which, ifjudicious-
ly chosen, will throw the additional
tax on those best able to bear the bur
den; and whilst 1t viii avoid any in
crease of the rate of taxation on pros
perry and merchants licenses, will
maintain the honor and integrity Of the
State by meeting her obligations, and
will forever remove this disturbing
element from the councils Of the Con-
servative party 1t is because so little
remains to be done to pay the interest
on the public debt, and that this can
be done by the present rates Of taxa
ton, that your committee deprecate the
introduction OF this subject into the
present canvass An embittered dis-
cusSion Of this subject on the hustings
is not calculated to prepare the min DIS
of members for the calm consideration
Of this grave question when they shall
assemble at the Capitol.
We have referred to some of the
vast powers welded by the Legislature.
1t would be difficult, if not impossible,
to enumerate all the powers of that. boz
dy, as it exercises all the legislative
powers which reside IN the people in
their sovereign capacity, except 50 far
as it is restricted by the Constitution of
the State and by the Constitution Of the
United States. This reference to It's
leading powers is made simply for the
purpose OF calling the attention Of the
Conservative party to the importance
Of the election about to take place, and
to urge them to an earnest effort TO
secure the control of a body entrusted
with such grave and responsible duties.
No Conservative is willing TO see
tie Legislature pass into the hands of
the Republican party For short
time this party held power in the State
underth Reconstruction laws, and as
an evidence of their fitness for govern