Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-07
WHY VIRGINIA CANNOT GET ON
HER FEET

1t has DeCOmC d udUlI W Say GudI V IL
ginia will be on her feet again when the eff
feet of the two years ago panic is over, but
those who look to the root Of the matter
do not think so. A very weak man stand
ing erect may bear a heavy burden, but
PROSTATE him and he will never be able to
rise with it. The burden that Virginia has
to rise under is seuen millions of dollars Gae-
nu0lly paid by her into the u. s. Treasury
taken from her by the hord of internal
revenue collectors, guagers, store-keepers
and so forth within her borders. In i've
years that would more than pay off her
whole debt, and in nine years would pay
off both hers and the share of West Vlr-
ginia Jumped together. Less than one
third of what she pays the U. 5. Govern
ment each year would pay off all her arear-
age Of interest and pay her interest in ad-
vance for another year. The State tax is
nothing compared with that taken from
US by the U. S. Government and our State
tax is spent in our midst, while that paid
to the Federal Government goes beyond
our borders never to return. 1t is a regu-
very life blood of Virginia. The farmer
delves the year round, the mechanic, who
is fortunate enough to get work, sweats
the year out, with only holidays from labor
which mean starvation to him and his, the
merchant cuts all corners close to pay his
rent and clothe his family and at the end
Of the year, after all is done. the disheart-
ening spectacle is witnessed OF the United
States Government officers walking off to
Washington with seuen millions Of dollars
all our earnings and savings of the year:
our own debts-the interest on what we
owe unpaid, our people depressed and al
most disheartened, and the officers of the
U. S. Government hieing to Washington
with smiling faces to deposit all we have
worked for, in the U. s. Golfers. And then
the Government organs scattered In our
midst twit the honest, handwriting,
robbed people with their inability to meet
the State debt. Taxing up Richmond
paper yesterday we saw the returns from
that district for the last year, showing that
this district alone paid to the U. S Gov
eminent So ,523 600. Three and Il half mil
lion dollars from the metropolitan district!
And this does not include the Custom
house exactions which are carried to WASH
ington through another channel. The
county Of Augusta pays to the U. S. Gov
eminent nearly one hundred thousand dol
lars every year. Mr.. Stuart made good
and very true showing the other day OF
what the county got back from the State
in the Way of money expended on the pub
lie institutions. but he should also have
stated that when she does get it back the
United States steps in and carries it all off.
In fact it carries off the whole prosperity
of the State. 1t doesn't tase away ohe
land, for it has to leave that for our people
to sweat over for another year to make
another seven millions, but it takes away
all the money out Of the State. The Fed
eral taxation has simply become uneeara-
ble-li,erally so, for if the people of Viz
ginia were the most willing tax payers i'll
the world they are not able to stand it.
The land in the State won't bear it d
land which would ''blossom like a rose"
but for the grinding government at Wash
ingtcn which is suffoca ting weight upon
it.
And there is no prospect of relief with
out change of administration. The ex-
penses OF the national government are
about $500 600 900, and there is no sign of
q let up on the part of those who have the
KEY to the situation. The Democratic
House can only keep the burden from be-
Ing made heavier; the Republican Senate
Neeps them from tightening it. One Sui
ming example of the financial good Of an
opposition success is the killing Of the
scheme to impose hundreds Of millions On
the country by means of the Pacific Rail
road subsidy and other schemes, but the
the Democracy hasn't got hold of the adj
ministration and cannot tuln on retrench-
ment in abuses alre ady existing by law
So far from looking TO lessening the bur
den of the people in his last message Pr
ident Grant proposed a tax on coffee to In
crease the revenues of the Government. -
Luckily he has a Democratic House II
deal with and our farmers and mechanics
won't be bothered with tax collector 81
ting on top OF each coffeep in the land.
The main OBJECT of the Republican par i
now is to divert the attention OF the pee-
pie from the enormous taxation, and the
developments showing what it has done
with the money after it wrung it from
them Its Senators introduce abstract
resolutions about the doctrine of secession
it's President tries to make the people look
viii 70
press talks silted stuff about gre 1t nation
al Ideas, and all the while the people OF Vir-
ginia, some of them not knowing whether
they will own their farms next year. are
sending to Washington seven millions of
dollars annually, and the county OF AL
gusta one hundred thousand Of that.
THE PAY OF THE COUNTY JUDGES
: The House of Delegates has ordered to its
engrossment the bill increasing the pay OF
the county Judges. The provisions are rs
follows: First, it fixes the date at from
which it will begin to operate at January
LIST, 1876. Second, it puts the minimum
salary at $500 instead of 5000. Third, it
makes the per cent. of increase per thou
sand inhabitants SIS instead of $40 as now.
If it is adopted it will m skethe salaries of
judges in 81 counties, $400; in 81 counties.
$3.50 or less, according to population !; in s
counties, 500, and in county, 1896.
ATTEMPTED ASSASSINATION OF a Col
LEGE PREsIDENT.-Not 10. g since Presi-
dent J. NJ. Butler, Of Abingdon, (Il'.l Col
lege, great favorite with the STUDENTS,
was removed, and Rev. o. Pirkey, a roth
er of Rev. Jno. Pirkey, of Strasburg, Va,
appointed in his place. There was much