The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-01-20
The Centennial Bill,

iottioi, II u lIlaIlCr oI surprise TO every DOuy
who feels at all interested or concerned in the
futrre welfare of our Commonwealth. That a
State occupying the historical niche she does,
and sustaining such relatonst to that important
err, we propose to celebrate, should sit by
moodily and selfshly and decline to have any
participation in it, wonld, we conceive, be a
course of condHet, not only repugnant to the
wishes of vast majority OF her people, but
will result in decided injury to her own inter-
ests Ia every possible way. The narrow and
selfish spirit OF sectional bitterness which seeks
to characterize the Exposition as simply q
Yankee ''clap-trap,'' designed to pour money
into the pockets of the Philadclphians, OR q sort
of Northern show, where New England and
her manufactures and products are to vaunt
themselves, is too absurd to be seriously regar-
ded or answered.
Every man, of even limited intelligence.
knows that the contemplated Exhibition is vir-
tually the Worlds Fair, and but repetition of
those which were held at Paris in 1868, and la
ter in Vienna.
America came next in the order Of ma
tions, and it has very naturally occurred
to her people to hold it in the Centennial An
niversary OF our National Independence. 1t is
10 more the result of American sectionalism
OF wireworking, designed to benefit circum
scribed areas OF our territory, than was the
Mammoth Exhibition of the old world, and for
any State or several States of the American
Union to withhold their support, OF rather dis
claim their right to appear and refuse the BEN
etits to be incurred by their appropriate repre-
sentatiGfs tliro' puerile, selfish and absuro,
feeling OF domestic jealousy aud ill nature does
seem to be the very acme of suicidal folly. 1t
would be on the part of grave and dignifed
Old Virginia, an exhibition of the spirit of
''cutting off her nose to spite her facc,'' which
would impress, not only our home people and
neighbors with a sort of pity for the queruious
old dame, but would disappoint our visitors
from the old world, who doubtless have been
led to expect much from one that is not only
the oldest among the confederation of Ameri-
can States, but one regarded rich in all the sub
stantial elements of material wealth. 10 place
any justification of the action Of our assembly
Oh the ground OF economy, would be an insult
thousands day for months in mock legisa-
ton, and pay themselves literally for pro-
traeted absence during the festivities OF the
holidays, and then turn with solemn and long
drawn visages to their constituents and tell
them. in doleful measure, that they are too
poor to go to the Centennial, and have no
means to contribute to Philadelphia's cnpidi-
of 1or e1of.,
enough to freeze any ordinary constituency
into very decided condition Of hopelessness
and despair as to effeeting anything thro7 such
body. Il refuses the appropriation, and
with it all the advantages the State might de-
rive from it. 1t denies her this great and
maybe never TO be repeated opportunity to ex-
hibit, in greater quantity and at less expense,
than ever before the matches products OF her
soil and her minas. While Pennsylvania and
every other mineral State, middle or western.
win have spread before the gaze of the cigili-
zed woil the various grades OF iron, copper,
and every other ore taseir earth affords, Viz
ginia rcputed by many, the most fortunate of
ALL in the possession OF these elements of
wealth, and Whose whole cry for the past de-
cale and whose principal endeavor has been for
an opportunity to bring before the attention of
capitalists at home and abroad the evidence OF
her latent ,resources-now that the supreme &C.
casion has arrived and the field for effective and
successful exhibition is placed on her very bor-
ders, refuses the golden opportunity aud SUI
pinely and sllki!y lying back on her poverty
and Incidence, talks Of her onerous bu: dens Of
debt and taxation and bemoans a way and the
means to develop her resources. Thro' the in
sanelY short sighted policy OF Withholding from
the State the small amount, which, after all
instead of being saved to the people will simply
b e consumed in prolonging a profit!ess session.
she is to be dropped from the list of National
Exhibitors, ard so lose for herself the adver-
tisement which all the other members OF our
federal family are to receive and profit by
Prof. Mallet, Of the University of Virginia, an
accomplished mineralogist, at the head Of the
Virginia commission in this departments had
sometime since entered with great zeal and en- :
ergy upon the discharge of his duties, but bis re
alization of the fact that without aid from the
State, the proper and credtablc representation
of his department could not be effected, added
to dispair Of any timely aid from the legislature,
prompted his resignation, which was lately
rendered with q very able letter, enbodying
his reasons for declining to serve. We are not
sufficiently penetrating to comprehend the
intricate and complex system Of retrenchment
and economy, as developed and practiccd by
the majority of our present legislators, but it
does seem from the first and superficial glance
we take at the matter, that there is very little
practical economy in q deliberative body pom
derng for two or three weeks at daily cost to
the State of between three and four thousand
dollars, the propriety of making an appropria-
ton which, at last accounts, these watchfu |
servants have reduced to $1,000, and whether
the State would have been the loser if a month
ago the original amount Of ten thousand dol
lars had been promptly devoted. or even twice
that amount and the time, the very costly time
of the House saved, weleaye to any mind that
is acquainted with the parliamentary principles
of arithmetic to determine. We still hope that
this body will be recalled ina some measure to
sense of the Importance of the appropriation,
and that sum amply commensurate will be
afforded in time to enable the State to collect
her material and be properly and advanta-
gcously entered among the exhibitors.