The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-10-19

We advise tile Shenandoah Democrat TO
learn the propricty of courtesy before it en-.
tiers into q dispute about facts. When it as
sumcs that the interest which Virginia is
legally bound to pay is less than two millions
OF dollars, it confesscs an ignorance or stu
pidity which the past position of its editor does
not warrant 1t is sheer deception for the
Democrats to claim that Virginia is not
bound for the debt and interest which exis-
TED before the funding bill was enacted. The
supreme Court OF the United States, in a
| case taken up from Wyoming Territory, deci-
dedlthe principle involved, and it was so rcgar-
ded by prominent citizens from Virginia and
West Virginia who anxiously awaited the
opinion of the Court 1t is useless for selfish
demagogucs and professional politicians to
try to cover mp from The people the true con-
dition OF the State. This deception has been
practlced long enough. The people are bound
for the amount Of the State debt, and it is
either to pay it Or refuse to pay it.
The Democratic politicians, and not the
people, are those upon whom condemna-
ton should rest, for the shameful mismanage-
ment OF the peoples affairs. and substantial
| ly robbing them of their hard earnings. We
do not admit that these demago.ucs and
trading politicians constitute Virginia. I'M
fortunately they have had control of Virgin
il, and it is about time the people were
being aroused to thehecessityo of looking into
their own affairs. No true friend Of Virgin
il will seek to delude. the people with the
belief that we are not legally bound for the
part of the State debt set apart for West Va.
to pay, and the interest on tue certificates, AS
, well as that assumed by Virginia under the
funding bill, in the light of the recent decis-
ion of the Supreme Court.
With this legal basis to start from we are
forced to the conclusion that the amount up
,, on which interest has to be paid is about
S 100000. This at 6 per cent. aggregates
| S., ZOO, COO of interest. We use found num-
bers. The estimated costo running the State
government is $l.2S9, 747,30. This added
to the interest as above stated, aggregates
1 81, 2S9, 1870. The whole amount Of the State
2 taxes now collected is s., 42l, 945, 4l-leaving
a a deficiency of 81, SCI, sOl 81. A more accu-
rate calculation would probably make the
amount approximate nearer s., 0000 900. show
e ing that the debt of the State is annually in
S crcasing about s2,0OO.00O each year of de-
faulted interest.
: There is, in addition to this $50, 10000 of
interest bearing debt, over S9,000,000 un-
paid interest on bonds and certificates, ma
king debt of about $G0,000,000.
1t is not the people of Virginia who have
= brought about this condition of affairs. 1t is
the Democratic politicians of the State who
y are responsible for it. The question now
: with the people is how to meet the stern fact
i which conironts them. Can they afford the
: increased taxation necessary to the legal
l demands? They certainly cannot afford to
allow this enormous annual increase Of their
obligation to go on, forcing them to inevita-
bic bankruptcy or reputation.
As TO what the editor of the VIRGINIAN
, may haze written several years ago on the
subject, we cannot just now say, and don't
q care to stop tc inquire. We are not much Oh
consistency rs to figures of speech. We ad-
dress ourselves to the facts as they present
1 | themselves, and in present lights. We may
have written something two years ago that
we would not approve now. We wrote then
what we believed was right. rs we write now
r what we believe to be true. We have very
little respect for that consistency which adj
heres to past expressed opinion. regardless
| Of its justification by present facts. Opln-
= ions change with the changed phase of events,
or new revelations affecting events. We aim
to be consistent III only one thing, and that
, is following our best Judgment and frankly
Z giving expression to our convictions, in rela-
! ton to all public Questions as they present
! themselves ut the time of the utterances.
We would not give 4 fig for any other kind
of consistency, and do not aspire to any 9TH