Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1877-12-12
The Governors Message.

Governor Kemper has sent in his last
message as the Executive of old Virgin
ia. That it is his last We are profound
ly thankful. Take all he has written
on the debt question IN his several mes
sages, including his address to the credi-
tors and his speech before the confer
ence which assembled in Richmond to
adjust the debt, and they make up such
an administration record as would put
the merest parvenue statesman to the
blush. We have neither. the time, the
space, nor the inclination to go over his
Inconsistencies. For the benefit of our
legislators who are considering his final
recommendations in the rhetorical mes
sage of last week, and who have not the
time, perhaps. to run all his lengthy
papers, we would respectfully refer to
his message of 1874, page 81, Senate
journal, where he took the position that
the United States, because of division of
our state &C., justly liable for the
whole debt of Virginia, and ably argued
in support of tit. Again to his special
message, Senate Doc, number 6.
wherein he recites our condition. saws
the real deficiency each year is 81, 324-
94l.87 our credit rates lower than that
Of Turkey, Peru and Egypt, and urge
that read.justmeht will ''resto-e our sunks
en- credit, impart new life to dead re-
sources, advance the standard of repu.
tation to the highest possible position OF
financial integrity and lnaugurate anew
era of prosperity to be felt by every in
terest and enterprise in the Common
wealth." .-E .vle+|f T.. .-I
Especially would we invoke another
reading of the exposition Of the COVER
nor in Senate journal 1915 Doc. num-
Der l; and then his reply to Jno. J.
MeKinnon agent of the Bond Funding
& Banking Association of London, (Doc
number A which is reply to a propo-
sition to readjust Virginian's debt at four
per cent for ten years and five per cent
for twenty years. So firm readjustor
was his excellency at that time SO
fixed was he in his convictions that
there was some part OF this debt Vir-
glnia should not pay, that he replied as
follows: tr- ~. ..-..-.- p,
Il am cons trained to reject your
proposition Of the llth inst. on behalf
of the American Bond Funding &
Banking Association Of London, be.
cause, in my opinion, the rate Of Interest
on the Indebtedness of. this state ought
not to exceed four per cent at any time,
and It can and ought to be recapitalized
at that rate" The conclusion OF the let
tiers substantially says that lie would
make no recommendation to the legis-
lature Tor any other. adjustment.
Finally read his Harrisonburg speech
Dragging Of the payment he would make
on the interest due, then the Auditors
report showing how they are carrying
loan from the Richmond banks wlthou
paying anything on the debt, then read
over his last, message and then appoint
day of thanksgiving that we are to
have no more Of his messages.
" H
Governor Kempcr, during his whole
term, has been an obstacle in the way of
settling our debt. Always an EXTREMIST,
stubborn and conceited, with some
ability, never recommending any thing
reasonable, and combating everything
that he did not suggest. May his sue
cessor improve upon his. consistency at
Inast E - EEI7 . F1.ra.l.-lg fr4aN