Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1877-07-30
c,,,ara, Ta1iaferro on the State Debt
GLOUCESTER G. u, Jaly %. 1877.
90, p,.o,,o.;Jo,. ofIbe Mo7,folk Var.

GLOUCESTER y. a., ally rs 1911.
NJ qle7,sn's, esq Propritor Of The NORFOLK V'r'
Nv Dear Sir,-Your letter asking my views
-, re public school system and On the question
1fthe Stats debt was received some days ago. l
would have answered sooner, but lllness In my
household has prevented.
heen in favor of public fres schools. believe |
was the first public man i'll Virginia, except
Governor Wise, who advocated them. did SO
in the Legislature twenty-five years ago. Inc
svstem srould be much improved, and sne stand
vated 30 as without cost to enable the larger tax
payers to receive fuller cohsiIera1lon loc thelr
contribution to the school fund. 49,.
d. The State Debt--I,he financial condition
Of the Commonwealth presents subject not
onlv of snxiety, but Of great difficulty to every
rtasctng citizen, and it is difficult to say what
is best to be done TO ielieve tho State from her
ombsrrassments. Its question, however, which
i; purely legislative, to be dealt with by the
Legislature and not py the Executive Depart,
NV thu people to the wisdom Of the General Es.
sSmbly. whose province it is 80 dovso means OF
relief and not TO the executive which 10 power
less to do moro than 10 recommend or ad9isc
such action rs may Or may not be adopted.
l have frequently in tbs last few years taKnn
occasion 10 express my views on tEia sHbJect i'll
the Legislature, and my votes are mHtsrFs OF re-
cord. -
TO do Justice to the subject o. 10 mysoii would
roauiIc q much moro elaborate discussion Imam
you contemplate, and answer your enquiries
rs an act of personal courtesy - yourseIl With
ant attempfinc to sustain ;iy Conclusions By any
extended argument.
/ ara OPPOSED to The rcDuda.on Of tao;tate
,iobt.
:, I su opposed to an Increase Ct taxes.
3. am in favor of IN adjustment OF The dott
with the creditors.
Thc-c ara not incompatible or inconsistent
prone ~itions, although they may appear to bs 80.
Nothing would be more deplurab!c or exert q
mo 8 unfortunate in ilnen:o on lhe cnarscter OF
y peopIa than an education into tno BELIEF that
neutrality-suspicious. or pubc-sra / Dc liShtlg
.,ynSiier2d and repudiatcd.
Sell respect sna State pride hsvo mato the
Virgilia character what 1t IS, and We must !na:n'
tain it, ,
inst the obligations assumed by tho State under
tbe set Of tho Both March, 1871, knoWn IS tho
funding ACT" are binding, and no arc Obliged
10 meet them. Ar c)rt 10 remova from ONCE
iha Judges Of that court, composed 0! men enl
ncnt for All integrity and purity OF Gu tra2!er,
whch would do honor to any people, because
Of their opinions, would shock the moral soase
ci III true men. I should ro'ola:e!y oppose IT,
presume no one who has tho goo1 Of ths
>;!*.o 1t heart would oppose al adjustment %
f,n debt. The question IS now IL u I'D oe H'o'!!!
niiSh>d. =,
think il would be tho part Of wisdom III tue
:on1holdors TO confer with the &u orltleS ci mo
H:s.n and BY y generous compromise que! Inc
;:ahsprv .tsto OF toohng when now eE'sts SnG
r!sco their securities on foundation Ct general
.,onui.r approval which will proven their Hue
.un.ion AID give them strength. and hsVc some
rasson TO believe from information received last
winter In st ? !uil an1 truthful exposition OF the
condition and resources CT tho commonWes!lh
would result in an arrangement mutually oene-
Hcis TO the State and her creditors.
am opposed 20 an increase of tho taxes. L.
may be said that not TO raise the taxes - virtual
reputation, if il is not coniscstion OF tho rogs-
tered ST d pceler bonds l do not think taaS "
IS So. I would preserve the present ratio OF lax
,,tior, and decrease the expenditures CT the gov
eminent, and il can in no sense ba regarded as
,aIudis.ion to acknowledge tho obligation, al
though we may not be ablo to provide ammo
.iiste:y for tho payment OF intcre st N whole or
in TaTt, The Legislature has for years steadily
refused BY vote approxima:ing to uuanl,nity
10 increase tho ratio Of taxation, and haVo
voted with the majority. The farming interest
Is unable to bear moro, and TIC mercantile IL
;ag under the present imposition, and it Cannot
0a donied that often Is you increase taxation
you diminish revenue, and thst there IS point
OF pressure az which taxation must stop.
| believe with the present ratio OF ta4ation the
Government csa be conducted on economical
.,-i1rjDjes, and tho interec: On the public debt
Se psid-ir not now, in the not distant future
The uopulation Of the State is increasing tast OF
she cities in very marked degrse; Klchmono,
Norfolk, Portsmouth. Dsnvl!e Staa nton man
chester, Bristol and other towns have grown as
Lolishingly, and with the incresse Of populaIioh,
wealth pari passu increases also The popula-
lion of iha cities has not been increased BY drain
sge from tho country but by Tho deve09pemsnt
Of sources Of industry. Our taxable values arc
therefore increasing and they will Increase
steadily, and tho same ratio of taxation will pro-
lace in tho future much larger revenues than
have been heretofore collected .
Wa hs7e inauSuyated already tho policy Of
economy and rctronchmcnt in tho State expsn-
titurcs. The Legislative branch will in future
cost much less than heretofore, and tbs Same
principal should be applied esowher?:
do not despair choered by tho light q I'm
,ntarnished past, hope for an undinmod future
st We = respectfully, your obedient servant
VIM 8. TALlAFEEHn.
Colonel sVeiHEsaay On fhc Stale peat
WINCHESTER, July q, 1877.
- IuoIL dT - Eluruc West ROCEL7lG