The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-08-09
Il Must Be Settled.

creditors, in that it is a delrlsion and fraud,
and wrong 10 public policy, i'll that it settles
nothing-to seek to attract attention from
the obnoxious legislation that brought it
INTO e. stence, by denominating all who OPP
pose it as regulators. They dare not 90
before the people and appeal to their judg-
ment and req SOFA { nd present the results of
the operation OF t-iat law 20 their sc utiny
and judgment. They know nat there is TO
pa y favo lg repu'' :atio1-that tie present
deplorablc condition of the Commonwealth
is :,,e log ca' sequence OF the fraud that was
perpeirated in the conception and enact
ment of The b;'l-a1d that those who oppose
it do so because it is fraud, and is accu-
mnsatirg opp. essions that must bring l:..a
upon The people unless some measure of re-
lief is conceived End enacted into law.
The cry OF "repudaIion " SO often and
vociferously repeated by those who desire 70
prevent an exposure Of the maladmnistra-
ton of State affairs and the intolerable out
RACES growing out OF legislation under the
by the Northern press, some of which have
unkindly referred to this State as being in
tested with a sentiment akin to that charged
against the opponents Of the Funding Bill.
Especially has the New York Times and
Baltimore american referred to the present
issue in Virginia as embracing, on the one
side, a proposition 20 repudiate the public
debt, and on the other to pay il. We give
the assurance to those able jou. nals that
there is no party in Virginia that desires or
proposes 10 rcpudate the public debt. The
reckless and cxt:avc CANT legislation which
has 1iicted the State ever since 1869, under
tie direction OF the caucrs system, has dis
satisfied the people. There is nothing in
connect on with the pnblic debt that is set
tied. 1t is Gle med, without particle of
reason or fact to justify it, that the Funding
Bill relieved the State OF one third of the
debt. There has been no Discriminate deci-
sion by the Courts on tbs point. The near
est to it = the OPP Mon of Judge Staples, of
the Supreme Court, that Virginia is bound
for the payment of the one-th'rd ASST, ned TO
West Vs"ginia, if chat Sta does not pay it
as much so as she is for the other two.
thiras. The Supreme Court of the United
SITES has decided the principle of ,nc case,
locating the responsib 'ity of the entire debt
with the State of Vir. mia. The cotampora-
neous action of the Legislatr e of the State
with the passage of the Fund g Bill. attes.
ed that Virginia did not recos re release
from the one-th rd, if West Virs ia cd not
pay. Certainly the liability of Virgin "a fo- the
whole debt has never been 'esJioned by
any judicial dete nina.io ion. 1t ! a question,
to give the midest view OF it. that s at least
unsettled, and so long as he F finding BIZ
exists, must so remain. THIS is one source
OF dissatisfaction. Another is, taat the f Sc
estimate of The taxable resourc IS OF the
State, upon which the provisions of ne
Funding Bill were predicated, will necessi-
tate doubling the rAte of taxation now n
posed, to meet the interest and pay CT rent
| expenses of government. This the people
cannot stand, and it is no use to discuss he
mora Or legal phe ses of it. The State his a
| right to preserve its autonomy. 1t IS right
superior 10 a others, as it is the highest
duty. There is not ts * -therer in Vir-
ginia, who, if he viii honestly state the con-
dtion Of the people whom he visits, that will
not say they are now paying as much as
they can bee, and 20 iacreas e the BIZ thens
wos'd be substantially % destroy the agen-
ties through which Tie Ste lives. The peo-
pie WI not and orght not % submit to any
increased bErf'iens o. taxation The pres
ent necess-t4s of government and of the
social organism dan them TO the last dol
ar each yea that they can pay. That is as
much as the most eXacfing ought to demand.
1t is cerfaiHly as much as the people will
submit 10.
NotN flstanding Ills exrraordina pres
sure upon the industry OF the State, the debt
IS Increasing at the rate of million year
OF defan'tad interest. The people contem-
plate this with alarm, and justly so. They
Enow they cannot pay more than they are
paying, and yet ere met til an exhibit at
the close of each fiscal year that augments
their indeb edness million dollars. They
believe, toe, that the legislation which works
out these disastrous results was conceived in
sin and born III iniqui.y-they know they
were never consulted about it. and that it is
the result Of the most barefaced corruption
that ever disgraced the pages of any lesisla-
i've joprnal.
What they want and mean to have, is a
fair and just readjustmcnt OF the debt, plac-
ing a. the debtors upon the same basis, and
in accordance with tie ability of the people
to pay. Fraud, falsehood and corruption
constitute the basis o. the present arrange
ment. They want honesty and justice TO
constitute the basis of The next one.
We care net what the rcsr't of the Con-
vention now in session may be, tie issue
will have to be met befo the people SUBJ
stantia'ly as we have stated it. 1t IS whether
the preteuce of paying, followed by IA Tyre
to pay, and 70 that dcgree repu1 a. 'pg, as
under The Funding B;"; or an arrangement
to pay all that the people can Pay, aud yet
preserve the State.
1t is contest between ti.c Peop'e and the
Politicians which " ! be presented to the
voters OF the STA the People who pay,
and he noisy Politicians. many OF whom do
not pay. 1t is not indeed an earnest desire
to pay the pubic debt as it stands, and
sincere conviction OF its justice, which have
stimulated the c,y of pud'af on. 1t is to
presc, Ve power, which the political ring
masters lave abus ID and d &c I'D to their
own selfish ends and to the oppression of he
people, which they are concerned about. 1t
is the CAUCUS despo san that is threatened,
ard not the honor of he Stae. The tax
pa. ng people of V e Ma, who have de-
clared for readjustment, and mean TO have
it, e = sens We about their personal honor
and { e as prompt n settling their private
debts as any who oppose them, to say he
least. The mist blatant, indeed, of those
who clamor for the "honor of Virginia are
not as scrupulors about these til. ngs as lley
ought to be. They # sl that the awakened
conscience of the people fo.bodes dana e. to
them, in heir capacity of ring maaipulators.
There is where he huct is-that is what is
creating al IS furious denuaciation OF