Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-10-16

8 an independent judiciary. Laws al
Il made to protect the weak from th
s strong but of what avail would be wis
e laws if they were not ably and justl
: administered? An independent judi
s ciary is the bulwark of our civil rights
1t protects our lives, our liberties, Ou
property, and our regulations. 1t ena
r bles the poor and despised man to com
] on equal terms into controversy witt
e the rich and powerful. 1t enables tn
humblest citizen to stand free aud cree
before the government itself. 9TH
judge is often called on to pass between
the government and the man whom thu
government is prosecuting, and to pre-
scribe limits to legislative power itself.
But could the law answer
THESE NOBLE PURPOSES,
if the judiciary was dependent on the
will of any earthly power? "Let judge
stop to inquire what decision policy de,
? mands and he is driveller if he cannot
find pretext of law to support it,
Chief Justice Marshall, whose words
ought to be oracles to every Virginian,
has said :'I have always thought, from
my earliest youth till now, that the
greatest scourge an angry Heaven ever
inflicted upon an ungrateful and a sin
ming people was an ignorant. corrupt,
or dependent judiciary;'' and we
would ask those who talk of attacking
our courts to ponder we'll these words OF
wisdom, and bow with reverence to the
decisions of our courts until they are re-
versed in Illegal and constitutional man
ner.
| But, fellow citizens, if we were moved
by no higher motives, the dictates of
A SOUND FINANCIAL POLICY
makes 1t to our interest to "preserve in
violate the public faith and credit" The
most costly way Virginia can rid her
self of her public debt is to repudiate it,
and by reputation mean wilful fail.
ure to meet her obligations Such a
course strikes blow at all credit-pub
lie, corporate, and individual; for public
and private credit are intimately blend
ed and associated together Capitalists
will not trust their money to the people
OF Virginia if the State is unsound; for
the distance between public bad faith
and private bad faith is but a step.
AS an illustration of this in our own
history, we have only to turn back to
the panic of 1912, when Mississippi and
Pennsylvania and some other States of
this Union failed to meet her State obi
cations. The United States government
at that time was an applicant to borrow
money in Europe, and SO unfavorably
had the failure of these States acted on
the credit Of the general government
that, with all her resources, she could
not borrow few millions of dollars in
all Europe; and private gentlemen trav-
elling on the continent of Europe were
so humiliated at the reception they met
that, to avoid unpleasant scenes, they
passed themselves off as Englishmen.-
How is it to-day with our private credit
abroad?
i have been shown a correspondence
between Major Drewry, the able, eff
cient, and active president of our State
Agricultural Society. and the firm of
Gilliat & Co. of England, which shows
how our private credit is affected abroad.
The State Society owed some twelve or
fifteen thousand dollars, on which they
were paying high rate of interest. 1t
was proposed to borrow the money on
the most undoubted security at four per
cent. of Gilliat 6 Co., with whom Major
Drewry had the most pleasant and
friendly relations, but
THAT FIRM DECLINED THE LOAN
and based their refusal on the express
ground thst until Virginia showed
better disposition to meet her Obliga-
tions, and her people ceased to talk of
reputation, no more money would be
placed in the State
And old Virginia is so low in the
money market that 1t is with difficulty
she can get credit for $500, 900 at home or
abroad on ninety-day note, and have
heard Virginians laugh and exult over
this humiliating spectacle.
What Virginia needs and must have
before she can realize that measure of
prosperity which we hope for, and
which we ought to attain. is
. CAPITAL AND IMMIGRATION
capital to build up manufactures and
workshops and furnaces and rolling
mills, and fill them with skilled me.
chanics; to develop our mineral re-
sources bring to the doors of our farm
ers home market for their products
Before we can borrow the money needed
for this we must restore confidence in
our good faith at home and abroad. Cap
italists will not come among us to invest
their capital so long as we continue to
make war upon those who loaned us
money to build up our internal improve
menta: Truly the dearest and most eX-
pensive way we can get rid of our pub
lie debt is to repudiate it.
But we hear much said about the on
erous taxation in Virginia, and in our
present condition it is true our taxes
seem heavy, bnt we are not more heavily
taxed than our neighbors. From the
census of 1870 it seems that only three
States pay less aggregate taxes than Vir
ginia; while some States (and especially
in the West and Northwest pay double,
and in some cases nearly thribble, the
amount we pay.
1t is true, we have to endure evils in
this land of our fathers, but this is the
common lot. Old Homer beautifully
expressed this idea when when he wrote
these lines;
1.-TWO urns by Jove's high throne have ever
| stood.
The source of evil one and one of good
From these the cup of mortal man he fills.
Blessings to these-to those distributing ills;
To most he mingles both. The wretch decreed
To taste the bad unmixed is cursed indeed.
Pursued by want by meagre famine driven
He wanders outcast both Of earth and Heaven ;
We have not been decreed to taste the
bad unmixed A kind Providence has
mingled but few ills and many blessings
in our cup, and we are
FAVORED ABOVE MOST PEOPLE
and most nations. With bright skies
l above us, fertile soil at our feet-with 9
2 mild and healthful climate, an abundant
harvest-with peace and plenty in the
= land-we have nothing to complain O
but our poverty. We are poor, but
trust we are honest. II, as some say
the State is bankrupt, then, in the words
, of that noble old Virginian, Governor
r Giles of Amelia, answer: "Our bank
e ruptcy is in cash, and not in principles ,
and, if we prove true to ourselves, ii
4 must follow as the night the day, VIZ
e cannot then be false to any man."
? Let us inscribe on our banners. "Tax
| alton before repudiation," Poverty
rather than dishonor;" and that othel
4 homely old proverb, Honesty is thu
e best policy" and then let us have faitl
faith in ourselves, faith in our future
faith in our State, and faith in God, ant
all will be well. Let us cling to th'
! honor of Virginia 'as the mariner cling
to the last plank when night and th
:, tempest close around )" let us work to
gether for
THE PRESERVATION OF THIS HONOl