The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1877-05-24

was not prepared to give such an explana-
ton as he should like to give. He had read
the communications of Mr.. Hunter on the
subject very carefully and thought the plan
an excellent one, bur he could not do it JUS
tice by brief eXtemporc explanation. MIR.
Hunter proposed that the State issue paper
currency to the amount of So, 900, 900, to be
made to keep the State Bonds ON a par with
gold Bonds to bear G per cent. interest
and be interconvertible into currency
Banks, called real-estate Banks, to be estab-
lished. the principal to be located in Rich
mond with branches in the towns Of the
State. From these banks the farmers could
borrow at per cent. Before their estab-
lishment, however, a change in the Nation
al Banking act would have to be made.
Before the 7th resolution was adopted,
Mr.. Wash Shuey said he wanted to know
exactly what was meant by fair re adjust
ment.
Mr.. Seawright again replied that he was
not prepared to enter into full explana-
ton. 1t used TO be the custom OF repfesen-
tatives when they returned to their homes
to give an account of their stewardship and
enlghten their constituents upon the ques
lions of the day. This, however, had not
been done lately, nor were the farmers much
indebted to the local press for the informa-
ton they received. 1t was not to be expect
ed, therefore, that he should go into minute
detail Of the funding bill and its consequent
ces. Before going out of office Gov. Walker
had announced that Virginia was relieved of
her ante-bcllum debt, and brought out q
most preposterous exhibit stating that her
resources were greater than before the war,
Notwithstanding the fact that she had been
deprived of one-third of her territory and
| the greater part of her taxable wealth. The
Legislature took him at bis word and hence
the funding bill, which Gov. Kemper pro-
nounced disastrous blunder, as it virtually
| repudiated one-third of the debt. After
that followed the Peeler bill by which about
| 100000 900 was refunded and the rest of the
bondholders left out in the cold. The reso-
luton proposed, looks to such a settlement
of the pubic debt as shall put both classes
of bondholders on an equal footing.
Mr.. Lightner said that he was in the Leg
islature when the Peeler Bill passed. He
was in favor of placing the debts OH the
same footing.
| Mr.. Seawright said that his understanding
of the resolution was to pay each class of
bondholdcrs just what the State could afford
to pay.
Mr.. A. NJ. Bowman asked if that meant
reputation.
Mr.. Seawright replied that he did not sup
pose there were ten farmers in Augusta
county who would be in favor of repudia-
ting any honest debt.
| The meeting then adjourned. The follow
| ing are the preamble and resolutions
adopted:
PREAMBLE AND RESOLUTIONS.
| After several years of almost unexampled de-
| preston in all departments of business, except
in the business OF shaving and eXtortion, the pop
| ular heart begins to be cheered by signs of re-
turn of prosperity to the country at large. This
| revival from our langulsh1ng condltlon would IN
| no wise be due to any powers of self-re-cupera-
| ton, eXerting themselves among US at home but
would be due to causes accidental extraneOuS and
| operating from abroad. The embarrassment in
our State affairs are so weighty, and the compli-
cat ions SO intricate, that we may not possibly re-
alze all that these signs promise. We speak so
| berly and truly, we think, when we say that it
will require the utmost vigilance and the most
earnest efforts OF the farmers to secure to them
| selves fair share of these promised benefits
| We think it would be culpable remissness, if our
people. with all the encouraging signs before
| them, should rest satisfied with thesvisions, how
| eyer bright. that are looming up over the land
The fruit so fair to look upon may turn out to be-
like the dead fruit that may fall to ashes upon
1 our lips. Virginia is in truly deporable condi-
| ton. Our State laws need revision and improve
| ment, and the practice OF the law, grown into an
| enormous abuse, calls loudly for reformation. The
most fruitful source of existing evils, beyond all
question, is the fragmentary unsyStematic series
of laws on our statute books. inaccessible toithe
great body OF the people, often 1rreconcilable or
unintellible, requiring vast outlay OF money to
| find out where they are, what they are. and to
have them properly Interpreted. Add to this NAL
administration, perhaps necessary concomitant
of every system OF human laws, and we see in this
| alone enough to weigh down and paralyze the en-
ergies of any people. The people ought to de-
| mand rehabilitation OF the laws, by the hand OF
some master of the English language [the style
and wording of the acts in the Code of 1919 might
| be modelD who should leave out all the trash,
the slipShod system OF pleading included and make
| all general laws Interchangeable for definite time
| to be specified and fixed. 1t would indeed, be
most graceful act il men OF sound learning in the
| legal profession would set about and carry
| through this work of much-needcd reform. They
would entitle themselves to the gratitude OF the
country, by restoring the law to its pristine dig
l
| its place one of the most honorable OF profess
sions The State debt seems to be no nearer re-
adjustment than 1t was in 1864 when Governor
| Kemper pronounced the Funding bill a disastrous
| bEunder. The same discrimination exists between
the two classes of bondholders, and the tax-receiv
able coupons pay nearly all the revenues of the
government The government is, in consequence,
without resources, and the alternative is presen
ted OF DOWNRIGHT reputation or an indefinite in
crease of taxation. The railroad system of Virgin
| ia has ceased to be Virginia interest at all.
Thousands of acres OF the most valuable mineral
ties outside the State. who have blast
| furnaces, rolling mills, machine shops and
| work shops of their own that they thus keep
| supplied. They find that they can mine iron in
Virginia and get it North cheaper than they can
! get it ini Pennsylvania or on Lake Champlan
| These Northern railroads offer them all needed
OF Virginia are not going to help to build her up,
but as far as her true interests are concerned
might as well be set down to the credit OF other
States. Then il the farmers should suffer them
| to place Il representative railroad man in the
GubernatorlaI chair. he would be IN position Ito.
| slavery and ultimate degradation These rail
| road owners in Virginia are as.much an alien to
her interests as if they lived in Holland. Have
nothing to fear from the influence of foreign
| gold and foreign bonds in shaping our State
| policy? To manipulate these roads in a certain
way, must they not manipulate the State gov
eminent? So far We have endeavored to view
the bright side of the picture The other side
has darker shades, and is the one perhaps, which
we ought to look lpop but we forbear.- Content
ing ourselves with the foregoing brief review of
the situation as It appears to Us from our stand
general meeting assembled, do resolve as fol-
lows:
lst That in the crisis of their fate, as they val
ue their liberties. it is high time that the farmers
were giving more of their attention to the vast
interest peculiarly their own but which, in point
of fact, when properly viewed, are no less the in
terests of all other classes, far as they af
fected by the laws OF the land and State govern
mental policy.
I'd. That what the farmers want is not so much
positive Legislation to advance their interests
as the let,aone policy; they having proved them
and domestic affairs, in which they would be EN-
inently successful were it not for the clogs and
step, and the misrule from which there seems to
be but little hope OF escape.
3rd. That, as the farmers we VIII assert our
rights to fair share of representation in the
General Assembly, whatever that shape may be.
and we will see to it that, so far as depends upon
US, no man representing the railroad interest in
in this State, or any ring combination Whatever,
shall fill the Office of Governor.
18th. That we claim 10 be conservative in the
true sense OF that term, but that, as farmers, we