The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-01-11
RnI,,lotllI To
Z
,,pYr, 4 d aANUARY ~, 1873 ss'ie!t
rso,y Not q Pay.

stf,,onse.frap' niac @ Nss
o,a me- shall have them as IN seii' etlslss
sran,e, 40 i usssibie for evils that are e'F.
.,,,,scrsns,i 10 s,ici, Inventions. The asser-
49,, .hat virginia is incapable OF paying any
more n,b,ic revenue Is plainly untrue. u
& 4 q, assertion made for party purposes ey
4 4 party that regards not with horror tue l
,,,shonor oil the State II that be necessary
10 their triumph. Who can say what Is tue
exact limit Of the capacity OF the people o. !.
y;rc,aia to nav, or whether that be reached 20
and win any man have the effrontery 70 say
that The State cannot sustain an increase Oh
len cents on the hundred dollars, II even
Thai snall amount were needed to pay the
nnb.ic obligationss A nation that resists
s,,ch d tax to pay for works owned and used
TO its own advantage should sink down
amongst the lowest OF civilized peoples.
QUO single fact gives a positive contradic-
tion 10 d statement that no more tax can De
Maid which comes from o grave committee
Of the House OF Delegates Of Virginia.
This fact is that not more than third OF
the personal property OF the State IS re-
turned by the assessors. Where are the e re-
naming two thirds : They certainly exist.
And will anybody have the hardwood TO
saw that the holders OF those two thirds aus
honestly withheld from the assessor CAM
pau ta1 on them?
This alone impeaches fatally the asslmp'
tion OF che committee, and untrue IN one
respect. according to the legal maxim it Is
discredited altogether. Then there are
the FREQUENT reassessmeGis Of lands, which
have reduced the assessed value OF LANDS Ia
some districts many millions, while Ia some
others there has been little or no reduction
And il is singular that the reductions are
in not q few instances OF the most Valuable
lands @; the Commonwealth, which have
been less impaired in value tb2n any others
in the State.
The wor,f, cannot but regard the cxpedi
ents that are being exploited to establish dis
tinctiye classes OF taxation and make then
nayshle in different kinds OF money as IN
tended to impair the public obligations ano
eyade the demands upon the State. Indeed
this is what they are intended for. We re-
pret to see it reported chat the law officer
of the State gave whatever OF dignity us
presence could impart to the ingenious de-
vices O! the committee in their effort to see
what could be accomplished Gin the way
not TO pay"
Virginia is able to preserve her honor un
furnished. The taxes, aided by The proper
retrenchment and the Mofett-resister tax
will accomplish the grand object OF preserv
ing Virginia from the vile and incradicaolt
taunt OF reputation. "Forcible readlust
ment;' is the outrage of might. When Vir
ginia adjusts in that manner she will be
damned In history as dishonored State.
We profoundly believe that Virginia can
pay without any abatement OF their CLAIMS
by the public creditors. But we put more
trust in the humanity and iberality OF the
bondholder than we do in those OF the
ssiorcible readiusters." We do not douot
that the public creditor would arrange for a
less interest upon the Virginia debt through
new bonds. If the "forcibles" Will give
up their attack upon the public creolt as
well as the "bondholder" something may
be done honorable to both State and credl-
tor. But with destructive war such as is
inaugurated nothing can be done. Vir'
ginia has stood foremost amongst the States
in the respect OF her credit in Europe, and
especially in England-the leading king.
dom in Europe. The ''forcible readjust-
ers'' are fast bringing her down to that
GLOW eminence" where, so far from receiY-
ing homage, she will be condemned as the
most unworthy amongst the unworthy be-
cause OF the grand elevation from which
she has fallen. s3 49,. :,l :.