The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1878-08-08
lFor the vIRGINIAN.]
LFOr Inc VIh0INIAN.J
West Virglnias Share of the State Debt.

ion. and have been struck With the able
eaders on the subject of ''re-adjustment''
f the State debt and its uncompromising
opposition to the funding bill, and as one of
he SONS of Virginia, and citizen OF her
laughter West Virginia, feel like saying
word on the subject that constitutes the
caption of this article, if you will indulge
he use of your columns for that purpose.
Our attention was more wildly called to
This subject recently by being shown a sam
pie of the certificate issued through the
funding Bill, passed by the Legislature OF
Virginia, setting apart one third of the State
debt to West Virginia, thereby virtually re-
pudiating tina: proportion OF the debt. 1t is
an old maxim that lit requires two to make |
a bargain.'' but in this instance the trainers
of the Funding Bill have assumed to take the |
whole responsibility of issuing certificates,
PAYABLE by the State OF West Virginia, with
out even extending an invitation to the lat
ter to participate in the contract, and this
to some extent is an answer to the problem
why the commission sent out in 1871 by the
State of West Virginia to confer with Virgin
ia. returned like IN oah's Dove"
This whole funding arrangement is based
on the hypothesis that as West Virginia
embraces one-third of the area OF the origi-
nal State, she is liable for one-third of the
whole InuenteQneSS.
Now let us reason together OH this subject
and see how near right this is. as presume
I speak advlsedly, when [ say that there
is not an intelligent man in West Virginia
but would spurn the idea of repudiating
just and equitable share of the Indebtedness;
but while this is true, West Virginia holds
that this share should be based on equity,
and not "a chmerical survey of the hounda-
ries of the two States. embracing the Ale
ghany mountains in the hands OF one. And
while it is true that a recent decision of an
eminent court in an analogous case IN rela-
ton to the division of a county, was that the
newly formed county was not liable for any
part of the indie btedness of the county pre-
vious to division, yet West Virginia has obi
gated herself in her organization and consti-
tuition to pay an equitable share of the
indebtedness prior to the division.
In taking rational view of this matter
we must not only look on the territory as
marked out on the map, or even the figures
showing the population of the mountainous
portions of West Virginia, proverbial for
their number of children in each family, as
has been truthfully said of mountsineers.
But the topic naturally leads to the question,
for what was this debt created, and who is
reaping the fruits thereof? We look at Vir-
ginia and see rich cities. commercial mar
kets of all kinds, navigabe rivers. fine har-
bors, a highly improved and productive ter
ritory, wealthy capitalists and well to do
people and her natural resources with an i'm
mense mineral wealth.
She boasts of the grandeur of her put
lie buildings and institutions, such as State
Capital and extensive public grounds, tasti-
ly ornamented; an Executive Mansion, a
penitentiary, armory, University, two luna
tic asylums, a Military Institute, and AsV-
lum for the deaf, dumb and blind, a valuable
miscellaneous and law library, a large lite
rary fund. All these with the vast millions
invested in canals, railroads and other ave-
nlles of inland commerce, have y filled
their place ard played their part ia the Gre
alton of the debt. While on the other hand
we look at West Virginia and see less
than one-third of the territory of the old
State, much Of it broken into barren noun
tains and hills uninhabited by civilized be-
ings, no navigable streams penetrating it in
every direction, not a single mile of railroad
built at State expense, no public works or
Institutions, her lands mostly covered with
unbroken forests. rewarding Industry but
meagrely, no outlets in the interior for the
little surplus the people may have, and the
wealth OF her people Tor the most part in
their soil from which they have removed the
verance and their love of liberty. from which
her present standing and future prospects
have wholly sprung. What does she boast
by way OF public buildings andinternal i'm
provements? we answer few mud pixies al
most impossible at certain seasons and the
funds which have quarried the rock and lay
ed the foundation for the Lunatic Asylum at
Weston. If West Virginia is strictly liable
for her one-thrd OF the public debt, then in
equity she should have had one-third of the
public benefits. How is this, let us look !:
We fluid that prior to 1861 and subsequent to
1921, there was accumulated a debt on the
State of Virginia amounting to the sum Of
S31, US. 661. 80, and during this period of for
ty years there was expended IN the bounds
of what is now West Virginia, the sum of
27S4, 32S 20, or S2S, 1914, 33S. 03 less than the
whole debt created during that period; to
say nothing of the amount paid out OF the
treasury during the period in which this
debt was being created. And find during
the above period there was paid into the
treasury from the bounds of West Virginia
the sum of So, 1892 900, or 81, Joy GIL more
than was expended in the bounds of her ter
ritory, which will certainly balance her
share of State expenses during the period
and perhaps leave balance in her favor.
By the time settlement of this kind is
had and an honest estimate made, it is
more than likely that the Funder's certiii-
Gates viii sell for less than what the 3. 81 o.
r. r. President is now paying for them.
And rational view will convince all that
West Virginia is not liable for the one-third
OF the debt of the old State, and that it would
be just as reasonable for Virginia to
pay Jwo-thirds of the cost of all the necessa-
ry public building of w. Va, as in the di-
vision the old State retained them all. And
glance ct the mode of taxation prior to the
war, which was always bone of conten-
ton between those sections of the State "
ing east and west Of the Blue Ridge, will
show an unequal proportion of the revenue
paid by the Western portion of the State ac-
cordng to the actual wealth of the citizens
OF each section.
West Virginia does not wish to shrink
fromher duty or Obligations or make even a
shadow of reputation of a single dollar of
her honest debt ard she is really anxious to
have an honorable settlement Of the matter,
and an amicable adjustment on the basis of
justice and equity. But it is not pleasant
10 young State starting out and manag-
ing her affairs, so as to command the re-
spect of the whole nation and establish a
credit second to none others accord
ing to her resources, to have unrecognized
certificates of debt floating upon the market
at a disgraceful per cent. in which she has
had no voice in the issuelng of, and which
are considered by all, except few who
are striving to turn them to their own per-
sonal advantage. as entirely null and void,
so far as West Virginia is concerned, and
only a scheme Of certain wiry politicians
and scheming demagogues to repudiate &.
part Of the debt of the State of Virginia.
The voice of every citizen and every lead
ing journal is ''let there be an honest, equi
table settlement immediately, and West Vir-
ginia stands ready and pledged by all her
sacred honor, as well as her Constitution, to
pay what ever may be her proportion in ac-
cordance with the amounts paid and re-
ceived by each section up to the time of the
division OF the State in 1861.
And if the parent State finds that her off
spring has not rendered due proportion
for all the benefits derived during her minor
ity, then let her disnherit her and assess
her with what is just, but do not seek to
make her liable for Indebtedness for which
she has never reaped anything whatever.
A careful consideration Of this matter will
convince your readers of the unjust features OF
the Funding bill, and of the Importance of
Il .re-adjustment' of the whole debt, and a
settlement so as to preserve from the stain
of reputation the bright escutcheon of both
States. j. L.. HENSLEY, NJ. d.,