Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1878-02-09
West Virginia and Virginia's Public
Debt.

equitable proportion Of the debt OF the Com
monwealth Of Virginia. That promise stands
good aud binding to-day y Charleston ". ia )
C0micr
Ex-U S. Senator Wiley, in recent address
SAID
"When West Virginia applied for admis-
sion 20 the Union il was with the express uu-
ders,andius that she should pay her proper
ton Of the old Virginia debt, but not one cent
Of it has ever been paid. Young men. see to
it that the honor Of the State is redeemed"
Commenting upon this ut,eranee Of Senator
WILEY. the SPIRIT IF Jefferson says;
1T must be admitted that in this declara-
too Senator Wiley has expressed sentiment
i'm perfect accord with the actions Of the party
Of which he is certainly u representative mem
her. IN this matter. at least, the Democracy
II this State has been taught lesson in good
morals, by which, it is to be hoped. the party
will profit.
The Sy,I does 5ot "reneni6er single
promiucrt.Dcmocrato Of or State who has, in
suy public utteIaocc, Advocated payment by
Vest Virginia, Of even q proportional share
Of that debt which was contracted partly upon
The faith Of West Virgiuia's honor aud wealth"
Il is 10 order DOW fr our public men to speak
ou.-especially 10 view Of the elections to be
held 10 this State 10 The Fall Of this year.
Upon this subject the Wheeling Sunday
Leader, Independent. but 20, Neutral" aud
leaning to Republicauism, says;
"If the Yves. Virginia Legislature was suf-
iicieutly "lobbied" 10 pass a bill making this
State liable for One-third Of VirGinia's debt.
We would have to raise sometbiug over mil
lion and a quarter Of dollars year simply to
nay the interest That would be a very heavy
burden and one that VIC DO DOT think that this
State should take on It's shoulders
Aud the Wheeling S'endard ,Reprblicaul
says:
Il was Ia effect part Of the Constitution
under which The State was admitted in the
I Union. that the new State should pay that
portion Of the debt that equity and good con-
} science might demand. Ii was necessary 10
I place that clause in the Constitution, IN order
I that success should crown the eudeavors Of
/ The advocates Of tic new State, If the higher
aud uoLler motives Of justice and honor did not
/ dictSte It's insertion ia the Constitution. We
\ boldly assert. however that It it had not been
/ there. The State Il West Virginia would have
/ never cxjsted-would never have been admitted
\ into the Union, aud Henry A. Wise's "illcgit-
innate child of political rape" would have
7 been sirangled in It's birth
Every stipulation aud law made touching
, the new State, until she vas admitted on an
equal footing with all the ether States. was
I tie work Of West NirguiaUS, voluntarily and
/ controlled only by their own wishes and for
their own purposes. uutrammel,ed aud un-
\ hiudered BY NIrGinja's present people. who Ia
/ bored under patent disabilities, aud were un-
\ consulted and uuheari.
"Pubhc honor aud good faith require that
| the unsettled accounts Of the Old State aud
\ the New. aud their several liabilities 20 tleir
creditors should be speedily and forever set
/ tied. A high sense of Justice demands it
\ Good faith requires IT, Oue-third Of all Viz
4 eiaia's debt hangs suspended on the uncertain
Qualities of West NirgiujA's liabilities. The
people Of the two States. the authorities Of
/ The two States. nor any commissioners APP
pointed by them from their own citizens
will never effect a settlement. in fact they
never can and never will agree.
" We feel satisfied that w Virginia. in any
court Of equity aud good conscience is not in
dchteL, on equitable principles, to any proxi-
mate sum now allotted 70 her by the Old State
SILL we owe scmething-an equitable portion
If the debt Of the mother State, aud We ought
10 be willing to pay it, Let the matter be ar
bitra,ed By a Board, like that Of Geneva. The
uejghburiug States have men % lofty charac-
Ter. unbiased by any Of the ordinary iutu-
euces tha, usually cou,rol mankind, aud as uC
las binding a State to pay Der debt can lie en-
forced in any court. let the award Be made
aud like true men, let us abide by and carry
cut che verdict with fidelity In legislation it
leyying taxes sufficient TO pay the sum Of mo
ucy, il sny, thst may be awarded against Us.
Thn r;-ht ihirr In tn rirLt r,l,.n IL viii IN