Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1878-05-14


aud to define the authority of his
agent. John Smith, ho"eve", thinks
the contraction was u gross violation,
both of justice u him and of the con-
siitutinnal rules, both III letter and
spirit. Here he is hands tied, packets
empty. business crippled, his people
suffering. his employees unpaid and
many children turned Out of school.
When ne complains. his creditors, the
court and host of their interested
friends blaud!y reply. you must work
harder, manage better and rai-e
enough of revenue to meet all eXpen-
SIS aud all will be right. You musI
bs hcnest and pay your debts first
You have no right to carry on your
business, pay your employees, educate
your children, or e,en live yourself at
the expense of your creditor. The
manly spirit Of John SmIth burns
with Indignation at this impUdent ana
tantaliziug counsel, and he replies,
Jim Brown ! claim TO he. and have
borne the character of an honest man.
you have assumed that am a rascal,
you have seized my money in the
hands of my debtors to prevent II
coming into my hands, YOU have
stamped the brand of dishonesty upon
my character, you have rendered me
poweriess 10 carry on my business
Take these insulting UldHUcioS from
my hands, take yOUr hand Of Dy
purse, before you presume 10 talk 10
me. Till them shall regard you q
scOIudrel and | viii use every means
in my power 70 thawrt your dirhOnOr-
able <cjienes You did uoJ give Ine
It chance Io pay my debts oUt OF my
own pocket Ike an honest man. but
IuauguTated Thia grab game and forced
it on me, securing to yourself the in
side track; aud now IN This struggle
for iIfr | will 10 the best ! can 10 pro
tect myself
AMI now. candid Ieqder. we ask Is
this not 4 true picture Of the ease ?
and is there any Virginiap. who has
the spirit Of "a freeman and tie honor
of gentleman, who will not say
JOda Smith IS right Now. there Is no
surer way 10 make man dishonest
than to treat him as dishonest. If,
under these imped diments IN the way
of successfully prosecuting his busi-
ness. John Smith should become
bankrupt, and fail in part or in whole
TO pay his debts. who would be re-
sp0nsiLle for it? Would not every
honest and impartial man say "Jim
Brown and Dick Jones have Tuir ed
JOhu Smith, and Jim Browns dis
honorable Gver-reaching has justly re-
cOiIed upon bis own head"
It il proper here to say that the
charges we bring against the Fund
ers' do not apply to all bondholders.
There ara many boudhojders who are
men of honor Gud integrity, and who
had no direct agency i'm passing the
funding bill. Their misfortune il that
like poor Tray they are found in
bad company.
In relation to the first point decided
by the Supreme Court, that the fund
ing bill being contract cannot Ge re-
peuied. whIie il is the durkest feature
III this sad picture, il is q question
aDOut which words need not be multi
piled. II j. a question for the lawyers
aud tl'e courts. aud thos+ who are not
Nkilied il the IntrIcaCIes of the law
can hardly form al opinion upon it
1t has been decided 10y a majority of
the highest tribunal To which appeal
cam he. taken. and We can see 40 al
Tentative at present, but To submit
and patiently wait, IN hope that time
and kind Providence may opeI way
of relief. But that the reader may
see that there is hign authority for
holding that the fuUdIug bIii ought 10
have been declared null aud void 10y
the supreme Court OF the State, We
will quote one authority produced by
Judge Staples, in hIs uuRnswerabie
argument ugaiust the fundiuE biil -
He said: In the language of the Su-
preme Court of the United States. "A
legisl tive tOdy cannot part with It's
powers by any proceedings so as not
To be able tu continue the exercise
Of them. It cannot 0brjdge its OUH
icgisiTtiUe p0rer Gy making Il peTmU-
Reht and iHdiSsOiubte contract az refer
eRcc tO matters Of D1tLiic interest u
The fuudIug Uill does the very thing
the Supreme Court of the United
States says that 40 legislative body
can do. The Legislature Of 1871. in
passing the funding bill, abridged its
own power" and TINT OF all succeeding
Legislatures for 81 years, over the
revenue Of the State.
This much, however. may he said.
IT the Supreme Court of the state had
declared the funding bill uncoustitu-
tiunal. as has been shown they ought
to have done, G Ell though they could
not see their way clear to declare it
null and void the result would have
been very different Instead Of rally.
ing the fuuders AMI the snti-scnool
men to a desperate struggle to hold on
TO their i'll gotten gain. the decision OF
the court would have left the funding
bit! no advocates aud the great mass
of the people OF the STATE being uni
ted against il the iunders would have
seen that discretion WAS the better
part of valor." and would at once
have agreed to give up the coupon
outrage and To make reasonable and
equitable settlement of the debt.
G. s.