Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-03-19
What other People think Of our Legis-
lature.


We commend to the particular atten-
ton of our readers the following edito-
rial taken from the Baltimore Gazette.
It contains just tribute to our noble
Governor, F. w. M. Holiday, and pre-
sents humiliating, but true picture of
our General Assembly. We have no
comments to offer. Our heart sickens
at the degradation that has been brought
on Virginia by those who profess to be
her champions:
VIRGINIA's ONLY HopE.-Govern0r
Holidays reply to the resolution of the
Virginia Senate requesting him to COM
municate the condition of the common
wealth and recommend such measures
for its relief as he may deem expedient
is characteristic of the man-frank,
honest and statesmanlike. He thrusts
aside as unworthy of notice the idea
that the only way to meet the deficiency
in revenue is to scale the public debt,
and boldly tells the Legislature that il
must look the evil squarely in the face,
and if economy and retrenchment can
not be carried far enough to cover the
financial deficiency, it must be provided
for by increased taxation. Why should
the Legislature hesitate to adopt this
course? AS Governor Holiday says, il
is not beneath the dignity of the State
to pursue it, but on the contrary it is
obligatory upon its honor. 1t is motto.
rious that the tax rate in Virginia is
with very few exceptions, lower than
that of any State in the Union to plead
the poverty of the State as justifica.
ton for evading the payment of bel
honest debts, while she has still ample
resources of taxation that could be
drawn upon, without increasing the
burden of taxation beyond the ability
of property to endure, is a confession Of
intent to defraQd the creditors of the
State that the most ardent friend of the
Old Dominion can neither excuse mol
defend. Yet this is just what the Vir
ginia Legislature has been doing during
its entire session. Instead of directing
its efforts toward effecting sweeping
reduction in expenses, and then pro
viding for such an increase in taxation
as the deficiency remaining might
require, its constant endeavOr has beer
to get rid of its debts by repudiatine
them, and but for the firmness and hon
esty of Governor Holiday it would have
succeeded. A part of this plan has beer
the attempt to destroy the receivability
of coupons for taxes, and compel al
payments to be made in cash; or il
other words to escape altogether the oh
legation to pay the interest on the debt
and compel bondholders to pay theil
obligations to the State without any
power to recover the States obligations
to them. Such injustice, it is hardly
necessary to say, would not be toleratee
for an instant in the business world
and it could not be perpetrated by
the Legislature of Virginia without
dishonoring the whole State and seri
ously damaging the repution of its citi
zens. Yet it is plain, as was shown bu
the other day in these columns, that thu
} condition of the State finances leave.
no alternative but to repudiate thu
debt, refuse coupons for taxes, or pu
up the rate of taxation. The latter il
clearly the only honorable way out o
the present difficulty, and it is tina
which Virginia's noble governor urge
the Legislature to adopt. 1t remains t.
be seen whether that body will hav'
the manliness, the honesty and thu
! craftsmanship to pursue it, and upon it
decision will depend not only the homo
but the future prosperity of the Oh
Dominion.