Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1878-02-05
Facts Worthy Of Notice.

Facts Worthy Of Notice.
During the last canvass in this county
our friends, the "repudiators, or IRE
a djusters," or whatever they may please
to call themselves, maintained most ear
nestly that the people were SO oppressed
by the present weight of taxation, thai
they could not possibly bear any add
tional taxation-even to pay an homes
debt which they owed for the cost OF tht
turnpikes, and literary ano
charitable institutions, from which the!
are deriving benefit every day.
Yet, in the face of this positive decia
ration, we find that Mr.. Van Lear, wh'
was chosen. by that party as their pecu
liar champion snd representative, ha'
introduced bill, authorizing the Super
vvisors of Augusta to levy tax as higl
az ten cents on the one hundred dollars
worth of property, real and personal, IL
this county. to be applied to the I'M
provement of roads! Ten cents on the
hundred dollars is equal to one-fifth OF
the present rate of taxation. MIR. Val
Lear, therefore, must think, his party
to the contrary Notwithstanding, that the
people Of Augusta can bear, and ought
to bear, an increase of twenty per cent. OIL
the present rate of taxation. What az
the people of Augusta think OF this :
Are they ready to bear this new bur
then? This twenty per cent, II made
general and supplemented by proper
economy in the public expenditure
would, aided by the receipts from the
Moffett whiskey tax, enable US to pay
the interest on the public debt. Ii
would seem from this movement, that
while we are not able to bear tax to
pay for the roads zoe noa0 have and are
daily using, we are abundantly able u
bear additional taxes to pay for neu
roads!
Again: Our friends aforesaid con-
teaded vociferously for the most rlglo
economy in the public expenditures
Let us see how their practice has cor
responded with their professions Early
in the session q bill was reported reduc-
ing the paH of the members from The
rate of tx liars day to four dollars
which wse Ne pay before the war. Il
was very properly said that the righ'
place to Id n the reform, and set thu
example Of economy and self denial
was among the members themselves. L
was thought that if they did this, othe
retrenchments would be more readily
effected, because members would say tt
others whose salaries were reduced, 70.
have no reason to complain, for we ar
doing unto you only what we have dom
unto ourselves!
When this bill came up, there wa
great 1uttering in the ranks. Member
were afraid to meet the issue squarely
They dared not vote against it after al
their fair promises, and yet they wer
determined not to reduce their own pay
The only way to get out of the difficult,
was to dodge the vote, and this they ac
cordingly did! DIR. Moffett, the leader Q
the "readjusters," very adroitly move'
. to recommit it to committee, where i
will be either smothered or loaded dow
with so many amendments as will Ell
sure its defeat!
But this is not all. The Senate, will
but two dissenting voices, passed bill
reducing the pay of members from ST.
to four dollars, and it was sent over t
the House for its concurrence. Here
again, the issue of retrenchment, begin
ming with the members themselves, wa
squarely presented. All that was neces
sary to perfect the measure, and max
it the law when, approved by the Gov
ernor), was for the House to vote for it
But this the. members of the Hous
were determined not to do!
Again there was anxious fiuttering.-
And again resort was had to the oil
dodge! The bill was recommitted TO
committee, where it will sleep the slcel
of death, or come out, so disguised ant
deformed with amendments, that its de
feat will be ensured! The whole bod.
Of ''readjusters," with q few honora
BILE exceptions, voted for this secont
dodge! while the debt-paying mem
bers, almost to a man, were against re
commitments, and for the immediat
passage of the bill. On these votes, MI
Hanger was for the reduction Gen
Echols was absent, having been calle'
to Washington by important business
Mr.. Van Lear went with the body Q
the readjusters.
This matter, in itself, was not yer.
large reduction, being only $3.50 per day
but still it was something to an impov
erished people. The great benefit to b.
expected from it, was the spirit which
it manifested. If members had onl,
awaited theAselves of the opportunit.
to show that they aOere in earnest in re
trenchment by practicing it on them
selves-thereby showing their faith b.
their works-Other retrenchments coul(
readily, and with good grace, hav'
been effected. But we predict the cart
full dodgers" have killed the who'll
scheme of reducing the public expendi
lures for this session. The people will
understand this, and know where to fl
the responsibility.
MRS. BARBOUR PARALYZED.-W,
learn from the Piedmont Neaos that, OIL
Saturday week, Mrs. Barbour, the aget