Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1879-02-05
More constitutional Physie'

& very enron eeus impression s00'"0
to be prevailing about the proposed
batch of constitutional amendments. IL
is spoken of as purpOsing to get back 10
old times, when county government, so
called. was so very inexpensive. This
ia the idea that will be kept prominent
IL forward by those who practice 10
deceive. with view to getting rld
finally of an elective system which
keeps brainless pretenders out OF little
officers their dady's flied, and with the
further view of destroying the public
schools.
These are the two objects Of these
amendments. Reader, reflect for a
moment or two. Twenty-four Justices
would be appointed for Shenandoah by
the Governor, to hold Office eight years.
These. in turn, would appoint all other
officers except Commonwealth At
tsrney. Sheriff and Clerk. The coun-
ties would control the schools for them
selves, and these justices would make
all appropriations.
Now observe, first, that the tax OF
10 cents, levied since 1870 for school
purposes, would remain 4 part OF the
State levy, and whatever appropra-
tons the Justices would make, would
be lust so musch increase OF taxation
Here then is the essence Of the scheme;
either the schools would fall or they
would be again taxed for. What would
be the result ? Sixteen of the twenty
four appointed justices would decline 10
tax and the free school system Is at an
end, while the money levied by the
State to support the schools would con-
tlnue to be levied and collected to pay
interest on war interest 10 the Yankee
and the Englishman. In word Ills
an insidious attempt to do what the
proverbial political towards Of Virginia.
who have all the while treasured
hatred for the schools deep in their
hearts, have not dared TO do openly
Having been detected in their robbery
of the school fund it is now proposed to
legallze such THEFT IN future, and to this
end a few readjusters, with about as
much sense as Lynnhaven oyster, have
been entrapped into cooperation.
But this is to be "old times" and
cheap. This is the watchword relied
upon to popularize the amendments to.
adoption by the people.
When the justices got no pay 1t was
certainly cheap court. But then they
get the sherifalty as they respectively
arrived at seniority on the bench, and
this paid handsomely IN those days.
Afterwards the sheriff was elective and
xhe justices received three dollars day
neurts services. 1t IS s,t this la t.
and 1t Is the most expensive this
yor aay ether county ever knew. Three
justices at each court, each drawing three
dollars day the whole 81 to be,
summoned at all terms when questions
affecting revenue or appropriations are
to be determined ; two thirds to be
present on license days, and the court
costs the county $500 to s2OOOa year.
At present the combined costs Of
county court and supervisors for
salaries, per diem and mileage is less
than 5000.
We know a great many persons
think our county expenses are higher
than before the war; but it is not true.
They are less by half. We mean by
this, Of course, the mere matter Of cOun-
ty expenses for county government.
The taxes in this county have not been
lower than before the war, but that is
because there has been a levy
each year to pay lot Of Outrageously
unjust war debts, notably that war
salt, which every soldier paid for in
Confederate currency, out OF his scanty
allowance of$ll per month, before 1t
vent into his children's bread.
We are also to 90 back to the "old
cheap plan" Of collecting the revenues.
Before the constitution Of 1869 10 the
sheriff got from 8 to per cent for
collecting the revenues. and the blend
ing sf business caused about one half to
default, leaving the legislature 10 pass a
series ofrelief bills at every session.
NOW the treasurer gets an average Of
2 / per cent, for collecting the State
taxes. The whole pay from
the State TO the treasurer OF
this county is about 500, whereas the
sheriff received. under the "old cheap
PLAN" nearly three times this amount.
BY the present system the revenue and
court business IS properly divided, each
being the safer for the division, and the
State 10 economlzing by thousands per
annual.
One other Of these proposed amend
ments and we submit the case.
An appeal may be had to the Su-
preme Court of Appeals IN all cases IN.
volv:ng 5000. That is, the cunning
concocters want 10 elect another court
sfappeals to determine such cases and
enlarge the field for practice. Az it is,
the court Of appeals cannot do the
business carried to them and clamor year
after year fora special court, which has
been allowed them once or twice. Fix
1900 as the limit, and the special court
would become a costly fixture, and
Richmond, Stanton, Wythville, Win
chester, Lynchburg, Alexandra, Dam
vile and other cities would be fattening |