The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1879-12-04
The Duty Of the Legislature.

paper, free from any faint OF partiZanIsm,
and eminently patriotic.
The Duty of the Legislature.
The Legislature which met in Richmond
yesterday will be confronted with as grave
duties as were ever brought to the atten-
ton of the General Ascend bly, of Virginia.
10 meet and mould them so as to rebound
to the welfare Of the State, will require
true Virginia devotion-a sentiment that
rises above party, and looks to the perma-
nent interests, honor and fame of the
Commonwealth. Partizan spirit and par
ty necessities have in the past so dominated
every other consideration and interest, that
the great concerns of the people, and the
character and reputation of the State, have
been lost sight of, and as result we have
before us the most complicated and en-
barrassing condition of public affairs that
ever oppressed and wronged Common
wealth.
From the first inception of legislation
affecting the public debt after 1865, there
has been nothing but succession of blum
ders, almost amounting to crimes. The
condition of the people has never been
closely and justly studied, but persistent
inconsiderativeness and false representa-
ton OF facts have controlled in nearly eve
~ approach to the solution of the debt
problem. With lofty disdain of the des-
olation which had well nigh blotted the
State out of existence, and Pecksniffian
virtue born of moral cowardice, the Legis-
1ature Of 1866, assumed the entire debt of
old Virginia and the accumulated interest,
and pledged the faith of the State to its
payment, when an honest, business assess
ment OF values would have required gen.
eral law of confiscation to have met the
requirements of that pledge. Subsequent
legislation pretended to recognize the de-
fects OF this assumption, but provided no
means corresponding with the impoverished
condition of the people, to satisfy the cred
itors, or to bring to their attention in plain
unvarnished truth, the facts they had to
deal with. The legislation of 1871, predi-
Gated upon deliberate falsehood, fastened
justment ever inflicted upon a free people.
The legislation of 1879 retained some of
the most Objectionable features Of that
of 1871, and added others equally Of
fensive to the public sense of self-respect,
while formulating the debt by measure of
justice, and which would have been &C
cepted by the people, had the proper con-
sideration been given to protests before
recorded.
While we supported this last bill of set
Element. because we believed that its ac-
ceptance would result in benefits that would
more than compensate for the wrongs the
objections to it would inflict, the people of
the State differed with us, and entered an
other protest, in sympathy with those be-
fore recorded, land re-iterating their purpose
not to submit to conditions which they be-
lieved brought in question their honesty
and abrogated their rights to regulate and
direct their own affairs. The amount of
the principal of the debt as presented in
the McCulloch Bill nor the rate of interest
it provided, did not seriously enter into
this embittered controversy just closed
Had the tax-receivable coupon feature, the
arbitrary method of refunding, and the
non-taxable provision of the bonds, been
left of, the bill would have been accepted
by an almost unanimous vote, and the OBJ
legations it imposed promptly met. But
these obnoxious clauses they could not ac-
cept, nor do we believe they will ever &C
cept them. Not only this, but if pressed
before them again their protest will be ten
fold more expressive than any verdict that
has heretofore been rendered.
We do not propose at this time to review
the discussion and arguments that marked
the contest which closed on the 4th of No
vember, or to attempt to present the form
OF settlement, such as would meet pop
ular approval. This latter is the duty OF
those who are entrusted with Legislative
power, and whose highest obligation is to
reflect the will Of the people. We wish
simply to call the attention Of the factions
to the recent conflict of opinion and poll
cies to the vital importance of spirit OF
Cancellation in the deliberations of the
present session of the Legislature. It will
not conduce to the ends of justice OF promote
the welfare of the Commonwealth, nor
vindicate her integrity, to carry into the
legislative halls the feelings and passions
engendered by the recent contest. The in
terests of factions are infinitely subordi-
nate to the good of the State, and whatever
of personal resentment may be felt, or of
personal ambition entertained, the highest
duty and the most sacred obligation is to
make these secondary to the welfare of
Virginia, and by united effort seek to re-
concile differences and reach common
ground of agreement, wherein may be
found solution of the difficulties and COM
plications which environ us, consistent with
the honor of the Commonwealth and the
rights of her creditors. Republicans, Debt
payers and Re-adjusters all are Virginians,
and let them enter upon the work before
them not as partizans, seeking for some
transitory party advantage, but as Virgin
ians, jealous of the name and fame of their
State, esteeming it a higher duty to serve
the old mother of us all, than to subserve
the interests of party. 1t will not do for
debt-payers, whether Conservatives or Re-
publicans, to ignore the sentiment involved
in the verdict just recorded at the ballot
box by the people. That verdict has to be
respected. Nor will it do for Re-adjusters
to forget that the creditors have rights
which the Commonwealth is bound to CON-
suit, and which honor and good faith de-
mand shall be respected.
We feel infinitely more concern about
NE settlement of the debt controversy and