Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1880-03-06

"5at tic poodle vh0 adopted tho Constitution
nau, through th2lf representatives, SO often DO
! clatot By formal TesoIuior. | know o! 60
&C., or !Gstrrc:ion, or vote CT tho people OF
VrRlDialn ury assembly or convention,
that will justify too declaration that they have
| renouIceu these solemn resolves made through
legal and orgaalo forms and boldly and badly
denied shat they had 81 of.eo determined to pay
aud for |ii,h they hal given their sacred
| pledge.
| Tho preamble further alleges that tho i'm.
mensn loss Ct property by tho war jultiiiss the
abatement OF another largo sum. | am not
| aware that such losses sIVO either States CT in
dlgiduals the right, legal or moral, to repudiate
debt, whatever ground it night DO upon
which to base an appeal to the creditor to ro
lease portion Of bis demand Certainly not
when the debtor retains tho whole consideration,
which survives, for his benefit aud Enjoyment,
which is tho clSo With virginia.
Asserting that tho existing relic Ct taxation
is the highest that can be born, aud making DO
promise even to kecpt up 10 that for tic benefit
OF the creditors; asserting further that the Gov
ernmcnt expenses must b. paid and tho putllo
school system mast DO supported, and fXing DO
promised oirtaio limits to tho costs OF either.
il proposes t. give TO the creditors lh,ir right
10 be paid their intertsi 'ou. 6! any money il
tta Treasury not otherwise appropriated. -
A1d this the Interest upon the debt contracted
by. our ihthers-mrn who mado Virginia so
gfca!, 50 respected, so p0Wcru!-hD proceeds
spont in cur midst. making our Commonwealth
payment tf which they pledged "lba filth OF
tho State to provide sufficient iuoGs. AMI for
this purpose TO levy sufficient thxcs" | sim.
ply puL these declarations silc BY side, without
argument or c,mmout. ll"rcSiter the reader
| OF orr history will remark upOu tho different
views Of public duty AID public policy which
prevailed 10 their day md thai IN which @u
live.
Another provision Of !hc bill il, that The c)-
IretGrs Of taxes shall rte i've only gold silver,
| ljaitcd States Treasury uotos National bank
currcncy, ard tcmptary loan certificates therein
provided Ter. excluding tax receivable, coupons.
Tor tho rcc,ips Of which the PROMISE of the
State hss been given. ard which tho highest
conrs have decided frequently ald in i!unl q1i-
vcc, forms canoot be avoided without breach
OF Tho tho organic law, to say uohiug of the
iath OF the C0mm0nwaalIb.
This thh bill implicitly admits For. not snt
isii d with VIC. inH these obligations in terms,
II attempts by Legal lngtnul'y to Cscapn the
bond, 10y d";yiDg TIN remedies gwen by lis
|
HIGHEST cinr!4. Admitting the obligation, and
that i! CAN ami will u, rninic &. tho hill by
legal machinery aitrmpls 20 hcloat it by liraisa
non ct th: rrnn.y Tho State Is mado TO play
the part 81 IN individual in tho pOtting oil the
money and the putting l'sGll undcr legal forms
to secure lIsrt-pay ment and then assuming the
rGhrs ct sovereignty, trying to avoid tho re-.
s9ons:hlil!Y by denial OF relief or it's Limitation
~ Rnoh M extent al to Eiais x defeat its own
I prOicSsed oil jtcH.
TO accomplish this end il Qooa further, and "a
| c"mpt tho creditors To Yio,d their evidences of
tho States indebtedness Ullors q bogus. By
throwing upon the markets vast amounts Of
wha. ATE callol loan certificates - which II
proposes to acll Ia tho taxpayers st fifty cents in
tho Go lar, thus destroying ono half tho revC-
MUGS, that tho Interest of tho creditors may hn
| wrecked.
This il fearful lesson for a Republic TO tench
It's citizcns- how to hrosi, not to keep nilh-anL
must return go day in soma form with disas-
trOus iiApuft.
Could these things 10 dono and be p7nnouncod
as III accordance with tho State snd Federal con-
stitntions, both OF which declare that n" law
shall bo passed lmpslring the obligation of con-
tracts, would 1t accomplish the end at which tho
| hill Processes to aim H. Terminates" q uso IFS
"wn torm) moro than $l"0OUOl OF tho hitherto
Acknowledged principal of the debt by ono
str0ko Of the pen ; it 'oiimnatrs" ono half tho
proposes TO pay no certain amount Of interests,
but cay such sam Ms may bn in this Treasury
alter iusuro GenOral Assemblies hava disposed
OF what may seem 10 them proGor-in is own
| languaSo, that may not be otherwise sppro-
rrl4LCd" i. then 'climinatcs" nearly all tn ii may
be laii hy snhloctug il to State, city snd counts
| taX@lIon. And thus tho holders of tho State 3
oblia,,ti ms abroad and At homo, mo treated
worse than civlllH ID nations in those lstLer days
tro.t Il public cnomY. For many Of them abroad
hpli ~ tbapo ,l,;,
fathers before thonl, lcnt this money in limo of
need, putting trust IN ri untarnshod Common
wealth or a! home, by our colleges and literary
institutions. who bought or received them from
benevolent bands, that from their proceeds
young men might be sent forth yearly The
strength and ornament Of the Ststo and by tho
widows and orphans of tho;a who scrGel their
country wel snd hsd faith in that hon0r for
which they died.
And this il called bill TO 70 ost.hii.h tho
public credit Docs i. not sncm to bu plain
violation Of that provision Ct our Constitution
which declares that mo law shall embrace m pro
than ono "'ieci, which Shall ba expressed III its
ttle2'
As rnmArRol in tho beginning: State can
not give L5 own deiinilion to terms and e1roct
them TO DO adopted by tho world. 1t may use
tho word eliminate" The world will uaa a
| much harther word, which has u vol known
and accepted meaning You anu may say as
We have ever done, lhat tho Stale Of Yirginia
aors not mean 10 reNuGlGte. Eut these uecle-
rstlon3 will not avail. Tho chargp will he
brought and fXot. VTgiDia's history viii. be
stained with its deadly virus, which no efforts of
Ours. CT OF those WAC will come after us, can
orsse, and oc which 10 rlIure repentance can
| ever stone.
With these vtw. snd convictions I cannot
put my sIgnaiuro III approval To This bill. | ro-
specttuiiy return 1t To your honorable body in
winch II originated because believe il to be in
violation Of tho Constitution Of tho State, in vi.
o!aiion of tho Constitution Of tho Unitod Sta,es,
in violation al tho spiriL which has ever move /;
and l"spired tho traditions Of the Common.
wealth, and made her nama SO dear TO her own
ciLiHens, and "a honcrNi among men.
IEgD. W. NJ. HOLIDAY.
March 5ih $50
acgtNl0tjsc
| EIcmMoNp. VIRGINIA, March e, 1885,