The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-02-08
Mr.. Riddlebergor Again.

We expressed recently our surprise that
the Woodstock TrgiaiQa ME RIDDLE
RFrGEr1 should have chirced substantially
that TIE FuudcIs wish 10 hold Virginia re-
sponsiblc for West Nirgiuia's portion OF the
publ;c debt Of the two States, when the fact
was tas we then supposed that The MCCUL-
LoCn bill provided that every person funding
under that bill should release the State Il
Virginia from an liability on account Of Che
certificates issued under thc funding act Of
1871. The vjrg,niQn says in rs reply to las
that il desires to he exactly right in every
uttcrnnce on hi, very important matter OF
the public debt" That's the very reason
we we're surprised.
We quote from the VryHiolt;
when we speak oi Fundcr' We mean
those " no have advocated one or more or
all II the approved FUNDING bllis, pcsih-
ming with that Of ISL
True. no doubt; but II The public under
stand YOU TO mean the regular Democratic
party when you use the word "Funder,,".
then you ought not TO Use that word unless
vou employ il to designate that party. we
know some FuudcrS who hold That Virginia
i, bound for The whole debt Of the TWO
state. but the Democratic patty docs not
teach any such doctrine. In auOthcrpart OF
it, article. the VirginiGn says:
Thu. the Dispatch Itself comedies that
Virginia will PROBABLY be held for much OF
that third, II not all OF it,
We said only that it was not Improbable
tina, the Supreme Court OF The United states
would hold Virginia bound for much Of
that third if not all of it. We never init
mated that we thought she ought to be held
responsible for it. But that point is not ma
teIiai LOW. The Supreme Count has III
timated what its opinion would be, and has
thus knocked on the head all the Virgin
idn'S arguments intended TO show that III
law, and in the opinion Of our Court OF
Appeals, Virginia is bound for West Virgil
Mas debt. Mr.. Justice FIELD in Hartman
rs. GreenbOw says: .
During the war Il portion OF her territory
was separated from her, and BY its people a
new state, named West Virginia, was
formed, and by the Congress OF the United
States vas admitted INTO the Union. Nearly
one-third OF her territory and people were
mus ldhtu liOlI Dtl !ullSuiNtiOhs lput a.
the whole State had created the indebted
ness for which the bonds were issued, and
participated in the benefits obtained by The
MONEYS raised, it was but just that portion
Of the indebtedness should be assumed bv
that pant which was taken from her and
made a new State. Writers on pubic law
SPEAK q the principle a. we'll established
that where State Is divided into two or
more States, in the adjustment OF liabilities
between each other the debts OF the pal nt
State should be ratably apportiOned among
them"
Let that point be considered as settled,
and let Us never hear again from anybody
that Virginia is bound to pay the whole
debt Of the two states. The Virgini1n fur
Their says:
These six lines which you quote from The
McCalloch blll-yiZ., "The acceptance OF
the said certificates for West Nirginla's one
thlrd issued under this act shall be taken and
held as u full and absolute release OF the
Stare oi Virginia from all liability on ac-
count Of the said certificates are but the
concluding lines OF the whole OF section
OF that measure. The first five lines, As they
appear in that section, run n follows
tine owners of all classes OF bonds mentioned IN
This act, who shall exchange heir securities for
bonus created under TINS act, ana VINO thai not
have yet received certificates repeeuting The re-
maiEing third Of their principal and Interest due
and layaDe by the state OF West Virginia, shall re
ceiye ceritca of like character Ia those Issued
under TIE act OF 1871, when They made such eX-
change"
Now let the DiSpatch note : Twenty mil
lions Of debt was funded under the act OF
1871, and with il were issued ten millions
OF certificates. Could the McCullOch bill
have affected these certificates! These rep.
resent The one third, and have been issued.
The McCullOch bill only provided ceitf-
Gates for those "whO shall not have yet re-
eeiyed." Surely the Dispatch will not
seriously hold to the view that the McCul-
iOcn bin, il carried out to the letter, could
have altered OF changed what IL declined TO
touch.
We reply frankly that We had not exam.
iuea the law carefully, and therefore mis-
construed ii as applying to all the West
Virginia certificates. We OF course could
not have intended TO misrepresent the terms
OF the law. But in view OF the language
quoted above from the Supreme Court Of
the United States, ii is not matter OF i'm
p6f,ance. Nor is ii important in itself. We
have said heretoiore-and we repeat il now
Tor The benefit OF all whom il may concern
that Virginia Will never pay dollar OF
West Virginia's third Of the debt OF the two
States. We say IL also for the regular Dem
ocratic party. Let that much be settled
without the fear or hope OF "readjust.
ment"
-----------
VI ~ M.