Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-01-26

row long this would require. The
common school system had 10 be pat
uto operation, school-honses built,
'eachers procured and paid. Every
thing was coujectural, and 1t Is MT to
be- wondered at that reeults did not al"
ways fulfill expectations. The Legls'
lature was like party exploring a new
cou TRY without roads or landmarks. ii
expenditures were large aud revenues
fell short, these are the reasons fer II.
And now let as examine the elaborate.
and apparently careful statements oil
both the address and interview OF Gen.
Malone. One is that at the outbreak
of the war Virginia had q population
,ne.ftlh greater than she has to-day
This is incorrect. la 1860 the porula-
| ion of Virginia was 1872 203; differ
ence of 81, lis, or about one nineieentn'
This was not miststemept OF mscn
consequence, but when figures are dealt
Nth they should at least be correctly
quoted If the speaker wishes his state
| ments to obtain public credence.-
Speaking of a period before the war;
| General Malone says Il quote from bis
,nterYisw): Then the property OF all
kinds assessed with taxes in Virginia
was greater than now by $3l7,66O. COO
and now amounts to only s267, 439 600
and then her public debt was s3l, 1885,
900. with an annual liability for lnler-
est of 81. $50, 900, while the McCulloch
hill would arbitrarily impose a debt OF
s33. 22S, 97l upon the Virginia OF to
day, shorn of her territory, decima.ed
IN her population, and beggared IN all
her resources Ia debt greater than
that OF any other State OF the Unlon-to
crush and parallze tho State wnlcn
suffered most of all By the war Inc
revenue of Virginia IN the year 1917
1860. on a levy of forty cents upon the
ene hundred dollars Of assessed va,ue'
was So 936 S74. In 1880 1881, wntn
every spesies of property is taxed ner
revenue cannot be counted upon lot
more than 81. 100, 900 net, although the
levy is now. since 1871. fifty cents.
And whereas formerly the State ievl
OF forty cents was substantially Tue
whole extent of Our public burden now
the aggregate of city, county, Stare and
Federal exaclions equal tax oil 81 per
cent. on the assessed value OF prop, rty.
or 1884 on every 400 o. our taxable
values. The expenses Of the Stale
government now, under the most lrusai
administration. Cannot be put at is
than 81. AGO. 900, including the consn-
tutiosal charge of the free schools, and
averaged about $1,000 GOO until The
Readjusters came into power: re, our
interest account, under the McOudiocn
bill, would stand for the year 1917 al
81. 299 l64; for 1870 at $l.l94, l64; Tor
| 1881 at 81 ,093 l64; tor 1882 at sl'OOo'~
OH; and Tor 1883: and each year sue
ceeding to 1890, at 1896, S6O; or, II
averaged for the ten years. at sl,ooi.-
$50 a wear. For the ensuing twenty
vesrs(at 4 per cent? tie annual lnteres'
would be 1929, l47, aud for the re
naming ten years, under the OIL (a' D
ner cent it would be si,66l, 1893 year
and this the Funders are wont 10 can
3 per cent. settlement-3, 4 ana o.
The inter impossibility OF meeting
merely the average annual interest
demand of the McCullOch bill. even
during the period OF Its lowestrale,heeo
not be discussed when it is apparent
that, after deiral ing The necessary e1-
peuses OF Government, including sup,
nort of the schools, no larger annual
surplus can be safely relied on than
800, 0OO." u-
Ideny these assertions emphaticaily,
and will demonstrate that they are mol
only erroneous, but grossly 30. He
saws that the property OF all kinds as
sessed with taxes in Virginia no" Is
only s267, 439, 900. l have before me
the report of the Auditor for the hScal
year ending September 30 lo's-li
any report for 1880 has been MADE
have not seen it. but there could oe no
material difierence-and these are the
Official figures taken fIom II:
Real estate saxs&; 80 s 80 - =
Personal property taxed. ....'... W sa' 90 o.
sols 500 $50 o.
A mistake of s5l, 1854 $50; upon which.
at so cents on the 600 worth of pro-
pertv. the annual revenue would be
nearly $3.50 coo.
The positive averment is made thai
1.-The McCuloch bill would arbitrarily
impose a debt of t33. 22S Gil upon the
Virginia Of TODAY, s." The McCul-
| loch bill is found in Session Acts of Vir-
pinia 1879, p. 264. Il id not fix. or
attempt TO fix, the amount OF the debt.
| The Constitution requires that the Leg
,slature shall publish with the acts each
session a statement of the public debt.
and full receipts aud expenditures, and
this has been done every year since our
Constitution went into effect. The
same Legislature that passed the Nc
Culloch bill in compliance with this re-
ouire ment did publish a detailed state
ment Of the debt aud its condition, and
make the aggregate Of principal s29,-
297. 95S.O6. See page 400, 81.
General Malone claims that the Re
adjusters had majority in this Legs
laiure. and it they had, aud made no
protest or counter-slatement TO this
document, it must be accepted as cor
rect. The McCullOch bill authorized
the funding OF unpaid interest at SO
cents on the dollar, ard whatever in.
terest was funded would have to be
added. But here is the most material,
and, at the same time, the most gross
| " incorrect OF all the avernents-vlz:
"In lSSO-'8l, when every species OF
property is taxed, the revenus OF Vir-
ginia cannot be counted upon for more
than s2. 100 600. though the levy is
now. since 1871, so cents. And where
as formerly the State levy CT 40 cents
was substantially the whole extent OF
our public burden, now the aggregate OF
city. county, State, and Federal actions
equal tax OF 81 per cent. on the as
sessed value of property, or 90 33t on
every SlO0 Of our taxable values"
First as 10 the revenue
1t is claimed that the total revenue Of
the Slate can only be o. 100000. l
will demonstrate otherwise conclusive
lly, and, as in other cases, l will do 1t
by official acts and records. / refer
now 10 the statement of actual receipts
into the Treasury-Omittiug temporary
loans found in Senate Document l4,un-