Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1881-10-05
Til g RiddleberGer Failure.

From the Richmond Dispatch.
There never was before known such
complete failure as the Riddleberger
bill. II is worse than nothing as a set
Element of the public debt. Its advo-
Gates ought to confess at once that it IS
a miserable abortion. That the reader
may see for himself that such is the fact
be need only examine the bill carefully.
It may be found in full in last Saturdays
Dispatch.
l. 1t attempts to repudiate thirteen
millions Of the public debt Of Virginia,
most Of which repuGiated debt is
evidenced by bonds issued by authority
Of the Legislature and the Governor,
and signed by the states own officers.
This amount thus attempted to be repu-
dated is not a separate aud distinct
debt, for repudating which there might
be- special reasons, but is the sum total
of AZ per cent. arbitrarily taken off the
consol bonds, 335 per cent. arbitrarily
taken off the peeler bends, and 10 pc r
cent. arbitrarily taken or fro n another
portion Of the de BIT.
2. 1t attempts TO compel the bondhol-
ders 10 accept these repudiating terms.
How, BY providing that nothing but
so-called loan certificates and the usual
currency shall be receiv ID flor taxe'.
This outrageous provision was framed
fer the purpose ofevadlng a decision OF
the Supreme Court Of Appeals Of Virgil
MIA that the coupons Of the consol bonds
must be received for .axes. A decision
OF the Supreme Court Of the United
States rendered since the Riddleberger
bill was passed and vetoed, requires the
State OF Virginia to receive the coupons
for taxes at their face value, The Re-
adjus.ers have endorsed the bill since
this decision was rendered. Tnus this
fourteenth section Of the bill is an at
tempt to render Of none effect the de-
cislons OF these high tribunals by provl'
ding that the taxpayers of Virginia
shall not he allowed to use The very cou
pms which those courts say they
are entitled TO use in paying their tax
e..
8. But the sime section is 10 hagrant
violation Of the Constitution of Virginia
and the laws Of the United States. Il
provides that outside Of the county
courts, Differed by the last Mlhone
Legislature, there shall be no remedy
even for the attempt to collect rSreaue
illegally although the Constitution OF
Virginia expressly gives to the Court
of Appeals jurisdiction in cases iuyOly-
ing the constItutiOnality Of law, as
we'll "a in cases OF habeas corpus, man
damus, and prohibition. Isn't tia pref
ty confession for the Republicans OF
Virginia to make, that there allies have
attempted to provide for collecting re-
venue illegally" Ia that they have
tax collectors to refuse cou.
pons, and then provided that neither
the circuit courts not the Court of APP |
peals should have Jurisdiction in such |
cases? Does not every one see that |
that provision is substantially an at
tempt to set aside, in contempt OF the
and laws OF the United
States, decree of the Supreme Court
orthe United States.
4. But all these attempts are now seen
10 be dead failures. AS Ran Tucker and
John Goode declare. The Constitution
Of Virginia says the coupon-holder can
appeal to the Supreme Court OF Appeals
md that's the end Of 1t. Tie coupons
must and will be received. The judge
nent Of the highest court in Virginia,
md the judgment of the highest court
q the United States, will be respected.
The rights of property are safe. There
IAN be no reputation in Virginia. The
PEOPLE are poor, but they are net poor
enough to be regulators.
5. And then look at the silly section
authorizing loan-cerLif;ates. Never
ras there 50 clumsy d1vice for repnd
ting debt, or evi1in! a law, or kill.
,g a courts decree. Riddleberger tries
. compel the coupoa-holder to accept {
he terms of his bill by providing that 4
roperty-owners may ply their taxes in q
,an-certifcates bought at fifty cents on I
nc dollar. But the repudIator made t
ad calculations, as we have often |
lown. The coupons can DO sold at n
70 cents on the dollr lower than the
and will then yield tho
almost double what RdJle- .
,rqer offers him. So there is absolute 1