Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-04-14

iect; but, II the convention tnuuxo. YIN
ervise, he was willing 10 yield his views,
and DO anything deemed necessary to
sustain the honor and integrity OF the
State.
Mr.. Wiley concurred with Mr.. r,
but thought in order to avoid criticism,
the amendment suggested by him should
he adopted.
Mr.. Hagans maintained that there
was no legal liability upon US to pay any
portion OF the debit was only moral
obligation. IL the section should be
passed as it now stood, the Legislature
could not provide for its payment, De,
cause there was no previous liaDlilty.
There was an imputation oil irauu con-
cealed in the section. He wanted an
express reco ynition Of our honorary oo'
legation to pay our portion OF tn. deot
The trainers OF the present CONSTITUTION
actuated by the highest motives oil nom
or and integrity, had recognized TINS Cd
l;gation, and we should do likewise.
RI, did not bsliers IRE OT'd one csntci me
TIroinia dsbt. but il we did, he would not
tarnish the fair fame OF the State oy the
foul, f,stering stigma OF Reputation:
Mr.. Wheat pricked the bubble o; ma
vans' eloauence by stating that while he
a,ree! With him as to our obligation 10
psy. he disagreed with his law: Ihe
gentleman maintained with one breath
that there was no liability on our part
and in the next begged us not to repu'
date liability which he had Just shown
had no eris'6lcs. ,,.
Mr.. Armstrong favored declaration
OF our intention to pay, and preferred
Wheat's amendment.
Mr.. Raymond opposed Mr. Willey's
amendment. A declaration IN tue
Constitution that we will always here
alter paw what We owe would imply
SUSPICION that unless We So declare We
do not intend to pay. Were the peo-
pie of West Virginia afraid OF them
selves? live owe Virginia anything,
can We not, under the provisions made
by the committee, pay 1t hereafter,
when il shall have been ascertalnedT
The gentleman from Monongalla Mr..
Hagansl insists that we must declare
that We will pay our share OF the deOt,
and the next moment graveiy informs
us that in his judgment we don't owe
a cent" This was strange language to
him. Would the gentleman have Us
impose upon the people by implication
an obligation TO pay debt which is not
only unascertained, but which IL Is I'M
certain whether We owe or not The
report of the COMMITTEES vent as lar as
| he was willing to go. 1t recognized
| an obligation to pay anything we
owe, and if any liability existed TO
Virginia, it would be covered by it. Ii
we owe nothing, as the gentleman in
sists, WHY assert that We will pay that
| which We do not owe. Ii We owed any
thing it ought to be paid. Bat 1t was
an open question a. to whether we owed
anything or not. Ii We pay Virginia,
and she fails to pay the holders OF the
bonds, what then? She has made 70
declaration in her organic law OF her ln'
tention to pay, and it seems likely that
she will not do so. He could see no
propriety in promising to pay debt
| before il has taken some tangible shape,
but whenever it did take such shape We
would pay il, and it was already pre-
vided for in the report OF the commit
| tee.
Ii We were admitted into the Union
with a condition in our Constitution
that we would pay, and that we were
| therefore by international law COM
PEELED 10 do so, then the liability was
already fixed, and there was no reason
why we should not execute new bond.
| lie was not afraid OF criticism. Would
the world think We intended to rcpudi-
ate because We did not, every time we
met in the Legislature or Convention,
reaflirm our intention 10 pay? lie
| thought, upon the contrary, that those
| who made the most loud and frequent
promises most seldom paid their debts.
| We had evinced a most unmistaEable
| willingness to settle this matter, but our
| attempts had been futile. For what
| could we be blamed? What had we
| done to create q suspicion that We IN.
| tended to repudiate? He would not
have us repudiste one cent that we
| Justly owed, but he thought the section
reported by the committee was as far as
prudent men should 90.
These opinions express very generally
the sentiment which prevailed in the
convention.
On the 23d of February, after the con-
vention had adopted the report Of the
committee substituting different pro.
vision from that of the Constitution OF
1865, the REGISTER said editOrially:
"West Virginia is both morally and le-
sally bound to pay her equitable pro-
portion of the public debt incurred by
Virginia before the separation. The alb.
sence OF any express recognition OF the
fact in the new Constitution would not
lessen our liability in any respect; nor
would special declaration OF our in
tention to pay render the payment any
| more speedy or certain. AS soon as our
portion Of the. debt is definitely ascer-
tanned, provisions will be made for its
settlement. The report OF the commit
tee on Taxation and Finance as APP
| proved by the convention gives the
Legislature all the power that is needed
in this regard; all that the present con-
stitution gives; and all that could be
| given were a whole article devoted 10
| this subject alone. We have no objec-
ton whatever to the amendment that
Mr.. Wheat sought to make, but we fail
to find in the language adopted, any,
| even tue oliSutSstb yuotih'aNiOH III lhO
| charge that forty.two members OF the
convention have voted to bring upon
West Virginia the shame OF reputation.
We trust that the IhieltiqeWcer will recon.
slider its hasty conclusion in reference to
this subject and disabuse the minds OF
its readers of the impressions conveyed
by yesterday mornings editorial"
|
WILL WEST VIRGINIA WAKE up
The whole people of West Virginia
should learn a lesson from the enter
prise which has been put on foot
for building a railroad between this city
and Charleston.
1t furnishes a demonstration OF the
truth OF two propositions which we have
been urging upon the consideration of
our people for the past six months, viz:
a. That any practicable, promising
railroad project in this State can now
obtain the capital for its construction ii
put in shape to present to capitalists.
~ That the present season renre-