The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-12-03

Tur question Of the Just settlement Of
hs Virginia debt, and Of the proper pro-
rotiop Of it which West Virginia ought to
s,,amc, is veritable "Banquo's ghost"
rvIl not iown-or at least the press Of
,ha country will not allow it to be exor-
cl.4I The New York Times day or two
,,o printed an exhaustive review of the
oae,tion, and gave statement Of the
sa,ns Of the debt, MS follows:
The State official known as the Second
auditor recently submitted to the Gov
,nor A report giving the condition Of the
Jebt ON the first Of October. According to
bis statement there are $S,5l7,G00 OF 1910
bopI. issued under the Funding net OF
March y, 1870, and Sl4,360,047 81 Of
"consoIs' issued under the act OF March
NJ Nj. These So, ,SS75i7 81 OF bonds
have coupons made by law re-
,,lable Tor taxes Then there Is
S,Ni3Oj II Of the "peeler debt"
an.lrd under the act Of March, 30, 1871,
a, amended March7, 1872, and an uniund.
drmaindpr which, treated as funded"
under the last act named, amounts to ST..
S9glOOI, making 50, ,7g7, ,245 lO,without tax
paying COUPONS. This gives total OF $2O,.
Ili,i}, besides the Slj,239,370 "A which,
in the language Of the Auditor, "is the
amount recognized by Virginia rs West
Viyinia's proportion oftlle debt, for which
certificates have been or will be issued"
The Tins does not express an opinion
in regard to this States share Of the debt,
Several papers do, commenting on the
TimaarticIe, but none Of them seem to
know much about the matter; and It has so
often been explained and discussed in these
columns that any remarks about the debt
eeliwoudbe mere repetition, and are not
necessary, But in this. connection the Ohio
Mt Journal takes occasion 10 say;
The difficulty us to the debt attributed to
West Virginia is apt 10 bring up the in
Quiry as othe wisdom OF the separation OF
that State from the Old Commonwealth.
The separation was sort OF counter scCes-
son, ii i true, for which the Old Domln-
ion had established u sufficient precedent.
Yet would it not have been better in the
end and Just us well for the time being, to
have OrganiIed within the territory now
known as West Virginia, government
iOr the whole State, and TO have supported
that as the only real government OF the
State, until the sham secession government
was OycrhrDwn2 AS n political measure,
the creation OF the new State had some
advantages perhaps, but they were adyan.
tagcs Of at ebest Doubtful efficacy and TEN.
pomry benefit. The United States would
be just as well of were the old mother to
receive home again her exilcd child, and
the two commonwealth TO be once more
merged together We are not sure, indeed,
but this Is the adjustment which Virginia
most needs, and which would also be best
t0r West Virginia, too, The letter is, In It's
best aspect, a sort Of anomalous and hybrid
political creation. The argument has been
made that nature has separated what man
has put together, but the same might be
Giloi Fast and West Tennessee and East
and West Pennsylvania, to say moth.
Ing Of the eastern and western portions oil
our continent. Besides, the political sep
ltation was at best cruel divorce. II
vas the work OF war. Now peace, the
healer, has come, and Nature has done, and
isdoing, all she can to obliterate the cruel
SaB Of violence, and to hide them from
human sight. Perhaps craftsmanship
should learn lesson from this. It IL not
worth while now 10 inquire too closely
which is, or would be, the returning prod.
igal, but ifthe two States 30 long separated
could oncemore. be harmonioisly and hap.
iIyunitel, it would be an occasion upon
which the whole Nation would be disposed
okill the iatted calf and rejoice.
This is tool, certainly. But the propo-
sition is one concerning which West vir.
ginia would have just word to say, and
having been once delivered from the
body Of this death" she would most de-
cilelly object to being reincorporatcd
herewith. Still, we shall watch with nb.
'orbins interest the struggles Of our ex.
changes with these sand bags which serve
TO develop their editorial muscle until
there is something more satisfactory to e1'
eirise themselves withal.