The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-11


EdiIOn Intelllgeneer
A State consists, not in its territory but
in its people, and the debtoi State is the
debt Of its people, SO that the debt Of vir.
ginia prior to the division Of the State was
as much the debt Of the people Of the west
as Of the east, and the obligation to pay
the same on all.
Tho constitution Of Virginia at the time
Of division and prior, provided for a sink
ing fund from the annual revenues sutt.
cient to pay the public debt, with aCcruiRg
interest, in thirty.iOur years, and made tue
proceeds Of the sale Of all State stocks in
banks, bridges, railroads, turnpikes and
canals Il part OF the sinking fund, TO be up
piled in like munner-Va. Cons. 81, art. !,
secs. $3.50.
West Virginia took oil the State stocks
and public property within her bounds,
cum OaOre, and with notice. She can not,
therefore, hold the property and repudiate
her part OF the debt without bad faith.
But in the division both parts agreed
that West Virginia should assume an equit.
able proportion Of the then common debt.
W. Va. Cons. OF %, art. s, sec. 8; Virginia
act giving assent to the new State. And the
Legislature Of West Virginia was required
by its constitution to provide for the liQui.
dation OF the part so assumed, by sinking
fund sufficient to pay it with accruing in.
terest in thirty.iour years
III pursuance thereof, and with view to
protect her citizens and ascertain the
NNk oh 60
Virginia years ago appointed commission
to ascertain what bonds were held by her
citizens at the time OF division and con.
tinued to be so held. And ut subsequent
time another commission TO confer with Il
like commission to be appointed by Nir-
gInia to ascertain and report the amount to
be assumed by West Virginia, which was
done and the amount reported at Sl5, Co.,
600.
1.-two parties owe debt and agree to
divide the property and debts OF the firm
equitably between them, it would not be
considered honest fOrone, after the division,
to say that he owed nothing and would pay
nothing, because the other got the lions
share in the division.
States are held to even higher stand.
ard OF honor and honesty than individ-
uals, and public opinion will not tolerate
lower standard for the public faith. So in
the case Of Woodruff vs.. Tapnall 10 How,
207, the Supreme Court Of the U. 5. by
Mclean j., said: 1--WE look naturally to the
action OF u sovereign State TO be character
lied by more scrupuiVS regard to Justice,
and higher mOruliiy than belongs TO ordi.
nary transactions OF individuals. The oh.
legation OF the State tArkansas) is much
stronger than the case Of individuals. 1t
would be most ruiROuS policy fora State to
improve its currency through violation
OF its contracts. III such course the loss
Of the State, would be incompanbly
greater than its gain"
The honor and faith OF West Virginia are
not less sacred than Arkansas or any other
among the civilized States. And when ii
is considered that she is the youngest and
iairest daughter OF the mother OF States and
statesmen, her honor, like CAESARS wife,
SHOULD be above suspicion"
1t may also be explanatory to remember
as part Of the res geStde, that the people Of
West Virginia were prime factors in the
political parturitiOn, uno dunn, and
themselves gave the consent OF the mother
commonwealth in 1868, to the CGarean
operation OF the new birth, while she, like
mother Eve, was beguiIed by the tempter,
and for time, under the impulse oil
strong delusion."
The State, then, is morally, legally and
constitutionally bound to pay an equitable
proportion OF the once common debt Of
the old commonwealth. What that amounts
to is for adjustment between the old State
and the new. 1t has not yet been settled
b.tween them. Virginia does not claim it
to be more than fifteen million dollars, and
West Virginia does not claim it to be less
than million, us asCertained and reported
by her own commissioners appointed for
the purpose.
But States are not only bound to keep
their promises and pay their debts to
creditors, but they also owe, in particular,
protection TO their own citizens and are
under the highest obligation to defend
them and their property against other
States.
So the United States enforced the claims
al American citizens against France. and
also against Great Britain, received the
money and distributed it to the citizens
entitled.
Citizens Of West Virginia were holders
OF Virginia bonds at the time OF division,
and are so still. They cannot enforce pay
ment thereof against the State Of Virginia,
for an individual cannot sue sovereign
State but by It's consent. But the State OF
West Virginia can enforce the claims OF its
citizens, and has the means in its own
hands TO satisfy them, and ought to use
Nln.,, TO- kl,nsr 0i,f,1t;nV and roIt.f
AS chief actors in the separation, they
aided in Remembering the mother COM
monwealth, with her consent technically
and legally, it is true, but practically against
the will OF her people, and thereby dimin-
ished her ability to pay. They could not,
therefore, with rs good grace us Britisher
or New Yorker or other bond holder, look
10 Virginia for payment, until their own
State had assumed her proportion OF the
original debt, according to contract.
There are many citizens Of West Virginia,
who, BY reason OF insUlvencies, surelyships
aud other misiortunes have become indebt-
ed 10 the State, and are unable to pay. II
can be no gain TO the State to keep them in
u hopeless state OF quasi slavery, or drlin
them into bankruptcy, or cxpalriation.
Here there is an opportunity to do jus.
tice and afford relief, and the obligation is
perfect, tho duty plain and the way easy.
Let the State authorize its Auditor 10
receive from such citizen debtors Virginia
bonds in payment pro tanto Of their in.
debtedness 10 the State, other than for
taxes, TO be credited at the price paid,
bona fide by such citizens for the same,
Thus the State would eiiectually pay an
honest debt and utilize its worthless assets,
and provide itself with proper Offsets and
vouchers for q fair and early settlement
with the mother Commonwealth, stop the
accumulation Of interest and at the same
time protect and relieve its citizens, with.
out costing II cent in reality,
Until the final adjustment between the
two States OF the amount to be assumed by
West Virginia, the bonds 10 be so received
and credited might be only the original
bonds held bonafds by such debtor citi.
zens, and not the new bonds or certificates
taken in noyatinn Of the debt since the
separation; for, those who have made new
contracts with Virginia since the division,
have not the same right to look to West