Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-01-13
GOVERNOR CAMERON S MESSAGE.

COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, D
GOVERNORS OFFICE,
RICHMOND, January 6, 1892.
To the General Assembly of Virginia.:
Pursuant TO notice of my election by the
people. received through committee of
your body, have taken the oath prescribe
ed by law, and have entered upon the Of
flee of Governor.
The constitutional duty Of communica-
ting 70 each session Of the General AS
sembly the condition Of the Common
wealth has already Aeen performed by my
predecessor in the transmission to you of
full reports from all the heads OF Depart
ments. But the Governor is also required
to recommend to the consideration of the
General Assembly such measures as he
may deem eXpedent.
This latter mandate I proceed briefly to
discharge in firm faith that the PRINCIPLES
and purposes which hava received emphat
ic endorsement from the people of Virginia
Yill not fail to command the support OF
their representatives.
In use of the authority intrusted to me
I have no other aim than to maintain the
tue honor and foster the substantial in
tprests Of the State, and in pursuit of these
objects know no better guides than the
Constitution aud that will which the SOW
,.reign voice of this Common wealth has
declared at the ballot box.
TIE PUBLIC DEBT
recommend the adoption of measures,
without unnecessary delay, which shall
provide for the discharge of our public OBJ
legations upon the basis set forth IN the
act passed by the last General Assembly
and known as the. Riddleberger bill. No
greater boon can be gwen this people than
a speedy, equitable, and final settlement Of
all controversy concerning the State debt.
Great misrepresentation exists as to the
purpose of the people in Virginia in this
regard. Conflicting courses OF legislation
in the past and statements as TO thaFeye-
nues and resources, proved TO he erroneous
by subsequent events, have tended tC con-
fuse the popular mind and to produce gross
discrimination between the several classes
of Virginia's obligations, though in law
and in equity the whole should have been
homogeneous and of equal value. AS L
understand the views and will of the peo-
pie of this State, they do not intend to re-
pudiate any just obligation, but to assume
and to pay that proportion of the princi-
pie which is properly chargeable to the
present State Of Virginia, and to restore
all classes of the creditors to a plane of
equality. We are at no loss to determine
tno pIOpoIGlol VI O1c duUO -poiluht uopu
which this Commonwealth should assume,
for the Supreme Court of the United States
has aajudicated that question.
With the sanction Of that high tribunal
to the proposition that two thirds of the
original sum is the just share thereof to be
borne by Virginia, the true indebtedness of
this State can be automatically deter
| mined
First. BY computing full interest to the
date of the settlement from the period
when Virginia lost control of and ceased
to draw revenue from the territory en-
braced in West Virginia.
Second. By crediting against the sum
total of principle and interest so obtained
the acknowledged payments on both ac-
counts made by Virginia since the DarUi-
ton of her territory.
If this shall be done and provision made
foY liquidation of the amount so found to
be due, no charge of reputation can be
rightly laid at the door of the people of the
Commonwealth. In the scheme Of settle
ment above referred to different rates of
funding were prescribed for the several
classes Of bonds. This was necessary to
equitable application of the payments here
tofore made and to preserve the well-estab-
lished principles of law that equality is
equity among creditors of equal dignity.
|. AS TO the rate of interest which can and
should be paid on the principle so ascer-
tanned and assumed, all parties Id this
State are agreed that the present rate OF
taxation cannot be increased. Common
consent on this point in connection with
the last assessment determines. then, the
amount of public revenue. This revenue
is principally applicable to the support of
the Government, upon the maintenance OF
which rests the only hope that any public
obligation will be provided for or diSchar-
ged. The constitution is imperative that
one fifth of all the tax upon property shall
be appropriated to the public free school
system. The charitable institutions of
this State impose upon the body polite OBJ
legations and responsibilities of dignity
and priority which the voice of humanity
cannot question.
With these demands upon a fixed revs-
nue. the only question is, what rate of in
serest can with certainty and promptitude
De paid upon an already-ascertalned in
debtedness. And careful estimates estab-
lish the proposition that 8 per centum is
the largest rate that can bs provided for
with certainty of meeting the seml-annual
payments and with safety to the other
claims above enumerated. We are sup
ported in this conclusion not only by the
financial experience of many years, but
also by the fact that the proposed interest
is as great as the average rate paid by the
debtor class of the world in public securi-
ties at the present day.
These views are advanced in the firm
conviction that settlement based Oh the
general principles indicated above, to be
applied with such details of method as
your wisdom will supply. would meet the
sanction of the people (Which is essential
to any settlement), would satisfy all the
demands of honesty, and result in eventual
benefit to the bondholders.
German to the debt-question is the
subject of the public free schools. This sys-
tenn is the object of special provision by
the Constitution. A considerable portion
of the fund dedicated to educational OBJ
jects by the Constitution has been by the
course of past legislation and administra-
ton diverted to the great detriment Of the
school system. This course has been pur-
sued upon the theory that statutory enact
ments of 1871 could abrogate and nullify q
mandate of the Constitution Of 1869, set
ting apart to the free schools at least one
fifth of the revenues. [ cannot sustain
such construction, because it ignores the
fact that this portion of tie revenues was
solemnly dedicated to this particular OBJ
ject by the Constitution. and is the only
part of the revenues the control and dispo-
sition of which was taken from the legis-
lature by that instrument. | believe that
measures may be devised and recommend
that immediate action be taken to preserve
the school fund from future invasion, and
to restore to it as speedily as practicable
the amount which has been diverted.
Thus protected and receiving regularly
it's rightful quota, the system Is capable of
great improvement, not only in the, in
creased number of schools and IN the
length of term, but in provision for the
higher education of all classes. think it
would be eminently proper to grant to our
colored citizens an institution in which
those who have acquired proficiency in
common schools may be given the oppor-
tunity for broader training. The educa
ton of this class of our community is a
duty which we owe not only to them but
to the State. Self-interest, if no higher
motive. dictates that we spare no effort to
fit for citizenship all upon whom we have
conferred its privileges and responsibilities
MIXED SCHOOLS.