Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1882-04-26
"And be these juggling. fiends no more believed
That palter with us IN a double sense;
That keep the word of promise to our ear.
And break it to our hope"

thirteen millions OF uOllats VI HduuuiVo'
debt. Doubtless, if President Arthur
reads the editorials Of the Wing, he was
very much surprised at this statement,
for the Republican party OF the North.
while sustainin General Malone in
his efforts TO destroy tie democratic
party Cf Virgnia, las on all occasions
disayowed any sympathy with his
efforts 10 repudiote, according to re-
publican vocabulary, any portion OF the
public debt of this State. The truth Is
that Arthur is using Malone as tool
10 align the State Of Virginia with the
stalwart Republican States for slal"art
Republican purposes in 1884, BY which
time the State debt question will have
been settled, and irrerOcably settled, by
the mandates of the Saprene Court Of
the United States.
We say in all sincerity to the read
iusters of Virginia
clay not the Hatteriug junction. to your soul"
that you have gotten rid OF thirteen
millions of dollars Of debt by The Rid
dleberger Bill, or by any other scheme
or device adopted by the present Leeia-
lature. If you do, you will be uDdecei-
we'd to your great sorrow. We venture
the assertion that if any part of the
public debt of Virginia should be fun
ded under the Riddleberger BIZ, the
amount will be com paratiyely very
small Perhaps a few bonds purchased
by some Railroad company, 10 which
the privilege has been given, for a
purpose, of paying off its indebtt dness
TO the Stale in Riddle berger bonds at
mar. will be funded under iIs provslo2s.
But the vast majority of the creditors
are preparing 10, and will, lest the bill
in the Supreme Court of the United
States. Can anyone doubt for momen:
when the case Is reached in that tribu-
mai Of last resort what the result Will
be after reading its unanimous de-
cision, the decision Of fall bench
rendered no longer ago than last week
in the New Orleans case! Besides
other cases involving the Identical
questions which must come before that
tribunal when Virginia appears in court
as a defendent will oe decided before
the end ofthe present term. And look
Ing at the New Orleans case no reason
able man can doubt for moment no"
the pending cases will be disposed o.
Men blinded by partisan zeal may re-
ioice because of the passage OF the
Riddleberger Bill, and may think they
discover 10 it relief from the burden OF
Slate debt. But they should know that
the passage Of the act amounts 10 abso-
lulely nothing unless il is sustained by
the court Of last resort. The people OF
New Orleans, when the act OF 1876 OF
the Legislature of Louisiana vas pass
ed prohibiting the levy of tax to pay
the city consolidated bonds of 1882"
amounting TO more than four million
dollars, thought they were relieved
from The burden Of that debt. Aud
now after the lapse Of years thsy must
pay it, every dollar Ct 1t, principal and
accumulated interest, under the man
date Of the Supreme Court Of the United
States. That the Supreme Court will
find the way to enforce, and then ied
vigorously enforce, its mAldAtes the ex
perience Of the past teaches beyond
cavll or question.
In the light of these facts we warn
the people who believe hat re-
adjuktment is an accomplished fact un-
der .hA Ridileberger Bill. that the
deluSe is Coming. Sometime in the
falurs' We believe the day to be not far
ldlts1i, II may however be postponed
for a few years. the whole debt Of Vr-
glnia amounting to thirty millions OF
more OF dollars. with an overwhelming
ACCUMULATION OF unplid interest, must
he pl O ided for. And in addition il
ma, be that the State of Virginia will
be neld liable TO paw a portion OF the
West Virginia certificates on a set'lcT
n,snt that piH be forced between Yir-
Jginia and West Virginia. Relieved OF
sl3, coo, OOO Of fraudulent debt Indeed !
By rejec ing in 1879 The ouly cOm2ro-
mise that was practicable under the cir
lcustances The readjuster-republlcan
coalition has irreparably fastened on
the State more than thirteen million
dollars OF debt of which the people
would have been entirely relieved had
that com; ronise been carried out 10
good faith.
When the ''lOgic Of events" forces
the scales from their eyes, when COM
PEELED to pay millions Of dollars, the
payment Of which could have been
avoided by honest compromise, when
the lOosened food Of now pent up cou'
nu>as sweeps away all the revenues Of
n .aad destroys the free school
I've payment of these
10y heavy in