Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1883-10-23
The Virginia Debt Question!

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The citizens of This State cannot
too often be reminded, nor can the
press indulgeliti too frequenel agita-
ton of the question of tho Virginia
State debt and the relations Of our
State to the matter; becaTse until it
is disposed of in way mutually
satisfactory to all parties concerneda 4
shadow of5suspicion will restup6n
West Virginia rand ut will continually
arise to impede our progress, .retaFd
immigration and prevent the inflow
of capital to our State that IS ne
cessary to develop our great xfe-
sources Not, indeed, because gwe
have been negligent of the matter
heretofore, would we recommend agis
tation, butto avoid .tis appearance OF
Indifference at the pTGssnt time when
the name of the State is ha%ked about
in the great money centres Of the
world. 5H.~a'i isfs aoat issi ,tAay
This is tile time we should 'be,aliva
on the subject, before public opinion
can become so thoroughly settled
against us that it can never be entire
ly reversed, and which, at the time
of final adjustments, may do'us irres
parable injury ~ !ai&a5Hu
1t. is perhaps trre that. upon an
equitable settlement, wewiIlbe found
to owe no part of the debt, and we
may sit with our fingers in our
mouths nursing this belief, when
others are injecting an entirely diff
fcrcnt notion into the bondholding
world outside of US. We must re-
member that the outside world are
not informed of all the details of'thfa
question, they only look at the bare
fact that West Virginia once COM
prised one-third of the area of tho
old State, and there should be some
moral obligation somewhere as to the
payment of the then existing debt;
and they look further, thdt we have
constitutionally guaranteed the pay
ment of our just proportion ofIthe
debt. Now, agitation of the, question
is for the purpose of informing out
siders all the mIhute details Of the
question that we may not be judged
harshly. Can we convince the Com
mission, Court or other tribunal,
whatever it may be, which ts,t6 dis
pose of this subject, that we owe no
part of the debt? Most assuredly
not if our adyersaries and the spec
ulators in bonds are to have their
say continually and uncontradicted.
Then it bchooves us, to be on the
alert, take measures to scatter infor-
nation broadcast and Widely dis
scminote aIl the facts connected with
the creation Of this debt; how much of
itwas expended eastof the mountains,
and how much west !; who controlled
it and for what purpose, SO that when
the time comes for apportionilg; the
payment, the public. will, thofoHetiIf
understand all the issues and COM
tingencies that surround tho dues4
ton. 81 j7a essgcfytg ;ei aI1aT
Let It's that powerfsliine
fuences are ut work againstrus. Mo
have no debt of our own, while ,Yir+
ginia is comparatively bankrupt We
are young and vigorohs and Just, be-
ginning to create wealth, while Virginia
has been impoverished and desolated
by misrulc and the war. We can
FchulIy see, CllaC3 II Iuc InuLLSE Is !eIk
to choice, the result will not be mat
ter of mere conjecture. If the bonds
holders had the decision in the matter
they would shoulder the entire debt
upon West Virginia. While we may
honorably and Indignantly resist such
ascttlement we cannot afford to afjpesif
entirely Indifferent to urobligatf0nss
What we are. after is a fulband lt6pssB
settlement of the whole matter that ;Ws
may no longer be weighted down wifi
charges that are unjust and CRUEL.
People who look upon the issuing
by Virginia of tlIe so5caIled West tVifs
ginia certificates as a harmless shift
on the part of the. old State, deceiYe
themselves. 1t is cunning scheme,
and these certificates pooled With ottlef
stocks in the hands of great capitalists
and corporations, as they are even
now, may yet do MS immense damage
il the outposts are left exposed and
unguarded. And we can provide
against that, even before the Legisla-
ture meets.-.Editoridl Of WAeeltna
Evening Journal, Oct.o4, 1883. -
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