The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1883-02-14
STATE FINANCES.
A Lucid aud Comprehensive Report on
Democratic Defiance Of the Law.


LucId aud Comprehensive Report on
Democratic Defiance Of the Law.
The minority Of the Special Committee
OF the Senate appointed, under resolu-
ton offered by Senator Dawson, to inves'
tigate certain misuses OF the school fund,
Yesterday made a report, signed by Sena-
tor Dawson and Anthony Smith. The
minority report sets forth:
The amount Of the debt owed by the
State, as given in the majority report, is
s2G7, 5ll. IS, as follows: A balance OF Sl40,-
600 due on loans, as stated in the message
OF the Governor to this Legislature; and
Sl27,5ll. Is borrowed Of the school fund, in
the amounts and at the dates as follows:
October 90 ......-s 1920 90
September -. ii,VgO W
August IL, SSyoJ "
June 49, 1871 iS S'd d dS
February 20 49,VVu W
is
The majority seek to Justify this invest
ment OF the school fund and the continue
ance Of this debt, by quotation from
Section OF Article y, OF the Constitution:
The "school Fund" (shall beg Invested
- in the interest bearing securities
OF the United States or this State, or il such
interest. bearing securities can not be OBJ
tanned" etc. Three questions arise here:
First-For what purposes, or under what
circumstances, does the Constitution au-
thorize or permit the contracting Of debt?
Second-When and how are debts so in
Cured to be paid?
Third.-For what purpose was this debt
OF S267,5ll Is incurred?
AS 10 the first question-for what pur-
pose the State may incur debt-section
four Of article ten Of the Constitution says:
"No debt shall be contracted by this State,
except II to meet casual deficits in the
revenue, III to redeem previous liability
OF the State, Isl TO suppress instruction,
repel invasion or defend the State in time
OF war;"
When and how are such debts to be
paid? Beginning with the first purpose
mentions for which debt may be incur
red, namely, to meet casual deficits In the
revenue" we answer in words from the
fifth section OF the tenth article OF the Con-
stitution: whenever any deficiency in
the revenues shall exist in any year, 1t
1.-The Legislature shall, at the regular SEES
sion held next after the deficiency occurs,
levy q tax for the ensuing year sufficient,
with the other sources OF income, to meet
such deficiency, as well as the estimated
expenses OF such year"
AS TO when debts incurred for the other
two purposes must be paid, We answer in
the words Of the Constitution again, (Sec.
4, Art. 10Y; 1.-THE payment Of any liability,
other than for the ordinary purposes Of the
State, shall be equally distributed over
period 81 al lea'i t,renty years" "-7
WHY WAS THE DEBT INCURRED?
For what purposes was this debt OF $780,.
ell IS incurred?" II must be that 1t was
for one OF the three purposes authorized by
the Constitution. II was not incurred ito
redeem previous liability OF the State"
for the date OF the mourning OF the first Of
h Ia more than year after this present
Constitution took effect. Besides It Is well
Known that the phrase previous liability
If the State" was inserted to to cover any
mart OF the debt OF the State OF Virginia,
which this State might assume as her por.
ton thereof. This debt was not incurred
ITO suppress insurrection, repel invasion,
or defend the State in time OF war" And
II it was not created for these two purposes,
II must be that it was incurred ITO meet
casual deficits in the revenue" And II in
Cured for that purpose, as unquestlonably
Il was, the constitutional command is plain
and unequiyocal, and 1t is, therefore, the
bounden duty OF this Legislature TO pro.
vide, in the manner prescribed In the Con.
stitution, for the payment Of this debt, not
part only Of 1t, as the majority propose to
do, but all Of 1t.
Observe that the Constitution provides
that debt incurred by the State must be
Maid either in one year, or the payment OF
4 "shall be equally distributed over q
period OF at least twenty years" II 1t be
a debt Of q "casual deficits In therevenue,"
Il must be paid in one year-"the ensuing
YEAR, are the words Of the Constitution.
II Il be deficit for either Of the other two
purposes, the payment Of it must "be
eoually distributed period OF at least
twenty years" That the majority con.
slider this debt as one incurred to inject
casual deficits in the revenue" is evident
from the fact that they have reported q bill
the purpose OF which Is to increase the
revenues sufficient to pay over one.halt
iSl40, OO0) OF the debt in two years. Il 1t
he A debt incurred for other purposes than
TO to meet meet casual deficits in The revenue"
Il is unconstitutional to pay more than one
tenth OF 1t in two year,; IL 1T be a
debt the payment Of which must not "be
eoually distributed over period ofat least
twenty years" then It Is q debt the pay
ment Of which must be provided for In
one year-but the majority propose to pay
The part OF 1t they think best to pay in two
"
years. -''i
That this Is debt incurred ITO meet
casual deficits in the revenue" Is proved by
he circumstances under which It was in!
curred, by the admissions Of the majority
tbemselyes. and we think we have shown,
and by The action in regard to it or such