The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-30
The State Debt.


are fearful Of the results OF Judge BONDS
recent decision that a State officer acts at
his own risk in levying upon the property
OF a taxpayer who has rendered coupons
In payment OF his taxes, though the officer
had refused to receive the coupons for taxes
In obedience TO law OF the State. The
Lynchburg Advance says on this subject:
"Judge Bond has stirred the whirl-
wind again. Acquiescence in the decisions
OF the high courts is the doctrine OF the
Democratic party. The debt question Is.
by the acquiescence OF the Democratic par
~. taken out Of politics, and to the courts.
The Republican party, old and new, now
have charge of it,"
The Lynchburg platform was under
stood by The people to mean more than
mere acQuicScence In the settlement OF the
State debt proposed in the RlDDLEBERGER
bill. Here is the resolution upon which
the Democratic party went before the
voters ;ast TALL:
"The Democratic patty accepts as final
the recent settlement OF the public debt
pronounced constitutional by the courts OF
last resort, State and Federal, and will OPP
pose all agitation Of the question, or any
disturbance OF that settlement by repeal or
otherwise"
II thus appears tina, every good Demo
crat in the Commonwealth is pledged not
simply to scquiesoe in the RJDDLEBERGEE
settlement hut TO OPPOSE any disturb
ance OF that settlement whether by repeal
or Observation-Disclosures by the Legislature
or by Judge BOND.
The Democrats Of Virginia are therefore
not mere idle spectators of what is going
on in Judge BONDS court. They are bound
Ia lend ,heir active assistance to the officers
OF the State from the Governor down, in
"oDDoSing" al attempts to disturb the
settlement OF the State debt which received
the endorsement OF 4 majority OF the voters
voting on the question in the election OF
1881. and the unanimous endorsement OF
the voters OF both parties in the election Of
1889.
But what Is TO be done? One thing the
Democratic papers can 90, and that is to
tell the creditors OF Virginia that they may
ago farther and fare worse; that State
cannot be compelled to pay debt it is de-
termined not to pay; and that il those
creditors are wise they will avail them
selves of the terms Of the RIDDLEBERGER
bill We do not believe that there are ten
Democrats in the present Legislature who
would vote for any bill OF any sort the
~ na
cessary for that body to increase the
taxes. II the people OF Virginia. and
the Governor Of Virginia, and the
General Assembly OF Virginia, and the
highest court in Virginia, are thus of one
mind, why should not every Virginian,
Republican or Democrat, let the fact be
known? Why not make known the
truth! Why conceal it now, when it is
certain that the bOndhOlders will be COM
PEELED 10 know it ut some future day?
Why not let it be known that the Legisla-
ture Will be convened in extra session il
necessary, and new law made rs often
as one may be needed p that if the present
officers prove unequal to the duties of their
several offices, others will be substituted
for them?
We regard Judge BONDS decision as di-
rectly in the teeth Of the decision OF the
Supreme Court OF the United States that
the State has the right to require the gen.
nineness Of the coupons to be proved.
He decided in effect that it was not ne
cessary Tor the taxpayer to prove his
coupons TO be genuine. But we have
heard one OF the leading lawyers IN Rich
mond Intimate that in his opinion BOXD
might possibly be right.