Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-05-02

ont virginia. give uiiiiiiH'"NS""'
evidence of an unanmity OF sen
timent of tie people of Virginia
III regard 10 the coupon eases, re
Gently decided by the Supreme
Court of the United States. All
are agreed that the burden imposed
by the Court is too oppressive to
have the sanction OF amy of the
people of Virginia. No one be.
l.rves that we have the ability to
]ay the debt i'll accordance with
the late decision, everyone believes
that the debt is too unjust for MS to
make the effort to pay it, ii We had
The ability. The time has been,
When popular sentiment. the inspir
Il cn Of false notion Of proper
regard for Nirginia's honor would
have made MS willing to take upon
ourselves the obligation to pay any
debt, however, unjust. Now, we
begin to realize that it is more
harorable, perhaps, not to pay a
debt ent,iled upon us to a great
extent by tile late war without our
consent. than TO have such results
follow, which our Second Auditor
in an article Of to-,lay so sloomily
predicts, would Ge tie outcome Of
tie coupon decision, if enforced
Watcher evils so great would en-
sue as lie believes, we do not
knew, but we do know, that
enough coupons lave matured and
ale maturing to absorb all the rev
c;fueS of the State for many years
tn come at the present rate of tax
alton. With these facts before our /
eyes the query is pertinent, with
er shall we tmn for the relief We
nncd! Can it lie had by an increase
III Our taxes Already our people
are burdencd with all the taxes
they are willing TO pay. Can re-
lief be secured by compromise
with Cur cltditors9 OF course
We TO not knew. But we believe
relief must GENE either Gy Il com.
promise, or through Il patriotic re-
solve of the citizens of Virginia,
not to use coupons fer the payment
of tEeiI taxes.
The Supreme Comt icing the
Court Of last resort, we cannot re.
rudate the debt, nor can We read
Just it. WllhcEt the consent of our
creditors. but we can practically
make he late decision a dead let
ter, by declining to use the cou
pons. To that end, if IL compro
mise cannot he made, we could
make it di>reputable for anyone to
deal in them. 1t Uould lie healthy
public sentiment, i'll the event we
can't compromise to regard every
man an enemy to the State, who
pays his taxes with coupons,
whether a native of this State or
one WHO cones amongst us to do
business. Tile people have it in
their power if they will, by that
means, to make the coupon so obi
Gus that no business man would
dare use them and it would be
their duty to do it, as every con-
pom used to pay taxes necessarily
would entail upon the great bulk of
the people, an increase OF taxes to
meet the current expenses Of our
Ssate government, in case OF a de
tciency in cur revenues to meet
them. But We are hopeful that
better way out of orr difficulties
will be by compromise with our
creditors, and with that object in
view, our best men should be Sc
ltctcd to represent us i'll the next
Legislature. Elected with that
view, if they fail to secure a salts
factory settlement OF the debt ques-
ton, no other mode Of relief from
the evils which now encompass us,
occurs to us, than those already sug
gested.
Demagogues who wish to secure
votes TO seat in our next Gener
al Assembly will doubtless endeav-
or to convince the people Of Vir-
ginia to The contrary, and that they
will be able to defy the decisions
of the Supreme Court and get the
relief we need. But for years
all their efforts in that direction
having proved failures, the people
Of Virginia in our opinion, will he
wise If through such men Il com
pulsory compromise is abandoned,
and the matter left IN hands of
those, who by reason Of their iden-
tity of interest with us and because
they are willing to he guided by