The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1885-07-09


lister. has formally called the atten-
ton Of the president to tie r.p,iiia
ton Of The public debt OF tie state
"a Virginia IL affecting large num-
bef OF citizens OF England. holders
Ut Virginia bonds. and requiring
action 10y the English government
10 secure. protect and enforce their
rights. Til. Is tie first instance in
the history of the country where the
government has been called upon by
IA foreign power 10 look after the
reputation 81 4 state debt. 1t in
wolves legal anl constitutional ques-
tons that will bc far reaching in
their character. 1t is not made
public what tile English government
expects OF the United States i'm the
matter. but the Inference il that 1t Is
in the nature OF u demand upon the
national government TO make good
TO the English holders of Virginia
bons the amount due by reason o.
Virginia defalcation. The un-
adjusted portion Of the anti
bellum debt Of Virginia is the
one-third which was arbitrarily
apportioned to West Virginia for
payment. amounting to about ST.
0OO, 900. and which the latter state
declines to assume. The view prob
ably taken by the English govern
ment is that the United States. hav-
ing created West Virginia out Of
| Virginia as Il war act, and having
| fixed on West Virginia the burden
Of paying an indeterminate portion
OF old Virginia's debt, has the power
to fix on some positive method in
determining her ratio. Mr.. Blaine
discusses this subject in his work,
Twenty Years in Congress, and there
presents the doctrine that the United
States is morally bound to make
good til. amount Of indebtedness
which has been appointed to West
| Virginia. Ii is possible that this
suggestion made by Mr.. Blaine has
influenced the English government.
in its desire to protect its own citi-
Zens, to make this demand on the
1 United States government. This
opinion is confirmed by the fact that
leading Nirginians who are known
to be intimate with Mr.. Blaine are
standing in with the English gov
eminent in pushing this matter upon
the attention Of the president. A
well known New York banker, in Il
recent interview with the Washing
ton correspondent of the Chicago
Tribune, said: 81 do not know that
/ am at liberty to give the names OF
the leaders in the new movement.
though they are mostly men engag-
ed in large enterprises for the de-
velopment Of the mineral resources
Of the valley of the Shendoah. H.
G. Parsons. the owner or the hotel
and resort mt Natural Bridge, is one
Of themo He is interested in railroad
and mining. He is u fair representa-
tive of the Northern men who believe
development of the natural advant-
ages OF the South. Between 81, OOO.-
900 and s5O,OOO,0 900 Of Northern capt
tai has been planted in this part Of
Virginia since the war. The great
section OF the country in the noun
tain ranges stretching Oh down
through Tennessee into Alabama has
Il surprising wealth OF minerals
which railroads and furnaces and
factories are required to develop
and utilize. The Northern men who
have started on This development
have become alarmed II. the con-
dition into which Virginia has been
forced. and are looking around for
the remedy. AS the first step they
have been advised to secure from
congress the fixing Of the ratio OF
debt TO be paid by the two states.
l understand that Mr.. Blaine, whose
fertility in expedicnts OF statesman.
ship is acknowledged on eyccy hand,
advised Mr.. Parsons to this step,
and that in consultation with other
Nirginians it has been decided
upon.
| 1t il said in the same connection
that a convention is soon to be cali
cd in Virginia for ,he purpose OF
memorializing the general govern
ment to indemnity that state in part
for IFS ACKNOWLEDGMENT. The memo
rial will be based upon the fact that
when Virginia was rich and power
fnl she Loyalty ceded to the federal
government all the northwestern
territory, Vow that she is poor she
asks for aid on the scope OF neces-
sity.-ISt. Paul Globe.