The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-30
The State Debt.

We have received the following sug-
gestions from an Intelligent correspondent
who has given the State debt question
much thought, and we lay them before ouI
readers for their.consdtIa The inter
ests involved on the subject to which he
refers must materially engross public at
tention, and we may expect other sugges-
tions to be presented, looking to solution
of the difficulties growing out of the re-
cent decision Of the Supreme Court Of the
United States:
We are at last brought face to face with
the inevitable, and must devise some
means to maintain our State institutions,
free schools and State Government.
Two questions Of great public interest
have been decided as rollows:
1st. That as long as Virginia State
taxes exist the State officers will be forced
to receive the coupons Of 1871 as money
and that no coupon killing laws will stand
the test of the United States Supreme
Court.
End. That Virginia does not feel herself
morally bound to pay to the creditors one
dollar more than is provided for in the
Riddleberger bill
There remains now the problem, how
can these two decisions be harmonized SO
forever to settle the debt question and
allow Virginia once more to advance in
wealth and prosperity?
have long held that there was only one
practical and legal solution to this problem,
and | shall, at the risk of being tedious,
give you the result of my thoughts on this
subject.
Some advocate q change of the Consti
tuition, throwing upon the counties the
| burthens Of State government, but this
remedy is slow and can hardly be accom-
plished in less than three years under the
present constitution, but it is not only
slow but unnecessary.
The present constitution does not i'm
pose upon the Legislature the duty OF
| levying any specific taxes except as follows
| lst. From | to 10 mills on the dollar fol-
| free schools.
End. Not more than one dollar for CAPT
| tation tax.
There is nothing in the constitution
prohibiting the State from imposing al
the counties and cities. This is only
question of legislation.
The State sees fit now to compel eacl
county and city to support its own poor
provide it's own roads, streets and publi
buildings, build it's own school houses, bu.
books for INDECENT children, and in grea
part pay the teachers of the public schools
| Yet these are all burthenS which the Stat
has shifted from its own shoulders, ant
no lawyer will contend that a State cou
pom could legally be received i'll paymen
of county taxes.
There can be no limit except the consti
tuition to the power of the State to furthe
transfer its burdens to the counties ant
cities by appropriate legislation.
The legislature can refuse to levy NOR
than the minimum for school purposes ant
impose on the counties and cities the dut
of almost the entire support OF the fire.
schools, each county or city sending pa
tients to the asylums OF pupils to Stat
colleges can be compelled to provide 10
their support while there. Each count
and city can be compelled to pay tn
salaries of judges Of courts, common
wealth attorney, sheriff, treasurer, ant
the costs of prosecuting criminals.
If the burthens be transferred from tn
State, her taxes will be reduced so mucl
that few taxpayers will owe enough Stat
taxes to use coupon, and it is safe to sd
that not more than 100000 of coupon
could be sold to the taxpayers. This stat
of affairs would of course compel tn
creditors to accept the settlement pro
posed in the Riddleberger bill and then tn
State could return to its present laws.
1t may be said that the plan proposed i
not the best form Of government but 1T i
certainly practical and we could stand i
longer than the creditors could
There would be no increase Of taxation
in the aggregate because no more monte
would have to be raised than n0W-no ley
offices would be created.
1t is possible that a few counties woul'
be taxed heavier than now, bat ther
would be some where taxation would b
lowered, while in all the counties of aver
age wealth the gross taxation would re
main practically unchanged. At any rat
one years trial would be enough to satisf
the bond-holders that like Shylock hay
ing asked judgment Of the court they mus
be content with what is nominated Il
the bond" Their coupon are receivable
for State taxes ONLY w E. s.