St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-25
THE VIRGINIA MUDDLE.

The decision of the supreme court of the
| United States in the Virginia coupon case
has had the effect of completely muddling
politics in the Old Dominion. The gist of
the decision was that state must pay its
bonded debt and the creditors of the state
had right to tender their coupons in pay
ment of taxes due to the state. The effect
of this would be to fill the state treasury up
with clipped coupons and give very little
cash for the ordinary expenses of running
the state government. 1t is conceded that
as the law now stands if the decision of the
supreme court is enforced the wheels of the
government will be clogged and all funds
intended for the public schools will be cut
off. Of course the feeling produced in the
state because of this decision is seized upon
by the MALONE gang as an opportunity to
regain all they have lost since their great
success in 1881. 1t is felt that the decision
is direct blow at state rights and this feel
ing will have tendency to weaken the
straight-laced Democrats and incline some
of them to lean toward MALONE, who will
set himself up as the peculiar champion OF
the doctrine of state sovereignty in OPPOSE
ton to the centralized view of the supreme
court. In fact, the decision was rendered by
divided court, five of the justices concur
ring and four dissenting. The four dissent
ing judges delivered an opinion in which
they dissent from the decision of the ma
jOrity of the court, because, in their judg-
ment, it was an encroachment upon the
rights of a state. This dissenting opinion
will be made the platform upon which the
MALONE party will stand, and with the
shrewdness of a demagOgue MALONE will
make an artful appeal to the people OF the
state, and there is a possibility that he may
recover some of his lost ground. 1t is UNI
derstood that MAHoNE will be the leader of
his own forces in the next fight. The Re-
publican convention which meets next
month will nominate MALONE for governor
upon a reputation platform, and he will
go into the campaign with the cry that a
packed court had made an un-
constitutional decision. He will claim that
the state rights doctrine, which is very dear
to Virginia, has been trampled under foot,
and resistance to it will be advocated by
every means short of actual war. They
will rely upon the sympathy of the admin
istration because Attorney General GAR
LAND, as counsel for the state in its suit
against the bondholders, delivered power
full argument in this very case against the
theory of the decision.
The Democrats are at sea, and are at
loss to know what course to pursue. The
decision is about as dstaSteful to the rank
and file of the Democratic party as to the
readjusters. 1t strikes at an idea which is
very close to the Virginia heart and they do
not care to champion it. There is not a
leader of prominence who has the bold
ness to declare in favor of an increase
of the present rate of taxation so
as TO raise a revenue sufficient to
defray the expenses of the state government
and at the same time pay off the bonded in
debtedness as it falls due. Of course this
would be the right thing to do, but as an
increase of taxation is an unpopular move
ment in any community the political leaders
are afraid to advocate it, Outside opinion
| is that the Virginia Democracy should take
| the bull by the horns and raising the cry of
payment of honest debts" go into the fight
with determination to win. With her
bitter experience in the past, Virginia ought
| to have learned by this time how to defend
herself against that pestilent demagOgue,
BILLY MALONE. If the Virginia Democ-
racy go under in a fight for honesty, they
will have achieved more honor than to sue
coed on platform squirting at reputation.