Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-05-08

Comment Of all Sorts on The Debt Question
THE STATE DEBT AND THE PEOPLE
The press of the State exhibits a
unanimity rarely seen on any pub
lie question in its treatment Of the
recent decision Of the Supreme
Court. To minds less discrminat
ing than those Of the Justices who
rendered the decision the difference
between suing n State and suing
State officers for the contracts and
obligations OF the State, is by nc
means clear; but the people are
practically unanimous in the de
termination not to pay more OF the
public debt than has been assumed
by the Riddleberger settlement.
The decision has demonstrated the
fact that legislation on this subject
is unavailing; that no law can be
framed which will not be held by
the Supreme Court, AZ at present
constituted, to be in violation of
the sacred obligation Of contracts,
and that the true remedy is to be
found with the people.
No coupons can come into the
State treasury except such as are
paid in for taxes due to the State,
and at least four fifths of these
taxes are paid by citizens Of Vir-
ginia or by corporations within the
State; hence it is obvious that if
the people of Virginia will refuse
to pay their taxes in money the
bondholders have won a barren
victory, and the courts are power.
less to afford relief. Patriotism
and selfinterest alike impsl the
people to this course Underwater
Index.
DEMOCRATIC POLICY.
Some few of the Democratic pa
pers Of Virginia seem to be labor
ing under the delusiOn that the
Democrats can keep the debt ques-
ton out Of the campaign Of this
year either by whistling it down
the wind or by totally ignoring it.
They declare that the people have
acQuiesced in the Riddleberger set
Element. That is a true statement.
At other times they say that the
people have turned over the matter
to the courts and are not going to
divide upon the debt question
again. Suppose we cOncede it to
be a fact that the people turned
over the debtquestion to the courts
last year, or the year before, what
follows? DO our contemporaries
mean to say that the people are
going to try to make the State re-
deem the coupons because the Su.
preme Court of the United States
has decided that the collecting
officer cannot levy upon the prop
erty of a taxpayer who has ten.
dered coupons in payment Of his
taxos What is meant by turning
the question over to the courts 1t
is generally understood that when
a man expresses his determination
to leave question to the decision
of the courts, he means to pledge
himself to abide by the decision, as
indeed he is bound to do. DO our
contemporaries mean that the Dem-
ocratic party Of Virginia has moth
Ing to do but to register and obey,
the DEGREES of a supreme Court
that sets the Federal Constitution
at naught, and legislates instead of
adjudicating ? For its recent de.
csion in the Virginia cases are
judge.made law, and not law pass
ed in the manner prescribed in the
Constitution of the United State
| Richmond Dispatch.
THE COUPON TROUBLE.
The decision of the Supreme
Court in the Virginia coupon cases
does not compel the collecting Off.
GERS Of this State to receive coupons
for taxes. 1t only restraints them
from levying upon the property of
the party who tenders them, if they
are not received, to make the taxes;
but the debts due the State for
taxes will continue to hang over
the party who owes them until they
are collected. The Riddleherger
bill still stands, only the law re.
curing coupons to be proven gen-
ulnc has been set aside by the de.
eIsion. Parties can fund their
bonds under that bill, as formerly,
and they would act wisely to do so.
This State, after what it has done,
aud has been so shamefully thwart-
ed in its effort TO settle the debt
satisfactorily, will never do any
better than that bill. We will
stand by that bill-nothing more.
II we will all pratice the virtue re-
Quired of our people to settle this
question by paying our taxes in
currency, we will in few years
hear no more of our bond troubles.
We have the power in our own
hands, which is simply to pay your
taxes in cash. Let us determine
to do it, and end this vexatious
trouble. Leesburg Washingtonian.
The recent decision of the Su.
preme Court of the United States
upon the debt question of Virginia
is the most important to this State
ever decided in a court Of justice.
1t 0verrdes the amendment to the !
Constitution which fOrbids q State |
being sued without her consent. !
In q world, tho decision undertakes |
to deprive Virginia of her sover-
eighty, and to say that
state cannot settle her own internal |
according to her will and |
pleasure without being hauled up |
before q United States tribunal to
give an account Of her transac-
lions. The principle involved In
the Judgment of a majority of the
court is more vital and important
to our people than tho mere Ques'
ton OF dollars and cents with her
Eastern-ShOre Herald.
Upon the Riddlebergor bill we
propose to stand for the future.
Virginia has expressed herself
more than once in uneQuivOcal
terms in favor of that measure as
her ultimatum, and while we al
WAYS endeaVOr TO give to the deei-