Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1886-06-25
"A THOUSAND LETTERS


interested in tax receivable coupons of Vir- /
ginia, whether directly or indirectly is not
stated. is making a tour of the State in
order to ascertain the sentiment of our
people regarding the debt settlement. In
the furthering Of that mission he visited
Second Auditor Frank G.. Rufin at the
capitol, last week, and in conversation
said he was of the opinion that there had
been a revolution of opinion upon that
subject within tho past few months. From
that well-informed official he received the
facts and figures of the matter, and the
assurance that the revolution in public
opinion was but dream of the English
bondholder. The English visitor, how
ever. was unconvinced and said he had
received "a thousand letters" to that
effect. If we may judge from the tone OF
some of the Republican papers In Vir-
ginia, indeed of very NEARLY all of them. it
is not hard to guess where thousand let
tiers to that effect came from. If the
English bondholder Is being stirred up to
press bis suits against Virginia, the STIR
ring must come from the Republican
side of the house. 1t is not unnatural that
it should have that origin, for it was an
almost solid cote of Republicans in the leqisla-
tore that feed the funding bill of 1871 on Vir-
gi,aia. But our English friend will find
that the snap judgment taken by the Re-
publicans IN 1871, cannot be repeated in
this decade. Since that date, the question
has been turned inside out by the people
themselves. and now the party which
should attempt to fix upon the State more
than the Riddleberger bill provides
for. would be overwhelmingly de-
feated at the polls. So be cannot
look to favorable legislation. What
then can he look to :? Why to the
sand letters-to take his coupons and use
them for tax-payment. How many people
will be found in Virginia to aid in fixing
upon the State twenty millions more of
debt, by using coupons and making it
necessary to increase taxation to carry on
the State government Many months
have passed since the last decision of the
United States Court, and yet in the city
Of Staunton not man has offered
coupons. In the great county Of Augusta,
which pays $4,000 taxes. only 5000 in
coupons have been offered. In the great
county of Rockingham, which pays
$4,000, only $29S in coupons have been
offered. And this proportion will hold
good in the counties all over the State.
How long will it be at this rate before
the information conveyed in the ''thou-
sand letters" Of the English bondholder,
is verified But graver question yet for
him is; how much of interest will he
realize before the principal Of his bonds
Is repudiated7 The taxpayers Of Virginia
will never, to any extent, pay in coupons.
They have too much business in them.
Tell a man in everyday business life that
!, if he pays part of debt he will bring
upon himself another debt be doesn't
owe and which he isn't able to pay, and
he isn't going to pay the first cent on the
first debt. And that is just the way with
Virginia taxpayers; they are smart enough
to see that by paving in coupons they in
evitably bring on themselves the payment
of all the coupons, and they are not going
to do it. There is patriotism in Virginia,
too, word which means love of country,
and Virginians have good deal of love
for their State-a good deal too much to
give her land themselves at the same
tlme) trouble to oblige the English bond
holders.