Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-11-26
THE PRESS ON THE STATE DEBT.
The Coupons.

The Warrenton (Va.) True Iadcr
says ain addition to the Gil culars
enclosed in envelopes addressed to
the taxpayers Of FauquieI, we
have in our last issue an advertise
ment over the signature Of James
f. Cooper of London, England, care
of VIM. i. Royal, mot Loyal,
citizen Of Virginia. The card
sets forth that the said Mr.. Cooper,
representative Of Foreign Bond
holders, has a large number of cOu-
pons, which he will sell at a heavy
discount To taxpayers, and Will
guarantee them full iogdt protection
free of any expense, in the suit
which necessarily follows their pre-
sentatiOn in payment Of taxes. Or
in other words, Mr.. Cooper will aid
the people IN seeking to evade the
laws of the State under which they
live, laws made 10y their own agents,
and heretofore sanctioned and Sus-
tanned by themselves. Or yet. in
other words, he comes into the
State and seeks 10 stir up law suits
by the citizens against the State,
wrong against the people and the
State, which the Common Law Of
his country would denOnncc and
punish as barratry, but against
which We seem 10 have no remedy,
as a dcbtor has no rights which
creditor is bound 10 respect. II is
worse than idle to speak OF the
causes leading to the present sad
condition of affairs. Suffice it to
say that for reasons winch seemed
good and sufficient, the people of
Virginia unanimously declared the
Riddlenerger Bill afforded fair
and full adjustment Of the S,ate
debt and directed their officials OF
all kinds to insist upon It as
finaliy. Snch has been and still
is the wish of the people the in
structions still holt good and the
officials can do nothing else but
obey, unless they set at naught
the express commands received.
"With few exceptions the people
have sustained their officials, their
servants, and we believe they will
continue to do so. The effect has
been 10 keep ont Of the treasury
the vast amount OF coupons which
would bankrupt the State and de-
stroy her autonomy. The bond
holders are making a last supreme
effort, they aie advertising their
wares and seek dgchts who will sell .
themselves to tue uupatrOtlc ser
vice of seeking the injury OF their .
own Mother State. They are adj {
dressing themselves to people re- F.
duced 10 severe straits under the /
idea that because they are wanting /
in means they must necessarily be /
wanting in patriotism. They threat
en- with the one hand and offer .
brides with the other, forgetting
that the true Nrginian, like old /
Fabricus, can neither be frightened .
nor bought. They see that if in
our present need, we are still faith
full to Virginia and ourselves, for
what is Virginia but the aggregate
of her people, they must yield to
what we have declared to be right
and the most our condition will en-.
able us to pay, a condition brought
upon us by the ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF
the State, followed by military
usurpatlon. The blindcst must see
that we do not lessen our taxes by
paying in coupons, for all taxes so
paid must be paid again and with
interest added. Let us all stand
together yet a little longer and in
the end all will be we'll rs there
are but few lawyers in the state
who will lend themselves to this
prosecution and persecu-
ton of their native State in these
her trying hours.
"Se rejoice TO see the press Of the
State is united, with rare excep-
tons, in sustaining the officials
who are but the servants OF all.
Mr.. Cooper is Mr.. Cooper's friend,
bis interests are not Nirglnia's
aud he seeks with money
to employ agents, Virglnans,
to further his interests against the
State of which they are Il part. DI-
vide by bribery and conquer by
division is his purpose. Let us
stand together.