Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-07-30

fairly states the position of the
Register as it is disclosed by the
above extract from its columns
Spirit Of the valley.
The folly Of the coupon lcgisla-
ton of the last general assembly
is having practical demonstration
in the verdicts against the State in
favor of tax. payers whose offers to
pay in coupons have been rejected
by State officials. Irremediablc
bankruptcy and financial ruin must
follow unless the unwisc measure
can in some way be rendered mug
atory and imperative. TO be re
qnired in every case to pay to those
who bring suits sums far in adj
vance of the amount Of taxes due
by them to the State, is, Of course,
a losing business, and stamps with
consummate folly the act which
renders it possible. If this is "Set-
Ting the State debt we think the
sooner it is again unsettled the bet
ter Il will be for the whole people
of Virginia. Where is the skill,
and wisdom, and financial ability
Of Virginia's solons, whose trite
boast has so long been that in their
ranks alone were to lie found men
and brains sufficient to cope with
this vexed question VIII not
thinking, sensible people, with an
eye to business and their own in
terest, compare the present condi-
tion of State finances with that of q
few years ago, and will they give
practical effect to the result of their
comparison when they come again
to select their lawmakers In
this intensely practical age, bonn
bast and profession utterly fail to
meet money obligations. The peo-
pie of Virginia will deserve their
fate if they are again deceived by
the pretensiOns of those who have
never yet failed, when they had an
opportunity, to make "cOnfusion
worse confounded' in the affairs
of the STATE government: In fact,
but for its seriousness, the whole
thing would be ridiculous and anus
ing-tO witness the terrible plight
and inextricable dilemma in which
those have involved themselves
and the State, who so lately strut
ted before the people, Wanting
themselves of their superior ability
and unapproachable skill. The
rum, however, to every State in
terest, which stares US IN the face,
precludes every thing save serious
consideration and anxious thought,
and we utter no vain cry when we
warn the people Of Virginia that q
continuance Of the present policy
means nothing more nor less than
a condition of things far worse than
was experienced n few years ago
when under Funder rule our schools
were closed, our jails were filled
with lunatics, and every institution
and interest of'the State suffered,
when the financial officer Of the
State sought in vain to borrow in
her capital city the paltry sum OF
10000, even though he offered to
pledge as security for the loan the
incoming revenue soon to be re-
ceived in the State treasury. The
extent of the loss to which the
State is to be subjected by the
ruinous damages, awarded in these
coupon suits, is to be measured on
" by the number Of such suits, and
we are much mistaken if the num-
Der OF such suits is not to be great
~ augmented by the very knowl-
edge of the fact that decision in
Courts in favor of any one who
may bring them, is foregone con-
clusion. Mr.. Royal, counsel for the
bOndholders, boosted the other day
in the L. S, Court room in Rich
mond that in addition to those al
ready brought he would soon IN
stitute nearly half hundred more.
The money to pay for them can be
drawn only from the taxpayers OF
the State, and if this state fittings
continues you may well appTehend
that the taxes you pay this fall Will
be largely consumed in satisfying
these verdicts for damages, leaving
a deficit in the State treasury that
must needs be met, and how else,
we would like to be told, except by
a material increase in the rate OF
taxation. These are facts, not fan
cies, and We ask you, as business
men, to look them squarely In the
face. 1t is time to lay aside par
tizan prejudlce,and the simple pref
erence for men, and to come to the
rescue from utter ruin and hope.
less bankruptcy Of the State with
whose general interests our own
individual interests are so INSOFAR
ably linked.-Pdge Courier.
Warned In Time.
Adolph Layman, young farmer
Of Port Clinton, Pa, is a recent