Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-01-13
The spirit manifested ini the case of Mr. /.

Long would soon arouse resentment, and
thousands of persons who have never used
coupons would resort to them to rebuke such
action as that in the case of Mr.. Long. The
State Legislature enacted law making cou-
pons receivable for all taxes and dues owed to
the State The Governor of Virginia at the
the time signed it, the courts passed upon it.
1t stands as an irrevocable contract, and be-
cause Christian gentleman says there is
moral obligation on the part of the State to
observe her own acts, he is to be prosecuted by
party caucus and declared unfit for judi
cial position at the hands of the party, which
conceived and enacted the law. Each one of
| the coupons has engraved on it the pledge of
the State to receive it for taxes; the citizen is
invited by the State to SO use it, but when
he does, the enginery of party is brought into
requisition to persecute him for doing that
which the State and the courts virtually COM
mand that he may do. 1t is certainly an ano-
malous condition of things. especially if view
ed from the standpoint that Mr.. Long viewed
it, and for which caucus of his party kas
condemned him. VaNsy Vigyinian.
10 elect judge to the bench who be-
lieves that certain laws he takes an oath
to administer are dishonest, would be a
| paradox of which we suppose no legislative
body would be guilty. The ''Virginian"
has forgotten that it congratulated the
people of Virginia on the accession to the
bench of set of judges that did not be-
lieve readjustment immoral or dishonest.
1t has forgotten that though teach coupon
/ has engraved on it the pledge Of the State
to receive it for taxes" it applauded and
supported the Riddeberger adjustment
which provided for the gripping of these
coupons and announced as victory for
the State che decision of the U. S. Supreme
| Court holding constitutional Coupon Kill
er No. (which clogged them. There is no
! question of Reputation involved in the
I Coupon Crusher," which Mr.. Long is re-
ported, by correspondent of the Lynchburg
News" to have assailed in an address
before the Y. M. G. Association of that
city. It does not say that coupons shall
not be received for taxes, On the contrary
| 1t only provides to sue d man who refuses
| to tender them as the State law requires
| for verifcation, accompanied by the money
"a requirement our contemporary has,
when warm advocate of readjustment,
endorsed over and over again.
A gentleman of no matter how excellent
qualifications-and we hear that Mr.. Long
is such gentleman-who, as represented
| BY his opponents in the public prints, has
| made public address il which he from
a religious stand point" on the score of
morality, attacked this law, is certainly
not the best person to administer it from
the bench. AS to the thousands of per-
sons" who may he induced to use coupons
because a legislature elects Judges in SYM
patty with the laws it has passed, we can
only say that the coupon tenderers of Vir-
ginia compared with those who have paid
in money and manfully borne their share
| of the States burdens, are few in number
But if they want to avail themselves of the
"Virginian s" intimation, this law of the
State will be enforced in regard to them
as promptly as any other law Of the Com
q, monwealth.
| We may add, in conclusion Of this sub
ject-for the fact of Mr.. Long being the
only candidate whose position on the debt
legislation has been questioned before the
Democratic caucus, gives It'll more person
alcharscter than it would otherwise have
that Ghere is nothing against Mr.. Long,
election in point of high Christian charac-
| ter or high legal attalnments, and that
what we have said is based exclusively on
bis reported want Of syn pathy with the
| legislation which, if elected, be woald be
called ON to construe and enforce.