Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-05-23
ALEX ANDRIA.
WEDNESDAY EVENING. MAY %.

PROBABLY FEW people in Virginia outside
If those who are Immediately interested in
the contest which is now being carried on
between the State and those who have ten
dered her her tax receivable coupons in pay
ment of their taxes, have any clear idea OF
the present status of affairs. Suits have
been instituted in the various Circuit Courts
throughout the State against some three
thousand taxpayers who have only acted IN
strict accordance with the law as laid down
by the Supreme Court of the United States.
Up to May fast year the only means the
State had of Furnishing and prosecuting
those who used her coupons was by levying
on and selling their property. Where this was
done suits were Mt once entered IN the
Federal Circuit Court against the states OF
fcers. and in every instance the taxpayer
was awarded damages. Finding that this
method of annoying taxpayers did not an
swer. the act known as the Coupon Cruaher
was passed about this time last year. The
object of this Act is to enable the state TO
hiring succession Of suits against parties
who have used coupops,aud By pillug up IL
terest and costs torrify the taxpayer into
withdrawing his tender. Large fees are
given to the different officers who are en-
ployed in bringing these suite, SO that the
more suits they bring the better 1t pays
them Reporls have even reached us that
tho Board of Indemnity is backing up some
Of these officers, but we can scarcely believe
that they would venture to use the money
in the treasury for any such purpose,as there
ia nothing in the Act which created the
Board that contemplated any such proceed
ing A taxpayer who has rendered So
coupon for g of taxes finds himself sued in
the Circuit Court, aud when he produces his
coupon in court he is told that he will not
be allowed to produce evidence to establish
its genuineness, but that when he can pro.
duce the bond from which the coupon was
cut (which, of course, he cannot do, having
bought the coupon loose from the bond) his
coupon will bs condemned as spurious and
n Judgment entered against him. He there
fore finds that about $50 of costs, interest,
etc, have been piled up against him, aud for
doing what? For doing what his own
State specially contracted with him under
the most solemn pledges he should do, and
what the Supreme Court of the United
States has declared, time after time, that he
has an indefeasib.e right to do. 1t would
seem that. in addition to refusing to pay her
creditors the money she borrowed from
them, the State is endeavoring to extort
money from them At Petersburg the jury
refused to bring in verdict that the ecu.
pons were spurious and found for the tax
payers, and we believe their verdict is APP
proved by all right-thinking people. No
wonder that capital is frightened out of the
State when people hear that this law, which
forbids the employment of expert evidence
in proving the genuineness of engraved pa
per, is applicable not only to the States own
coupons but to all engraved paper. In their
eager haste to destroy the States own cou
pons the Legislature which passed the Act
referred to has cast q sur on all paper
belonging to any company or corporation in
the State, and which is not signed by hand.
The sooner this foolish and unhappy law is
openly condemned by The voice, not only oil
juries, but of every oae who wishes we'll to
his State, the better it viii! be for Virginia
and Virginia enterprises.