Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-05-20
COUPON DECISIONS.
THE GREAT coupon cRUSHeR"
NOT SHAKEN IN THE LEAST.
School and Liquor-Taxcs to De fs'o III
Money-yiews of Attorney
General Scott.
Especial telegram 70 the DIspateh.l

Especial telegram 20 the Dlspaien.l
wAsHrSGroy. ID. G., May 19.-Hon. H.
Taylor Scott, ,Attorney-Generaio OF 'lrglniass
MIR. William J.. Royal, and NUMBER oI
other prominent citizens Of the state were
present In tho Supreme Court to-day Wneh
Justice Bradley rendered the decision III
tho Virginia coupon cases. Inc hDsIiaei hDlioS
Of the opinion in the eight cases coisiuet, ~
by the Court will be found in the re.uIaII I
report sent out tonight. AttOrney-Generaii
Scott listened attentively 70 the reauins Vi
the decision and afterwards went very
carefully over the decision and telegIaPneu
promptly, but briefly, TO Governor mchIu1
ney his version of the same as 1t anecteu
the rights of Virginia.
TIE ATToRNEY-GENERAL NOT GLOOMY
Tonight Acknowledgement Scott was
called upon by the Dispatch Correspondent.
and asked TO give a statement OF ms own
views of the probable result OF the 1eci.
sion. The distinguished Virginlan did not
seem 20 take gloomy view OF the siluai 91
ton, even though the Court has declusu
some of the points at issue against the
State. As he understands the decision the
act of the Virginia Legislature OF May ~
1887. generally known as the coupon
crusher." remains in force and its consti-
tutionality has not been shaken IN the least
bv the opinion handed down to-day III the
Supreme Court. Then with the more re-
cent legislation and the points to-day de-
cided IN favor of the State, the Attorney;
General believes that the bOndholders VIII
probably find that it is not worth theelr
while TO longer press the coupons upon the
people for tax-paying purposes.
WON'T TRY TO CONTINUE THE FIGHT.
To carry the fight further the bondhold-
ers will probably not only meet with great
IL lsrN ta Nfsfll q
that il will hardly paw the bOndholdcrs TO
keep up the fight. The AttOrney-General,
therefore. hopes that as result Of to-day. >
decision that the bOndLOlders viii find 1t
TO their interest TO settle the debt on the
basis laid down in the Riddlebergor Dill.
Acknowledgement Scott also, in the course
of the conversation, said this evening thai
the decision of to-day held that Virginia
had the right torequire that the school-taS
of the State should be paid IN money and
that coupons cannot be used Tor these
taxes. This represents about one fourth OF
the whole tax collected in the State.
ALSO THE L1QUoR-TA1Es,
The Court also holds that Virginia can
refuse TO take coupons for iquOr-llcenses,
and this il a most important point IN favor
of the State, as the liquOr-licenses repre-
sent a largo proportion of the taxes col
lectcd annually. While the Court did not
declare the net Of May u. 1887, unconsti-
tutional it cast some slurs upon that law,
but as long ms 1t stands yalld on the
statutes the people will not care about the
slnrs. The Att0rney-General also thinks
that II will be hard matter for the bond
holders to dispose Of coupons IN the coun-
try among the farmers. who will prefer to
pay their taxes IN money rather than nave
anything TO do with coupons.
NOT A GREAT DEAI. LEFT.
Then, when it is remembered that the
echoo-tax and liquor-licenses are TO be
paid in money. there is not great deal Tor
the coupon crowd TO work upon, as 1t -
thought that comparatively few of the pro
portv-ownors Will care TO pay taxes IN
coupons in the rural districts. In the
cities there will doubtless he some who
will use coupons. State Senators berry,
Moore. Mccormick, and Hurt and Hon. D..
Bell Bigger are in the city tonight. all ex-
cent Mr.. Mccormick being on their way 20
Mt. Vernon, as they are members OF tho
State Board OF Visitors. These gentlemen
called on Attorney-General Scott at his
hotel, and they were also much interested
in the decision of the Court and seemed to
coincide in the main with the views ex-
pressed by the AttOrney-General. Mr.
Royal went back TO Richmond on the
afternoon train and his opinion OF the de-
clslO4 COuli uOt bt O'AtA4AANNs-
THE GOVERNOR INFORMED.
Az soon rs the decisions were rendered
Attorney-General II. Taylor Scott tele-
giaphed the Governor as follows:
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May l9.-Statutes
which require production Of bonds, ex-
clude expCrt testimony, impose limitations,
and require payment of costs IN money held
unconstitutional. Those which forbid use
of coupons for school and hquOr-taxes held
constitutional.
The Governor was seen last night at the
Executive Mansion by Dispatch reporter
md seemed very well satisfied with the de-
cision Of the Court.
ENCOURAGING FOR THE STATE.
Il regard the termination of the cases as
encouraging for the State" he remarked.
"Our weak points are strengthened ythe
action of the Court. The total tax paid
into the State Treasury Is IN round num-
hers 81. 800. 600. OF this amount l,OOO,OOJ
il for school-taxes and S50O000 for liquor
taxes. The Courts decision ls that tho
laws which require three ffths ofour taxes
(schOol and iQuor) to be paid III money
are constitutional.
FARMERs ARE PATRIOTIC.
"a large part Of the remaining ohiths
comes from farmers and they have never
paid their taxes in coupons and II IS not
feared that they will do so. The trouble
we have experienced heretofore has been
in the cities and principally from liquor
dealers, Tho General ASS. ably ct its late
session passed several lav obstructlng the
use of coupons in the cities and they are
working effectively The decision of the
Court does not interfere with those acts IN
any particular.
GOOD TTCoRD.
during the present year." continued
the Governor, there has been only one
tender of coupons in payment Of liquor
license in Richmond, and one each IN
Lvnchburg, PETERSBURG, and Norfolk. Some
Of these were withdrawn and money was
paid. and those who did not do likewise
are now probably soTry for it, Upon the
whole" added the Governor, " | cannot
see why we should be discouraged. We
should rather be encouraged, for we are
saved from the source where we mostly
feared danger"
NO EXTRA SESSION on THIS ACCOUNT.
When asked whether or not the action of
the Court would necessitate an extra ses-
sion of the General Assembly the Governor
replied that so far as he was then Informed
of the decision OF the cases be dld not see
any necessity whatever for reeonyening