Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-02-08
Commissioner of Agriculture.

AS proof OF this let us look at some OF the
suggestions for retrenchments which Gov.
Kemper offered to the legislature in his mes
sage of 1877. He says, "but the facts are
startling, which show that the increased and
unnecessary expenses of this government are
such as cannot be disguised by any sophistry
or derision. "They are augean accumulatiOns
which may not be allowed to continue with
any just regard for the purity or the efficiency
Of the government.
+ LET the ordinary expenses for the last
eight years be compared with the correspond
ing expenses before the war. Leaving out of the
calculation all disbursements on account Of
free schools and public debt and all extraor-
binary OF temporary expenses, the remaining
ordinary expenses for the current support of
the government during the last eight years
have averaged 81, O55, 976.5O annually"
"During the ten years ending with the year
1850 inclusively, the same ordinary expenses
were $5S8, 23637 annually. The area of the
State was then more than third larger, and
its taxable values were about twice as great
as they are now"
Gov. Lees report to the legislative commit
tee which was appointed to settle the State
debt, puts the States annual expenses (exclul
sive of interest on debt) at 81 ,914 1Sl 80.
Gov. Kemper also, in speaking of the clear
ical business of the State, said that those who
are capable of advising in such matters affirm
that if any commercial house were to con-
duct an accounting business equal to that of
the State at same expenses, the result would
be swift and inevitable bankruptcy"
There was no account taken of his recon-
mendations for retrenchment in the manage
ment of Penitentiary and Lunatic Asylnms.
1t looks strange that we should be taxed, as we
are. when the criminals in the Penitentiary
are ever doomed to hard labor.
If 1 recollect Alright, Capt. Sam1 Williams
stated to me whilst experimenting the Peni-
tertiary ''that if the State would let him
have It for four years he would give 500, 900,
and make profit enough over to buy the best
farm in Shenandoah county," ''There is a
screw loose somewhere
The Judiciary expenses before the war,
were 1865, 429.3l annually" now about $780,
900. Not because there IS a perceptable in.
crease in crime, but the mode of prosecution.
The Governor said the Penitentiary was over
crowded with felOnous cases that ought to be
punished as misdemeanors summarily and in
extensively. But everything that puts money
in the legalist pockets must be retained, it
does not make much difference how much the
people have to suffer. just like the county
court system, which he said ought to be blot
ted from our Statute books, as travesty upon
justice and economy.
He thought the County Judge who held the
patronage, and under the Ermin decided a
case in his court, then doned the attorney s
gown for client that appealed from his decis-
ion. There is in this All lncompatability that
needs no comment The old magisterial court
system sis a conception of wisdom which had
snatched grace beyond the reach of art. -
Here you have something nearer. the Judiciary
under Encouragement to dispense justice with
out pay. Then the county expenses were COM
paratively nothing to the more than tourfold
as we find them now. The States Judiciary
expenses are in same ratiO-all because of our
folly in selecting about three-fourths of our
legislators from the legal class. Hetruthful-
ly states, "when it is proposed to lop off the
whole of this increase of taxes and burthens,
I ask by what authority is the movement
charged to a false, narrow or a niggard
economy?"
He says of the Oyster beds of the State
''The gross annual yield is not less than $50,
Oo0,0O0.'' Suppose they would yield half tina,
amount, you see we would not need the "Coxy
good road law" and there would be no need
of the law passed last winter, empowering the
Supervisors to borrow money to erect court
houses, jails, sc.
| lie cannot see how the State can oonstitu.
| fiOpa 1lUt 70 tv or ,Ia ta1 Il
| throw open this vast domain for public plum
| der.
| Oh! why quote longer from this dark cata
| logue-let us turn to another that is no better
bat worse-and that is the extravaganza III
the Federal government.
| We thought it enormous when it took S62,.
0o0, 900 annually to run 81 600 OO9 population
but that was child's play in comparison to the
$500, 900 900 that it takes to run G5 900 900 peo-
| pie. Tilden said in substance in his letter ac-
cepting the candidacy for President. These
taxes bear heavily upon every mans income,
| upon every business, and the tax-gatherer
takes not only our profit, our income, but a
portion of our capital.
Hon. Montgomery Blair said in a speech
| upon this question; All discussion should he
Jul uCu UPON CulS Cly my tH!i cAG[dVdBance. In
1870 taxes were four per cent. upon the prop
erty of the nation. where before the war it
was one per cent. I think he stated in this
connection that statistics proved that the earn.
ings of the whole people in prosperous times
is about two per cent Hence, you can see at
glance-why about 10000 people have
from two thirds to three-fourths of the ma
tiOns wealth, whilst the Is, O00, 900 are turned
out to browse upon poverties steril fields.
A4essfs. Editors, you peeollect that one Of
the most greyious complaints against the
'::mother country was the chloride of officers
that were eating out our substance But was
there a more plausible reason for complaint
commensurate with ours;
England today with her stupendous militia
~ establishment, and debt Of over 90, 343, ooo,-
600, drawing from 8 to I per cent spends a
little over $451 ,Ooo, 900 annually upon popu-
lation from 237, to soo,ooo,ooo. Her crown