Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-03-27
Letters Frem The People

MIR. ED1ToR:-You say 1 did not,
in my last article, OF this subject,
convince you of the necessity OF
calling convention Well, | had
no idea of doing that.
IA man convinced against his will,
Is of the same opinion still.
But it seems you were driven to
misrepresentation which shows you
were in n pretty tight place. You
gave as reason why it costs q mil
lion dollars more to govern Virginia
than it does to govern the great
State of Georgia is because I'VE are
compelled to pay nearly thatanount
as interest on our public debt more
than Georgia does.n Whether you
made this statement from ignorance
or deliberate intention to mislead,
it is absolutely ineXcusable. What
are the facts?
! Georgias debt in 1895 vas $40, 49,
549. Her interest charge was 1885,
974. Virginia's debt in 1894 was $23-
70l. 0a9. Her interest charge at 2 per
cent. would be $40, 1850. Add to this
sum, the 100000 excess interest
which the Dispatch says is paid to
schools and colleges and we have
1914, OSO-just $1SS, LOG more than
Georgia pays Mr.. Editor don't try
to mislead-Georgia is allie to pay
more than Virginia for government.
Her area is 59,475 square miles. her
population in 1890 was 1,S37,353. Vir-
ginia's area in 1880 square miles,
her population in 1890 WAS 1855, $50.
Georgia's real and personal property
is assessed at $459, G49,9 07. Old Vir-
ginia's real and personal property is
assessed at $780, 7O2.
Now please tell me why Georgia
can be governed for million dollars
less than old Virginia? Isn't there
something rotten in Demark?" Don't
ask me to point out where the rot is.
That is the province Of the conven-
ton. You admit the criminal charges
are excessive That is not all We
have too many officers to pay. The
carpet-baggers and scallawags who
framed our present constitution Gre
ated as many offices as they could, in
order to provide fat places for them
selves and their friends, and they put
in their constitution q clause that
would have disfranchised nine tenths
of the white people OF Virginia.
Is it possible that our people will
still cling to the rotten remnant OF
this Underwood, Wells, "Spects"
Hodges and Doctor" Bayne Consti-
tuition and pay million dollars more
for government, than Georgia, with
one fourth more area, more popula-
ton and more wealth pays? No, no.
This constitution must go. We must
have greater economy. The office
holders may squirm, but the people
ore going to have change.
Now Mr. Editor, if we cannot save
anything from our present expenses,
how do you propose to meet the 1
per cent. additional interest that
goes on our State debt in 1900? This
will require $751;, 500. The State peni
tintiary needs an expenditure of S75,-
900. Where is the money coming
from? Increase taxation No, no.
Retrench, economic. Let the con-
stitution convention meet. Let them
abolish all useless offices, wipe out
all unnecessary expenses, and give us
an economical government. Virginia
can he governed as cheaply as
Georgia Why not? Please explain.
Do not give us erroneous statements.
| am seeking after truth. Don't try
to befog us.
"Dispel the cloud, the light of heaven
restore,
Give me to see and Ajax asks no
more"
But you have discovered another
bugbear. You say probably Mr..
Parsons derives great pleasure from
the fact that the populists of this
State are with him." Is that the
best argument you can produce
against convention Didn't the
populists vote with the democrats for
William Jennings Bryan last fall :
Did they sully your immaculate
purity Mr.. Editor? They did not
hurt me, am willing all true patriots
of every party should vote with me,
but I fear the main spring of action,
with the officeholders and their
friends, (who oppose calling a con-
vention) is pelf, not patriotism. 1t
is natural those who have fat office
fear to lose them.
Old Virginia, self-seekers ask you still
to bleed,
And oft give false reasons for the
deed.
I'D. PARSONS.
Mr. EDITOR Running through
several issues of your valuable paper
have been letters of interest to our