The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-04-19
wmEELING ApRIL 1O. IOOO.
virious MISREPRESENTATION.

Vicious Misrepresentation.
The Inteligencer regrets to see SOM
able Democratic state papers creditlng
the malicious report started some time
ago that Senator EIklns was using his
influence to have the Virginia debt
question settled, and that he was per-
sonally interested in the matter as a
holder OF the bonds These bare-faced
INTERPRETATIONS have been. going on
for many years. 1t is well-known that
the question Of settlement between
Virginia and West Virginia has been
entirely In the hands OF Democrats f.
this state. James NJ. better known as
"Buttermilk" Mason. was the father CT
the settlement scheme and has endelv-
ored to &c more than one Legislature 10
act. Colonel Chew. of Jefferson county.
a prominent Democrat OF the easteih
Pan Handle, has succeeded Mason in
representing the bondholders. and a.
the recent session OF the legislature he
tried his persuasive powers on the
members of that body to commit the
state to an acknow ledgement Of It's ar
bitrarlly assigned portion Of the debt Of
tn old state. In view OF these facts,
ana thu known position Of the Rapubli-
caa party. 1t is astounding that the
Democratic p,rss viii persist in hidirS
It's own shortcomings in this matter hs
falsely accusing Republican leaders
with attempting to force Il settlement.
TEc most persistent lying has been
done with special reference 10 S2nator
Elkias, the purpose pf which is quite
clear to any man OF pcr5picacIty. 1t Is
widely known that 30 far back as 1881
wh.H Colonel Capchart, a political ae
cIIont who represented the Fourth dts
tric; in Congress. accused Senator FL
Rins Of being an owner u the Virginia
bonds and IS eadeIyJring to have then
paid. the senator addressed him a nott
denying the fact and asking him to give
tbs names Of his informants. but Cape
hart declined 10 do so.
II can be said without fear OF contra
dictlon that Senator Elklns never had
any interest in the state debt OF Vir-
ginia or the certificates charged to
West Virginia, directly or indirectly in
any form; that he is now and always
has been opposed to settling this ques-
ton, except on n basis absolutely fair
to West Virginia.; and he has frequently
stated that after looking into the mat
ter he docs not think ives. Virsinal
owes the old state anything.
He knew nothing about the act OF
Congress that was passed. The act re-
ferred to was simply TO make the states
pay up the debts they had owed the
government, in some instances for fifty
years, which was right and just in
itself.
AS to the suing OF West Virginia by
the state Of Virginia, that has been n,
right and privilege Of old Virginia for
twenty-five years. \ state has thr
right to sue another state in the SUI
preme court OF the United States at any
time. Certainly the Republican party
of West Virginia and Mr. ElSins had
nothing to do with passing that act
through the Virginia legislature; he
knew no more abou, It than he did
about the act Of Congress
The Democrats are hard up for an
issue when they attempt to found It
upon an absolute mlsstatamcnt OF the
facts. The Republicans have a Fplen-
did record on the subject Of the Virginia
state debt. and VIII maintain it to thu
end. and Senator Elklns will loyalty
support the decision OF the Republican
party on this question, as he always has
done.