Sistersville daily oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1902-1905, 1903-07-17

of the state government, since any
part of said debt was contracted,
and deductlng therefrom the
moneys paid In to the the treasure;
OF the commonwealth from the
counties included within the said
new state during the same period.
And, further, the declaration Of
the constitution under which West
Virginia was admitted into the
Union was no less emphatic on the
same point. Section 8, Article VIII
of that instrument Is as follows:
An equitable proportion of the
public debt of Virginia. prior tc
January I, 1861. shall be assumed
by this state, and the Legislature
shall ascertain the same as soon as
practicable.
Here Is not only an explicit &C
acknowledgement of liabilities fol
part of the debt, but a direction to
the legislature to ascertain the
same as soon as practicable"
No action has apparently been
taken by West Virginia, notwith,
standing these legislative declara'
tons and injunctions and she has
refused every overture on the part
of Virginia to ascertain her equita
bic proportion of the debt. No one
can doubt that this debt Is some
where In the neighborhood of this
allotted one-thlrd, inasmuch as
West Virginia contains at least
one-third of the richest territory o.
the old state.
It maybe remembered that Mr.
Lincoln said he would never sign a
bill admitting West Virginia into
the Union unless there. was incor
porated In the Constitution a pro
vision for the paymaut of a just
proportion of the debt ofthe origua
state.
That the trainers of the ordi
nance and the constitution of Wes
Virginia. under which the State
came into existence, appreciated
the force and value of maintaining
the financial integrity of the com
monwealth, Is evidenced by the
fact that they specified that nc
debt could be contracted by the new
State except to meet the proper
tionate obligations outstanding con
sequert upon the dismemberment
of the old territory of Virginia, o.
which the present State and pres
ent debt of West Virginia were &
part.
The enlightened American can
not but realize that by the mainte
mace of the splendid credit of ou'
country at large, which we Inherit
as national blessing through the
efforts of the great men who SC
OPPORTUNITY lived to direct the re
construction and casting of oul
financial future-Jeferson, Hamil-
ton and Gailatln-and later by JUS
such a declaration as Lincoln's, In
putting his finger on the button OF
handspring of future salvation anc
prosperity. when he declared en-
phatically that he would not sign
bill for the admission of West Vir
ginia into the Union unless sht
recognized and agreed to pay this
debit say the enlightened Ameri
can contemplating the great nation
al and commercial supremacy which
must be ours provided W.
adhere to the indestructibl'
laws for the maintenance of public
credit, laid down by Our fathers
will not fer one moment counte
nance population and consequep
impairment of credit. While nc
one for a moment believes West
Virginia seriously contemplate
tbs, we pause in wonder tina
she does not follow suit and clear
the State, opening the doors to the
golden rays which will burst upor
her as they burst upon and blessed
other States who have paid up
and started the plough In this way
into the furrow of prosperity.