Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-12-08
Friday, December 8, 1905.
THE STATE DEBT.

Sunday last contains the reasons given
by Attorney General Anderson for the
institution of suit by Virginia
against West Virginsa for the settle
ment of the long vexed question OF W.
Va. proportion of the State debt.
For over forty years this question
has been bobbing up constantly. The
question might have once been 1mpor'
tant from moral standpoint, but that
day has long past, 1t now il purely
financial. Those who owned the bonds
of Virginia when the State was
.Rended," are all dead, and their pro-
geny or heirs have never considered
them as assets of value. But more
recently these certificates of indebted
ness have been gotten together by
Northern syndicates, and by a long
and at last successful effort they have
procured the assistance of some mer-
cenary States, New York and one OF
the Dakotas, to institute suit against
Virginia to recover Of her tho sum
which Virginia has claimed should be
paid by West Virginia-unless Vir-
ginia makes the issue herself. This
will open up questions which had for
a time dropped out of sight, and es'
pecially will it open up discussion
of the legality of Topping off about one
half of the territory of Virginia and
forming it into State known as West
Virginia.
The prime mover in this, as we
know, was man who did not live in
Virginia, but he was the head OF the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. Old
John Garrett was then a power at
Washington. He was rendering great
services through bis road to the armies
of the United States in the civil war,
and he could get an audience at the
White House whenever he wished
The plan of division did not originate
in West Virginia proper, it was con
cocted by some persons like darrett
and Secretary Stanton. assisted anG
encouraged by such men as Pierpont
who was the first Governor of Wes'
Virginia, and others of his ilk. Th'
first idea was TO seize the whole Stat
through government at Wheeling
or Alexandria, and when the war end
ed, as they felt sure it would, disas
trously to the South. they would be ii
possession of all of the plumber. Blu
after more mature reflection the
changed their minds. They did OF
ganize what they claimed was tn
"only legal government Of Virginia
at Wheeling, but the debt of Virgini
at once confronted them, then con
Guiding that half loaf is bette
than no loaf at all, they agreed t
adopt another plan, they agreed to Gu
the State in two and turn the "dii
loyal" portion over to whomsoeve
wanted it, and they would take tn
other part. This would answer thei
present purposes. What they reall
wanted was Office. A Governor an
all the State officers was sweet mol
sci, two United States Senators wa
also a nice plum, congressman, Judge
galore, and treasury into which the
could run their arms at will, was NO
to be sneezed at. No more attractiv
dish was ever set before king. l
the actual partition NO man played, q
we say, any more conspicuous a pal
than old John Garrett. though hl
name never appears. He bad change
his politics, he had turned from
friend of the South to one Of its mos
malignant enemies, the usual cOndue
of turncoat. He knew there woul
be day of reckoning with him if b
lived long enough, so when the Stat
was rended he Topped off every count
in which there was one single foot {
his railroad, making the State line
zig gag affair, which requires explain;
tion to every student of geograph,
There was some apparent desire 6
Washington to refuse to sanction 4
bold and daring violation of const
tutlonal right, but this was only bluff
the thing had been incubated Their,
and the fouler the act then, the mol
friends it had at Washington. {
course all meetings to Restore tt
Government of Virginia" were held
Clarksburg or Wheeling, or somewhe
other than Washington, but tt
Matching" was all done there becau
the consent of Congress to recogm
their acts was absolutely essentis
Such men as Thad Stephens, Loveje
and others were then in the low,
house, and Sumner and men of b
implacable hatred were in the Senat
The first convention in Virgin
west of the Alleghanies after the orc
nance of Cecession was passed whit
was on the 18th of April, 1861, was be
at Clarksburg on the 18th Of June fl
lowing, and On the 10th OF June tn
convention elected Francis H. Pie
pont governor OF VIRGINIA. " a
legislature was called to meet
Wheeling on July 1st, 1861.
1t should be remembered that tt
government then set up was called t
''only true and lawful government
and the government at Richmond "
ignored. The Legislature there asset
bled elected two U. 3. Senators. The
was not delegate in that Legislatu
from any county that now compos
Virginia, and many of the West vi
ginia counties had no duly elected d,
egates. The United States Senate
elected were admitted at Washingt,
and recognized, and are to this day
l;ek1r1 Had kGVirOinio lanakn~o