Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1905-12-22
Entered at the Pestoffice at Staunton, Va,
as second class mail matter.
Friday. December %, 1905.
THE STATE DEBT.

Our esteemed contemporary, The
Pocahontas wv. Va Times of the 14th
inst, commenting on recent edito-
rial on the above subject, in part says:
The Staunton Spectator last week
contained d long and able editorial on
the question, the tenor Of which was
to the effect that West Virginia ought
to and very likely would have to pay
part of this old claim. This editorial
in significant as the editor of that pa
rer is an able lawyer who lived and
Dracticed In this State many years and
who is very familiar with conditions
in both States. He claims that the
founding of the State was the work OF
John Garrett, the president of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railway, and poll
ticians at Washington, and the for
nation of the new State against the
will of the parent State was illegal and
void. Further that when the State
was formed that the founders declared
twice that the new State should bear
its equitable proportion OF the State
debt.
The Times may probably convey an
idea in its Interpretation of our editO
rial not exactly consistent with its
spirit. We did not intend to say that
W. Va. would have any part of the
debt to pay. We were trying to show
that in her own constitution she &C.
knOwledged herself bound for an
equitable share" of the debt. We
admitted that the actual money was
not spent in her territory, but the
debt was incurred for her immediate
benefit, yet from her standpoint and
from that of the tribunal before which
the question will be finally decided,
her equitable share" may be nothing
Ii found to be something then her
constitution binds her to the payment.
If that debt could be wiped out We
would rejoice. We have no interest in
single holder of a single cent Of it.
They purchased all claims they have
on speculation and for bagatelle. AS
we said there is now no moral only a
financial question involved. If w.
Va. is adjudged to pay anything we
being a property holder over there will
have to pay our proportion, and every
cent we would pay would be regarded
by US as blood money.
But Virginia has been driven to the
wall in this matter. She was up against
being sued herself by New Y DIRK or one
Of the DakOtas in behalf of these mon
ey sharks, or herself sue for an AUST
nent. 1t is plain aud proper that she
chose the latter course. We regret the
whole affair. There is not one cent i'll
it for Va. and it will cause bad blood
again to boil which had cooled by a
lapse of time.
1t is certain that Virginlans do now
and always will resent the mode in
which large and rich portion of their
territory was seized. Nothing like it
ever took place before. Nothing like
it will ever take place again. The
whole thing was the result of an I'M
holy war, and cannot be justified in
morals or law. That West Virginia
gained and Virginia lost is not denied
and that there are reasons which now
Seem plausible and convincing to
minds educated in that school condon-
ing the act cannot be controverted. The
arguments of the day such as bad treat.
ment, unjust taxation, &c, are not
Justified or truthful. All assessments
OF real and personal property were
made by men living In the various
counties and these men were RESPONSE
BILE for the values fixed. There was no
Capitalization OF power at the State
capital then, as now in W. Va. There
was no imperial decree going out from
Richmond to assess property high, as
has just gone out from Charleston.
The people of w. Va, when citizens
OF Virginia were meyer Inundated by
any such treatment as they now suffer
from, nor deprived of their right to as.
sess their property as is practically
the case now in W. Va. The sense of
fairness of those living east of the AL
leghanies would not have suggested
such thing, and the spirit of the peo.
PIE of that day west of the Allegha.
MES would not have suffered it. The
people of w. Va. did not own MANY
slaves, and they were largely opposed
to slavery, and this right no one has
denied them, but the people of Viz
Einia did deny them any constitution
81 right to rend the State as they did.
and from this they will never recede.
But our search of the history of that
period leads us to the conclusion set
forth in our former article which was
in brief as follows:
The first intention was to establish
a government at Wheeling which
would declare itself the only true and
lawful government.
The second was to form such a gov
eminent permanently if expedient.
temporarily if necessary, for the pur
pose OF giving sanction to such
schemes for the election of Senators
and for other things as might seem
most desirable.
The third was to establish a new
State and leave the "disloyaI' portion
TO fate. This was the plan finally
liked on as the wisest and safest, and
this was not fully agreed On until the
war was more than half over.
In the establishment of the new
State which did not really take place
Until June 90, 1868, John W. Garrett
lid play most conspicuous part. The
boundary line was changed and arrang-
I'd especially to suit him. Every mile
4 the B. g. o. Ry, was thrown into
he new State, and whilst he did not
appear among those who were doing