Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1911-05-27
A DEBT COMMISSION
EXPLAINED BY ADVOCATE
Who Wants The Secret History OF
The Virginia Debt Case
Published.



certain and publ sh the secret his
tory of this debt suit scheme is the
reverse of making a deal with vir-
/ g.nia attorneys: 1t is exactly op-
posite to committing the state and is
the best way to prevent bad results.
Msnifestly. nobody can form sntelli-
gent opinion as to what is best for
West Virginia unless informed of
the facts. Corrupt influence pre-
vents a commission to publish facts
because it means limiting our debt
To the lowest amount and nobody
to get any rake of. A proper COM
mission will publish facts as follows.
l. That in 1894 Wall street
promoter hired certain members Of
the then Virginia legislature to have
themselves and others s0ponted a
commission TO negotiate settle
ment of West virginias debt. 1t
| would have been defeated IL any one
had been present with motive to ven
t!iate truth.
/ 2. That If Virginia permits this
suit to be prosecuted, after the truth
has been published, then her name
viii be pointed at as an object OF
national disgrace. When Dakota was
misled TO hire out her name for a
suit against Carolina, the lawyers of
Carolina toek dispositions and ex-
POSED the politicians in both states
who were in secret partnership with
the Wall street syndicate. AID every
public man who was secretly con-
nected with the nefarious transac-
ton was so ostracized that ne had
to migrate. Not only so, but Dakota
was so ashamed of herself that her
governor recommended that the S10,-
600 be sent back to North Carolina
Last Winter, Rhode Island. by a
fiye-sixth vote, refused to permit her
name to be used. And yet the Vir-
ginia attorneys stated to their legis-
lature that they brought suit be-
cause AFRAID that Virginia might be
sued. tSee Mays reprint, page 40
| g. That Virginia said she issued
certificates to enable West Virginia
to settle with holders. This was in
1871 and. until 1894. Virginians
were unanimous that she should not
NEEDLE with what did not concern
her The change came when Vir-
ginia attorneys saw opportunities for
a gigantic rake-of.
4. That when the Virginia at
torneys asked our legislature in
1897 to negotiate with them, they
were processing to represent Wall
street committee whose contract
with holders had expired two years
before, and our legislature did ex-
actly right to refuse negotiations
with lawyers who could not commit
anybody to anything That 1t was
the same case in 1905. The thirteen
millions with Brown Bros. were un-
Ger a contract (which had expired in
1902. Harrison was evidently mis-
informed about the facts. Today
any depositor with Brown Bros. may
withdraw his certificates.
5. That, under the writings, be
tween Virginia attorneys and the
Brown committee, Virginia is to
take fifteen per cent of whatever
West Virginia pays, and yet all ex-
penses are paid by the holders of
the thirteen millions with Brown
Bros The law is express, that Vir-
ginia is ito be at no expense what
ever"
6. That Virginia compromised
the two-thirds, which she assumed.
at about ffty-one per cent.
Z. That if West Virginia issued
10 Virginia attorneys seven millions
of bends, then thirteen millions with
Brown Bros are very much more
likely to realize less than eighteen
per cent then to realize as much as
twenty per cent for the certificates
now quoted on Well street at above
sixty, In ether words, appointing a
proper commission means making
certificates, now having a rugged
quotation at sixty, u1saleable at
twenty.
s. That the Brown committee
formulated a plan of settlement
which was recommended by the
advisory Board in July 1899, and this
plan of settlement has been most
carefully suppressed. That it re-
stricted the debt to the amount
spent for roads, etc.
8. That, after the advisory boar
had recommended that pla1 OF set
Element, the Brown committee was
without power except to carry ii out.
Hence the suit is fraud on Virginia,
on the courts. and on the certificate
holders.
J. NJ. MASON.
I Gho~lao Touv, M.,r 1A11