The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1913-07-28

ments. but when the commission ad-.
dressed 4 communication to the state
auditor OF Virginia for certain de- ,
aired Information, he fatty denied to
give the same. The commission was, !
therefore, rendered powerIess.
Subsequently after the state SEN /.
ate had become Democratic, that
body delgated tofits hnance commit-s
tee the suty or making an inVesti-
CATION and In 1873 under Governor
Jacob. Democrat. tht late Jonathan
NJ. Bennett, Democrat. chairman Of
the finance committee. submitted a
report, in which It was set out that
West Virginia did not owe Virginia
anything whatever, but that, on the
contrary, virginia was indebted to,
West virginia to the amount Of
$512, 900 not including interest Re
member this report was made by q
Democratic commission to a Demo
cratic governor and Democrats
state senate. The report was
taken by West vIrginlans as setting
out the true situation and 1t became
a governing force after that in the!
debt matter
Up to the time that the Democrats
came into control in West Virginia
efforts we're made by Republican ad-
ministrations to adjust the matte.
No sooner had the Democrats come
into power in the state than theyI
proceeded to declare by official re-
port after due Investigation that
West virginia owed Virginia moth
ing. If it were possible to adjudicate,.
the matter in the early history OF
the state, the Republicans certainly
we're In better light by their will
ingness to negotiate with Virginia
than the Democrats we're by their
unwillingness as expressed in their
official declaration that West Viz,
ginia owed Virginia nothing. From
the viewpoint that the debt should
have been settled then and thus pre-,
vented years of interest, 1t was Dem
ocratic misruIe. certainly not Repub-,
lican mislnle, as Democrats were un-
willing to even admit that there was
a debt due, while the Republicans
were willing to pay it. ir an agree
ment could be reached.
After the Bennett report Virginia
at no time signihed desire to settle
with West virginia until after the
adoption OF a joint resolution in
March, 1894, after it had compro-
missed and settled with its creditors
and had been released from all Ia
bility. The resolution provided for
the appointment OF a commission.
In the following year. 1895, Virginia
proposed negotiations as provided
for in the resolution adopted In
1894.
So far as the Daily Telegram
knows Governor W. A. MacCorille,
Democrat, did not recommend to the
legislature that the proposal be ac-
ceptedl The same contained a clause
that both Republicans and Demo-
crath objected to. vt provided that
before negotiations were begun
that Virginia should be held liable
for only two-thirds of the entire
debt of Virginia in 1861. before the
states were divided, with proportion
ate interest.
At that time and ever after that
ii was the contention of West Vir-
ginians generally, based on the Ia
nous Democratic Bennett report.
that West Virginia owed nothing.
These are the modern phases oil
the debt question and they nor
the early ones show misruIe on the
part OF Republican authorities. Dem
ocrats have been inclined to criticize
the conduct of the defense of the
quit in the United States Supreme
Court, but are enectually met when
reminded of the fact that John q.
Carlisle and John C.. spooner, two
or the nations greatest lawyers, and
four state lawyers OF recognized abil-
ity defended the suit.
With the facts known and the
history OF the debt question reviewed
accurately. it is hoped that the 9Ex-
ponent will know better than to in
dulge hereafter in misleading gen
eraIities.