Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-06-16
VILE: VIRGINIA
COLLECT Debt!
Suggested That Matter of
Payment May Be Put
Up to People,
STATE is COMMITTED
Many People in Commonwealth Averse
to 0beying Mandate of Supreme
Court, But May Conform.

Washington, June 16-The opinion
is growing in Washington that West
Virginia will pay the $12,394,000
judgment which the Supreme Courl
of the United States rendered against
the State in the Virginia debt litiga-
tion without compelling that tribunal
to employ drastic methods to enforce
its decree and collect the money.
High officials of West Virginia while
in Washington a month ago, when
the debt case was argued before the
Supreme Court, declared the State
would balk at paying a big sum OF
money to the holders of the debt
certificates in the event the court
found against her. They added that
it would be political death for any
public man in West Virginia to adj
vocate the payment of large sum.
The feeling in West Virginia is
best described by member of the
Congressional delegation who says:
'The trouble is that the people OF
West Virginia have been educated
to believe they do not legally owe
this money. But for this sentiment.
which has been hammered into the
heads of, the present generation, it Is
not believed there would be much
trouble in settling the debt contro-.
versy in an amicable way"
It is recalled that when the DEBT
case was first argued in the ST.
preme Court years ago the late Clark
May, then Acknowledgement of West
Virginia, intimated rather diplomat
ically that West Virginia might re-
fuse to pay if the court found against
her. The: late Chief Justice Fuller
was presiding and did not hesitate
to show irritation that such refusal
should be limited at, declaring also
from the bench that the court would
find way to enforce its way.
West Virginia politicians in Wash
ington shook their heads ominously
when asked whether the State would
pay the Judgment They recalled the
fact that the same debt case 80 years
ago brought about political .revolu-
ton in Virginia, in which the late
Senator John W. Daniel went down
in defeat as the Democratic candidate
for Governor. The men who favored
the scaling of the debt and who had
wearied of West Virginia's dilatory
tactics overthrew the Democratic
party, which was committed to paying
the full debt and then try to collec!
from West Virginia. =
The West Virginians declare there
is a rebslious sentiment in their
State against meeting the obligation,
This sentiment has lain dormant for
many years, and it is now believed
that before the matter can be finally
adjusted the party in power will en-
counter trouble as. was the case in
Virginia 80. years ago.
Acknowledgement Pollard of Vir-
ginia is one of those who believe
since the Supreme Court has finally
acted West Virginia will soon quiet
down and pay the debt without any
trouble. He does not anticipate any
serious difficulty when once the peo
pie of West Virginia realize that tn
highest. court in the land has render
ed the verdict against them.
It was also asserted that man.
West Virginians have lost sight o
the clause in their State CONSTITUTION
in which West Virginia promised t
assume share of the Virginia ante
bellum debt. Major Holmes Conrad
one of the lawyers connected with tn
case almost from its incipiency, ha
declared that Congress would hav
refused admission into the Union t
West Virginia if that clause had no
been written into the State Constr
tuition. This clause reads as follows
can equitable proportion of tn
public debt of the Commonwealth @
Virginia prior to the first day c
January in the year 1861 shall be a
sumed by this State; and the Legi
]ature shall ascertain the same