Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1918-08-06
Senator Chiffon and the Debt Matter.

Editor Advocated understand that it
is being claimed by Senator Chilton's
friends that he not only advocated in
the Senate the payment by the general
government OF the West Virginia debt,
in which q judgment OF fifteen millions
Q5,000,000) has been entered by the
Supreme Court of the United States,
but that he was the author and origina-
tor of the idea; and one of the stock
arguments of his friends is that he
should be returned TO the Senate for
the purpose of continuing his efforts
in relieving the state Of this debt. The
following quotation from James 9.
Blaines Twenty years in Congress"
book published as far back as 1884,
long before West Virginia was inyslyed
in the Virginia debt controversy, viii
show the contrary.
"Nor should it be forgotten that the
State of Virginia before the war might
well b regarded as the creditor and
not the dcstSr Of the setional govern
menf. One ef her earliest acts Of pa
triotisfa as an independent State was
the ccssion TO the general government
OF her superb domain on lie north side
OF the Ohio river, from The sale OF which
more than q hundred million dollars
have been paid int the Treasury OF
the United State
I heard about the tins that mis-
book was printed that Senator Blaine
was = candidate FOR the presidency, and
the brilliant arguments he ussd for the
national government 10 pay the Nir-
GINA lnow West NiTgina debt was
for the purpose Of advancing his preS-
deatiai aspirations. Il has been runor-
ed that history Is repeating itself, and
that Senator Chiffon is using this debt
Qsestion as campaign propaganda. |
do not say so, nor would detract from
anything that Senator Chiffon has done
in advocating the payment by the ma
tisnsl government of the West Virginia
debt; Bat TO the "rubes," including my
self, "in this neck of the woods" it
dses not seem to be reasonable that with
the national debt of the government
mounting up by leaps and bounds into
billions, probably reaching the enormous
sum of twenty billions dollars $4,000,
000,000) before this war is over, the
government is going out of its way to
take up an additional moral obligation
Through the State of Virginia, ard pay
off a Judgment after years of litigation
against the State Of West Virginia for
the sum of fifteen million (Sl5,000,-
000) on the ground of conscience and
equity alone. | may be wrong, but IL
does not seem to be reasonable. II
seems quixotic, and do not believe that
the United States Government under
existing circumstances will ever pay
a cent of the West Virginia debt, nor
do believe that the other States of the
Union and their taxpayers would stand
!; for such an unWaranted largess from
the Treasury of the United States.
In former times ofpipiag peace, Unele
Sans generosity was often appealed
TO for various wild schemes, and very
often successfully, and this scheme
might have worked, but not now, in
these times of financial stress. The old
fellow has enough debt already to carry
without assuming any further obliga-
tons.
| Now, Mr.. Editor, the primary cleo
ton of August 9th is an extremely i'm
portant one, and the voters are called
upon to choose Between Senator Chiffon
and Senator Watson Ii is no time for
mud-slinging and bandying epithets
about dollar bills" and "see that your
votes are counted" and such other po-
litical elaptrap, as ''hs is a millionaire
coal operator" which are always banded
about by politicians and their partisanS
in every campaign.
The voter should approach this i'm
portant election in these war times in a
j patriotic attitude and seek to cast his
vote for the best interests of America.
with malice toward none and charity
toward all.
The wing Of the Democratic party in
which | was trained was "The States
Rights School," wing, as someone has
stated, which has been folded "like the
wing VI dove" for the most part since
the late war, and a majority of those
trained in that school have been intern
ed politically, Indefinitely, for the good
of their country, Judge.
| But, with the enlightenment that this
world war has brought the scales have
fallen from my eyes, and see that tc
meet this great national crisis every
thing must be sacrificed, and for that
purpose it Unnecessary TO have a strong
national government, not to Cypress
our own people God forbidD, but to
guard the life Of the Republic against
insidious foreign forces with Their
poison gas Propaganda.
| tremble to think if the South had
succeeded (Which consummation was
so devoutly wished for by many Of u.s.
and the government split in twain, what
Germany with its pre-war manigula-
tionS might have done TO this Republic
Judging by what it has done to Russia.
They would have had, in such a sup
posed case, a UkraRia, an Esthonia,
and a Finland, made TO their hands, on
this side of the ocean, into which TO
foment Bolshevikism and revolution
and other political disorders, instead Of
an ignorant and weak Mexico with its
eeons to work among. But, "God
moves in mysterious way. his wonders
to perform" and the life of this nation
was preserved that the sons OF the
North and the South, of the East and
the West, should fight under "Old
Glory to preserve the government and
lives Of free people, against those who
seek to strike them down.
With this thought in my mind, !
would say that the electorate should
cast their vote for Senator Watson for
these reasons: Because % we need
his business capacity and efficiency in
the Senate to meet Ihe world wide
problems Of this country which sre r.