on ▁as ▁governor , ▁and ▁sending ▁both ▁R iddle berger ▁and ▁later ▁Mah one ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Congress . ▁Mah one ▁held ▁a ▁powerful ▁swing ▁vote ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Senate ▁during ▁the ▁short ▁administration ▁of ▁President ▁James ▁A . ▁Gar field , ▁who ▁was ▁assass in ated . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁the ▁Read just ers ▁were ▁no ▁longer ▁a ▁major ▁force , ▁and ▁Conserv ative ▁Democr ats ▁ruled ▁ ▁Virginia ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s . ▁ ▁Virginia ' s ▁infrastr ucture ▁deb t ▁issue ▁with ▁West ▁Virginia ▁was ▁finally ▁resolved ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁when ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁Supreme ▁Court ▁ruled ▁that ▁West ▁Virginia ▁ow ed ▁Virginia ▁$ 1 2 , 3 9 3 , 9 2 9 . 5 0 . ▁The ▁final ▁install ment ▁of ▁this ▁sum ▁was ▁paid ▁off ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 . ▁ ▁Sh ift ▁from ▁finan cing ▁to ▁regul atory ▁role , ▁creation ▁of ▁S CC ▁After ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War , ▁the ▁Board ' s ▁role ▁shift ed ▁from ▁finan cing ▁to ▁a ▁ ▁regul atory ▁role , ▁as ▁the ▁re building ▁and ▁expansion ▁of ▁the ▁rail ro ads ▁were ▁fin anced ▁largely ▁by ▁Northern ▁interests . ▁The ▁can als ▁and ▁turn p ikes ▁under ▁the ▁Board ' s ▁authority ▁decl ined ▁as ▁sh ipping ▁shift ed ▁to ▁the ▁newer ▁technology . ▁The ▁Board ▁of ▁Public ▁Works ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁the ▁Virginia ▁General ▁Assembly