The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-08-12
4itlln,o1td 1ispattll.
70, 1871.
THE CIRCULATION OF THE DISPATCH
is LARGER THAN THE CoNIBrSED CIR
CuLATIoN .OF ALL THE OTHER DAILY
OF THE CITY. <
To the People Of Virginia.
TFor the Dispatch.I

You are an oppressed. n taX-riddcn peo-
pie. You know it and feel it.. You are
imposed on by hungry cormorants, dema-
gogues, office-seekers, and office-holders.
The remedy is in your own hands. The
time is fast approaching when you will be
the Legislature. Nominate your own can
didates by fairly. constituted conventions,
| to be composed OF reliable and responsible
men-men Of substance-WhO, If they inf1tct
burdens, will have them to bear largely
themselves. There is need and much room
| for reform and rctrenchment in the eX-
penses Of the State government, and Of
county and township expenses. Exact q
pledge from every candidate for the Legis-
lature that he will go for reducing the pay
of members to not over four dollars per
diem for the days actually served, and no
more, without mileage and that he will
60 for reducing State, county, and town.
ship expenses in every reasonable and prac-
ticable manner. The best men in the coun-
try will serve cheerfully for three dollars
| per day. When we were prosperous, rich,
1 and happy, in dnte-belIun, times, there was
n scramble to get into the Legislature at
four dollars per day, without mileage. The
railroads now carry them free to and from
Richmond very often during the session,
their pay going on in their absence. Is this
/ III
When our Constitution was amended, be-
fore the war, the State tax commenced at
ten cents on 800 worth of property, and
much was exempted. The interest on the
State debt was then promptly paid twice a
year in gold or its equivalent. Lately, with
q tax OF forty cents on S100, the State paid
nothing to its creditors. All was squan-
dered on the numerous office-holders who
live on public pap. And in addition TO the
fifty cents on 500, you now have to pay u
school tax, in many districts more than the
whole former State tax.
| Now, your county treasurer sits quietly
in his Office few days only, and gets for
Ireceiying the taxes carried to him q large
commission-far, very far, beyond the
fworth OF the services rendered. This ought
to be rcmedied by per diem allowance for
the time necessarily and actually served,
or limit to a reasonable compensation for
his time and labor. There are many llnne-
ccssary offices that ought to be abolished.
The court system is exceedingly expensive
land eXtravagant. You pay the county
Judges about $l0O, 900, the larger portion of
(which can and ought to be saved. If the
views of The people favor the present sys-
tenn of county judges, assign to one judge
Hour counties, thus saving $50, 900, aud
laboliSh the circuit courts and save more
THAN $40, 900 more. But if it be desirable
to retain circuit judges, then require them
to hold quarterly terms i'll eacn county,
which they can readily do, and then have
probate county judges, "learned in the
llaw," at S., or some moderate per diern IN, it Il
place of the present s~cee'.srairy ccee'siry judges. The
I Senate Senate and House of Delegates are toy
numerous. You have now Tor part of the
old State about 40 Senators and 13l Dele.
gates from one hundred counties and towns.
Twenty Senators and sixty Delegates are as
many as the state needs. Let these be sc.
lectcd by fairly constituted conventions,
and YOU would get more faithful, capable,
and efficient legislators. Our business
would be dispatched more promptly and
wisely. Our late Legislatures, with Il few
honorable exceptions, may he justly called
rubble or mob. Is it not morLilying to
see with how little knowledge, and with
what slender claims TO decencv, sobriety,
and good morals, we are governed? When,
oh when where, oh where shall we be-
gin TO repair our dilapdated fortunes? Re-
trcnchment and reform arc urgently de-
lmanded. Without them we shall remain
an oppressed, down.trodden people.
Fellow-yictims, will you consent to be
longer and forever oppressed and plum
dered by your own servants? Will you not
rise in the majesty of your strength and
demand aud enforce retrenchment and re-
form? You are met by the pititul whine
that without large pay you cannot get good
office That is not true. The Bri-
tish Parliament, the most august body in
the world, serve without pay. Your old
lcounty courts, who adorned the halls OF
IJuStice, served without pay, and my word
for it, ii you reduce the fees of all the office
holders one-half you can then get-if you
wish them-what you do not get now-mcn
"honest, faithful, capable" CATO.