The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-31

tie following GitlCic, ooo Poo1'1 'A ~
the members of tho Legislature, many Of
whom obtained their seats by abusing the
work Of their predecessors, may see chow
It Is thcmsclves":
THE VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE.
This body has now been IN session TWO
months, and has done nothing eXccpt pass
few private bills. Our legislators have, up
to this time, succeeded in nothing OF general
importance. save the undoing of the credit
Of the Slate. Legislative bodies arc growing
every year more ineiicicnt-Wolse than
failures. They arc becoming, perfect nul-
sanccs. BIZ entailing 4 heavy tax upon the
people for their support, and a curse N
passing bad laws, and by nlystlfying ana
rendering nugatory those we have. But
few of them are the right men i'll the right
place; and the retrograding process IN
uoltics has gone so far we can never hope
TO see our legislative halls again filled
with proper men. Tie rabble 'rules the
roast" and the mob holds the balance OF
power; and, with rare exceptions, none but
scheming and unprncipled dclGaSogueS, or
weak and plant efetes, get the places. A
few smart, rascally politicians are the GOV
crnment, out Of which no good can ever
come, at each election, and before each ses-
sion. we are encouraged by the spccioIs pro-
misses of Congress or Legislature "ireSll
from the people," and where all Of the wants
of the "dear people" will be Immediately
cared for. But we only find the fresh mcln-
hcrs a little too fresh. 1t takes the bulk Of
tic first session for them TO get to feel easy
under the weight Of their new honorS. They
| wear Misunderstanding "store-clotheS,'
and tax their energies in vain efforts to look
wise, and spend their time and talents over
| books on Parliamentary Usages," until the
day for accomplishing anything for their COIL
sIituents is past.
The true secret Of the utter failure Of our
| LEGISLATORS is that threc-folutils Of them do
net know what ought to be done, and if they
| knew they would not know how to do 1t.
| We are in q sad dilemma about choosing tit
| men for these places. IF we send honest
men, nine times out Of ten they have no
sense: and if we elect smart men, almost H.
varisbly they are great rascals. The truth Is
Virgnia's days Of honor have gone by, ana
| tho point in progress where Tree gov
crnment ceases to he blessing has been
reached and past. We live IN the DAYS
| of the "Commune," and its clements will
hereafter obtain and rule here as well
as elsewhere. The lower strata Of society
have discovered their power and import
ancc, and they will exercise it after their own
fashion and to their own interests; and men
who seek place will pander to and affiliate
with them. New parties will be formed ur-
der this new regime, and integrity and worth
and the morally intelligent will be crowded
out. Our Legislature is fast drifting to that
side. Their unbluslling discussions Of repu-
dation and their disregard Of the solemn
obligations Of contracts, their frittering away
OF their time and their squandering Of the
peoples money on themselves and on n,ea-
surcs detrimental to the interests of the State,
are all pregnant signs of the times. The peo-
pie are beginning to exclaim, "Lord, deliver
us from our servants !"-Rockbridgs Citt-
zen,