The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1873-12-09

The arguments in favor of electng clerks.
speaker, doorkeepers, sergeant.at-arms, &C., &C..
state officers and after the first day of jan
uary, would be just as sound and conclusive If
urged in favor of electing county Judges after
that date.-Dfspatch.
1t seems that the state government is
now being run by the Conservative Central
Committee of the State in Richmond.
This committee has decided that the gov
ernor should not call the Legislature
together before the first day of January,
but that dshould be inUited by this committee
(how gracious and condescending on their
partD to assemble two or three days
before that time, so as to effect
an organization on the first day
of the month, and, if possible, set the
wheels of the new administration in motion,
by the proper fabrication, on the day re-
quired by the constitution. Was there
ever more transparent farce? A caucus
of the Legislature is to meet in Richmond,
on the 28th day of this month, to perform
the high legislative functions imposed upon
the whole body of which it is only con-
temptible part! For, defend the caucus
system as ably as you may, in the eyes of
all sensible men it is contemplate eva
sion of the legislative functions imposed
by the organic law of the state.
1t gives the right to make laws,
not to a majority of the body upon which
the law making power is imposed, but to
the majority of bare majority, or to a
fraction over one-quarter Of the Legisla-
ture as constituted. Under this infamous
system, which is now invoked to get the
state out of the Legislative muddle into
which it was thrown by the unconstitu-
tional action of the last General Assembly,
twenty-six men, in body of one hundred,
may usurp the entire legislative func-
tons of the state, and constitute them.
selves an irrepressible oligarchy from which
there can be no escape but in revolution.
AT least, this would be the case, if the
action of last winters caucus, in setting
aside the requirements Of the constitution
and postponing all subsequent legislatures
beyond the time in which they are required
to perform their highest and most sacred
constitutional duties, is to be received and
acted upon as permanent legislative pre-
cedent. If The Dispatch had stood by us,
In opposing this unconstitutional action of
last winter, there would have been no
necessity for extricating itself from its
present awkward dilemma. 1t is
evident that nothing can be
done towards organizing the Legislature,
in advance of its actual meeting, except as
caucus Of the Conservative members
shall dictate, and this dictation had better
be dispensed with altogether. The votes
for governor and Acknowledgements cannot
be opened and counted until the Legislature
is convened and organized. Any such
count as the clerk may make in advance
of such organization is wholly unauthor-
lied and without warrant, as in states
where there is constitutional board
Of canvassers appointed for that pur-
pose. A caucus is equally powerless |
TO take any step in advance of the work to |
DC done by the two houses, acting jointly |
ID the premises. If 1.-THE Legislature
IS not to DO convened by the Governor |
before the first day Of january, let the |
Conservative Central Committee and
King Caucus keep their hands off of this
legislative fbotch. They will only boteh
Kings ten times worse, and bring the
state into greater muddle at last.
The SOUTHERN PLANTER AND