New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1873-04-03
Preparing for Defeat.

The Democratic politicians of Virginia are
panic stricken. More than six months in adj
vance OF the next general election they are
preparing for defeat. Knowing that the PEG.
pie of the State will vote them out of office.
they have set to work to extend their terms
in all instances in which it is possible to give
their high-handed proceedings the least color
OF legality. The Legislature is the convent
ent instrument, and Governor Walker APP
pears to be willing to render whatever as
sistance he can. The Republican minority
is so small that it can only protest, and from
the proceedings in the House of Delegates on
Saturday last it would seem that even this
poor privilege has been denied.
The Legislature is at present engaged in
an enterprise which, if persisted in, will GER
tainly bring trouble, the design being to fore.
stall the action of its successor, which will
very probably be of a different political COM
plexion. The constitution Of the State pro-
vides that the county judges shall be elected
by the Legislature, the two Houses meeting
and voting in joint session it also provides
that the Legislature shall meet on the first
Wednesday in December of each year. The
terms of the county judges will expire on the
3ist OF December, and the constitution con-
templates the election OF their SUCCESSORS by
the Legislature then in session, and they
must be commissioned by the Governor then
in office. The politicians, ,, however, who are
unwilling TO risk the chances of popular
election, are determined that these hundred
Offices, which will become vacant during the
session Of the next Legislature, shall be filled
by the Legislature now in session, and that
the new judges shall be commissioned by a
Governor whose own term of Office will ex-
pire before the judicial term begins We
doubt whether such legislative absurdity
has ever before been attempted. Even the
rival Houses of Kellogg and McEnery in
Louisiana would be ashamed of such fraud.
In order to get rid Of the constitutional
provision which requires the Legislature to
meet on the first Wednesday of December a
joint resolution was passed postponing the
meeting Of the next Legislature till the first
either Pinchback or Warmoth would recon-
mend the abrogation of constitutional pro-
vision by joint resolution. They may not
be great lawyers, but thcy are too wise
to suggest such a proposition as that.
Yet this is precisely what the Virginia Sol
Ons, who claim to have inherited at least the
traditions of great craftsmanship, have done.
The constitution has been suspended by a
simple resolution, and the election for Judges
is now going on with all haste. The Repub-
| lcans asked that their protest against these
proceedings mlSnt De entered on the J0urna +,
| and permission was granted. On the ne xt
day one Of them made strong speech in OPP.
position to the outrage, which so irritated the
majority that they threatened to have the
protest stricken from the record, and proba-
| bly, this has been done. In the meantime
Governor Walker is said to be preparing COM
missions for the Judges as fast as they are
elected.
We are of the opinion that these gentle
man will not get much for their pains. The
new Legislature will be elected at the time
and manner prescribed by the constitution
1t will meet on the first day of December, as
the constitution declares it shall meet, and
will proceed to perform the duties which de.
volve upon it as a legislative body, among
which will be the election of one hundred
county judges, whose commissions will be
signed by the Governor then in office. All
this will be done without any reference to the
fact that majority of the members of the
new legislative body may be either Demo
Gratis or Republicans. The higher courts will
decide which election is valid, and what
judges are entitled to exercise the Office
| baltimore American.