Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-07-06
Some Ques lions That Wan. An.
sWerins.

Editors VindicatOr:
see in the Spectator card calling on oul
represen tativts in the last house Of elegats to
''giye an account Of their ewArdship," md a.
one O; them pro puses that is shall teuone at the
Jul court, the farmers Of Augusta would like
t4ai, amoug he many others, the following
questions should be fully and satisfactorily an
swered:
WHY that before every election there are such
fair and faithful promises of retrench tnt aud
economy made by Candidates aud yet b
successive leg islatute is more reckless and exc
tfavagani than the preceding?
We would like To know why a resoiutio on was
passed calling on the Governor TO state what
Offices he thought could lie abolished without
dvtriment to the interest of the State. The
Govern or replied in II long and able message,
showing eonclusively $50 the people think III 1t
several of the Offices alb ut the Capitol could
easiiy be dispensed with. This recommend. -
ton was passed by almost without notice, and
two additional 'ffices created viz: a Commits
sioner Of Agriculture, 10 tickle the farmers,
and one of rail- Dads, tor the rest OF the people.
Each CT these officers have large iiAries, auo
each has clerk drawing 81 500 per annum,
and exceed in usel.ssness all the other orna>
mental apreudnges of the State. They are
Injuries we might nford to enjoy if we had a
full treasury and 60 c.:: tors detraudtG yearly
out of money that they arc honestly and ilsty
entitled 10; but considering our depleted
treasury, and the depressed conditio OF our
people generally, it was reckless and crimi-
nal piece of legislation. Why legisla ion If q
public charac ter is almost aiwa. postp oned 10
lake up priv ate bills, which ought never to be
allowed to come into The legislature at all, as
in most cases the courts have jur sdiction We
would like 10 = now why members accept brides,
ia the shape offre- passes from all thu railroads
in the State, and then draw their mileage rom
the State tr. asury Certainly enc or the other
ought and should be stopped.
On what principle o. eco nomy dues each mem-
Der receive annually from the STAKE figa dollars
wor of stationary, and draw his pay during
the entire Christmas recess? Why ST. page
are employed in the House and four in the Sem
ate, at fro 4 three to four dollars per day (Suh-
days included), when the same boys would he
glad to get the positions at one dollar per
day.
Why our representatives made no effort to
do away with that growing and outrageous
evil, called suspension of the rules and taking
up bill out of its order" which requires more
time and voting than is necessary to do all the
legislation that the State needs.
Why it is said that taxation must be liz
creased or the debt repudiated, and yet the
Legislature makes little or no effort to reduce
its own expenses.
Why it costs SO much more to carry en- the
State government now than it Gid before the
war, when we had one-.hird moro territory.
These questions we would like to hear an
swered There would be no cry of reputation
if the pc pie could see any reduction in the
debt, but groauing under heas J taxation and
the expenses of g. vernment and the debt year
ly increasing, tits no wonder that they are
growing desperate, and look to reputation as
the only way out of their difficulties
OBSERVER.