Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-03-14
Denomination Of the Grab.
fFrom the Rich. state. March 9TH,

Contamination Of the Grab.
From the Rich. State, March It'll
The deed IL done, and the extra SEES
sion 10 . fixed fact. The proclamation
of Gov. Cameron was read Immediately
after the adjournment sine die last night
to the members of both houses conven
ing them at IL o'clock M. to day. We
have several times given our opinion on
this subject. and denounced It as an OUT
rage upon the people Of the Common
wealth. There was no necessity what
ever for even an extension of the session,
which could have been made without
pay, much less for the call of another
session at the enormous expense of be-
tween thirty and forty thousand dollars.
There has been time enough, and to
spare, since the meeting Of the General
Assembly, three months ago, to transact
all the business that was required for
the government of the State, even al
lowing full half of it to have been frit.
tered away in needless debate or in the
factional conflict which was brought ON
by the majority and confined exclusive
~ to that side. AS conservative Demo-
Gratis we had nothing whatever to do
with the quarrel between Malone and
bis opponent for the boss ship of the
Repudiationists, Mr.. Massey, but for
quite third of the session our repre-
sentatives were compelled to look on 40
enforced spectators to this unseemly
squabble over the distribution OF the
spoils of the plundered treasury, and in
silence allow things to take their course
They we're hopelessly IN the mtnorttyx
placed there by the coalition between
the Republicans and Repudiators, and
as matter of course utterly pOwerless
to do anything one way or the other
without surrendering their principles
and independence, and forfeiting their
manhood.
The excuse made for calling this SEES
sion, of necessary legislation remaining
unprotected, is very lame one indeed,
aud will not for moment be admitted
by the people of Virginia. The fact Is
The Readjuster majority worked from
the very beginning to make it neces-
sity, or at least apparently 80, for no
real necessity, as we have remarked,
existed. The committees, 1t has been
shown, neglected their work in most
shameful manner, and failed to prepare
the necessary assessment and appropr1
alton bills, which should have occupied
all their time from the first and been
brought in early for full aud careful con-
sideration And had this been done, As
it should have been, there would have
been no plausible excuse for the extra
session, and the ''salary grab" could not
have been CLOSED over with the varnish
of pretended necessity, by which 1t is
proposed to impose upon the eredulity
Of the people. The Legislature Of 1890
in which the Malone Readjusters also
held working majority, the same tao
tics we're resorted to with the same OBJ
ject in view, that of making q salary
grab" and the apprOpriation and assess
ment bills were not acted upon out
Governor Holiday prevented the con
summation of the sWindle by declining
| to reconvene the Assembly, and the
Government went on much better with
out it under the old assessments and up
preparations. And the same remedy
could have been res0rted to now. They
then had an Auditor whom they were
willing to trust to receive and pay out
the money of the Commonwealth for the
necessary expenses of its government.
ordinary anu extraordinary, and al
though they declined to rust him any
further, yet they have elected another
who, according to their own declara
tions. must be fully as competent. and
| who is even more to be trusted to do
their bidding and now we shall be sur
prised If at the end of their extra ses
sion they find themselves any more
ready to adjourn or their work any near
or completion than it Is at this time.
No; their only object is the $3.50 extra
salary allowed and Of which Governor
Holiday deprived them by refusing 10
call an extra session in 1850, but whiSi,
they are now determined to grab" and
pocket 1t as the ''swag" they are after,
and having secured that and finished
the distribution of the plumber, the work
will still be neglected. and the interests
of the Commonwealth left to take care
of themselves.
The congressional apportionment is
another excuse, but that. too, ia but a
subterfuge, Tor the act Of Congress spe-
cially provides that In case of the in
ability Of Legislatures to redistrlct their
may be elected by the vote of the State
ut large, and why, therefore, call an ex.
ira session at the cost of $40, OOU to State
which pleads the poverty act, merely to
provide for the election of q congress
has already been made?
The only fair reason we can find for
| this extra session, IL partisan one, and
grows out of the fears Of this accidental
majority that power Is about to slip from
them, and consequently this is their last
chance; and having nothing to hope for
in the future, they are bent on making
every thing they can now, on realizing
every dollar out of the present. On no
other hypothesis can we suppose sensi-
BILE men could act go insanely. They
must surely be aware that the people
will hold them strictly accountable for
their acti n in this matter and refuse to
cODdone their great steal" their bare
faced robbery ofthe public treasury, aud
knowing this. they break down their
bridges or burn their chips behind them,
and leave the future to fortune.
What course our Conservative repre-
sentatives, W o have SO periodically and
wisely opposed every measure of waste,
extravagance, and dishonesty brought
forward. and who fought to the last
against this extra session enOrmity will
now adopt, we are not fully informed !;
but we trust they will still stand firmly
on the high ground they have taken,
| and maintain their consistency tn the
end. We want all of them to 90 before
the people with pure records aud above
all we want the Conservative Demo-
cratic party of the State to be able 10
point to their course With pride aud
satisfaction, and to be able to proclaim
to the world that its representatives
have but reflected In their conduct and
| by their votes and acts the true princi
pies and high character of that great or.
ganizatiOn.
$15O,OOO GONE!-The great lovers of
the "dear people," the sincere believers
in genuine economy, the heroes of Lib
eralism, the champions of Reform, are
showing q full hand in the Legislature
OF Virginia. They have. in two single
items, squandered $3.50. 900 of the PEG
pies money, to say nothing of minor