Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-01-13

r - p, Of collecting the capltation tax may
t haoa 1n.,,Ood without raising the food-gatea
We oe c ovri by making it's payment a
oonG;tion precedent to voting.
REGISTRATION LAWS.
rocommend careful revision of the
l;rtratinn and election laws. Many
-. .os 1--we elarsed since the system was
s sdontad The question of a new general
49, tstTation is one which, il my judgment,
osiis for the attention of your body, and
thn nresent registration laws are in sew
ara, respects unnecessarily complicated
and difficult of construction.
"n N tha interest of full and free express
sion Of the popular will, recommend a
rigid scrutiny and pnrging OF the election
law. many OF the provisions of which are
subversive Of the ends professedly sought.
The basis of all republican government
is nne Gasl content and confidence. Both
are secured when the people are satisfied
that. having freely sought the ballot-box,
their votes have been recorded and re-
turned according to the truth. Any syS-
fam which is so framed as to admit doubts
unou these points must, whether it be hon
estly or fraudulently administered, breed
nonnIar discomfort. Elections should as
far AS possible take place in sight of the
public.
datory provisions for the appointment of
Judges of election from opposing political
pa5ties. with penalties attached for failure
in the appointing power to observe the re-
uuirements, and permitting the presence
of representatives Of each political party
interested In an election while the vote is
received. canvassed, counted and certified.
RAILROADS.
Cur people are alive to the great benefits
in the way of material development flow
ing from the presence in our midst, and
proper applica ton to public ends, of the
capital and enterprise cf these powerful
corporations. Though the State has par
ted with almost her entire interest as stock
holder IN works Of internal improvement,
and is forbidden by the Constitution to
subscribe for any new work, every citizen
OF the Commonwealth is still interested in
tberallroads by reason Of their great inf1u-
eftce for good or for evil. Nor has the
State lost either the right or duty, while
granting encouragement and reasonable
powers to these corporations, OF throwing
around them such guards and limitations
as will insure the people against dlscrlml-
nation and eXtortlOn. The dangerous ten
denotes of combinations and monopolles
call for skilful yet vigorous treatment.
Care should be taken not to repress Or re-
tard and not to encroach upon the legiti-
mate franchises; but the government
should demand and enforce practical rec
ignition of the fact that the paramount
obligation of railways Is to the people OF
the Commonwealth. Ample power resides
with the legislature to impose such whole
some checks upon the various lines OF
transportation as shall secure for the pro-
ducer and manufacturers of Virginia prop
er rate and full facilities, and guarantee
to the cities of the State those advantages
to which by reason of their geographical
position they are entitled.
The experience of other communities
has demonstrated not alone the necessity,
but the practicability Of such policy. 1 ur
gently commend to the consideration of
the General Assembly the laws by which
other States of the fundamentally, the
States of California and Georgia-regulate
the railway administration within their
borders; laws which have stood the exam
ination of the courts and survived the test
of experiment to the satisfaction OF the
people, without injury to the railroads.
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
In such examination as [ have been able
to make into the condition of the differ
emit departments, the fact is apparent that
Inadequate provision is made for the De-
partment Of Agriculture. Ours is pre-
eminently an agricultural community
The history of past legislation in the State,
strange to say. shows that while our statute
books record munifccnt policy towards
almost every other interest, little or no at
tention has been paid to this our greatest
source Of wealth The producers Of Vir-
ginia have certainly an equal claim with
any other class upon the consideration Of
the Government. While [ am not prepar-
ed to suggest the form Or extent of the
improvement which should be made in
this department, | am satisfied that a wi
der scope should be given its operations,
and more liberal appropriations should be
made to cover them. And in this connec-
tion as directly concerning the interest Of
the landowners, [ would endorse the sug-
gestion Of the Commissioner for the at
tachment of a mineral bureau to this de-
partment.
CHARITABLE INSTITUTIONS.
Virginia, by reason of the agricultural
pursuits Of her people and the absence Of
existing employment, WAS blessed IN the
past in the small percentage of unfortunate
dependent upon public charity. But since
the excltements and distrcsses of recent
years the proportion has largely Increased,
and of late the public goals have been the
only asylum for too many of.those cursed
with the heaviest aff1ictiOn to which man
kind is subject. 1t is not necessary here
to refer to the causes, not all unavoidable,
for this deplorabe state OF affairs. 1t will
suffice to express the belief that the Gen
eral Assembly will extend all possible aid
to the institutions for the insane and 9TH
er unfOrtunates; and that When control of
the revenues shall be restored to the rep
resentatives OF the people, Al, reasons for
regret or complaint in this regard shall be
removed.
FEDERAL RELATIONS.
Iconclude my message by congratula-
ting the General Assembly upon tue peace
existing within her borders, and upon the
pregnant signs of more amicable relations
between all sections and all the people of
our common country. The assumption is
not unwarranted that recent events in
Virginia have served to give an emphatic
impulse to liberal sentiment throughout
the land. That better era dawns upon
US is well attested by the fact that for the
first time in nearly a quarter OF century
the President of the United States, in his
annual message to Congress, finds no &C.
casi0n to alluds to sectional ditferen-
ces; nor is there any point at issue between
this Commonwealth and the Government
VI OiiO ObiuUu StdtcS W Cttl1 lOI uioCdoSioiA
in this paper of Federal relations. Alive
and responding to the approach of more
perfect union,' Vireinia-always in the
van OF great national evsnts-furnlshes a
grave upon her soil for the vexed question
Of color line in politics. To-day Virgin
ia stands before the world offering all the
blessings of free citizenship, of absolute
freedom in politics and religion, to those
who may seek her borders. Appealing
for harmonious sisterhood of States, in
which sectional jealousies shall be I'M
known, and in each of which shall be il
Illustrated the spirit of Americanism broad
as the limits of the continent, she points
the way by leading it, and by pledging
tolerance to every creed of party or church,
save only the creed of intolerance and
prescription. The laws of Virginia guar
antee equal protection and privilege to ev
cry citizen, and the people Of the Common
wealth have ordered that all departments
of the government shall execute the spirit
and letter Of those laws.
WILLIAM e. CAMERON.