The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-10-12
Biennial Sessions

|
| sessions of the Legislature. There is no real
| economy IN them, and they generally are the
result OF a spirit of demagogueism, ignorance
| and stupidity In progressive and changing
country like ours, or in State like Virginia,
especially so rich in resources, and where
| there is so much to modify and reform, bien-
| NAL sessions of the Legislature cause harm
rather than good, They were instituted 10
! make the people believe that it was in their in
terest they were ordered, and that the politca
power that effected the change was animated
by concern for the public welfare. Instead of
this, it was an expedent of demagogucs and
pace-hunters, conscious of their own infidel-
lty to public trusts, who desired to call atten
ton away from this, to the cheap deception in
volved in biennial sessions.
In a recent letter of Hon. Geo. FL Edmunds
of Vermont, to Col T. W. Higginson, ofMas-
sachusetts, that astute statesman and profound
lawyer says, on this subject:
do not think the change from annual to
biennial sessions of the Legis lature in Yer
mont, has done good, but the reverse. l am
satisfied that it has resulted, in connection
with 1.-THE one-term idea which came in with it,
in having a smaller proportion of the members
OF former experience, and, in respect of re-
elected members, has left them in condition
OF less memory of and acquaintance with pre-
vious legislation, &C., than they had under the
annual system. believe also even in our
little State the general value ofannual sessions
compared with biennial is great in respect of
keeping up personal acquaintanceshp, com
munon and interchange of ideas upon all
topics from the simplest agricultural and school
district affairs to the broadcast ones of finance
and politics among the citizens who thus as
semble. Again, even in as simple a commu-
nifty rs ours the frequent critical observation
upn liDu of arfp of l
minlstration is, | think, of immense value as
preventive as well as a corrective of bad or
Negligent administrati n. in all these respects
anu many Others that may be mentioned |
think the annual meetings of the Representa-
tive men OF Il Commonwealth are worth IA
hundred times what they cost
AQeg1tany Tribune: Several readiusters and
liberals from Bath, and our friend Capt. Won
kleser. of Falling Spring. came down to hear
Capt. Wise. Capt. Won Kleiser commanded
Federal battery at the battle of New Market
and said he had taken several shots at the
Cadets (Johnnie being one), and in the APP
preaching election would put in shot
for him. Capt. Wise made very happy al
fusion to the fact said he had been wounded
in that fight, but now that "wars troubled
night had passed" they would march hand in
hand together in restoring peace harmony and
prosperity to Virginia and the Union.
One of the sad results of the recent furry
in oil is the failure on Friday, at OIL City, OF
W. d. Archbold, one OF the heaviest dealers /
in the State. His daily transactions are re-
ported to have aggregated over one million
barrels. His losses are very heavy, and are
caused mostly by the failure of outside parties, |
one firm in Albany alone being his debtor 70 |
the extent of $75, 900. Mr.. Archibold is so al |
tected over his failure that it is feared he will
lose his reason. Friday morning he disap- |!
peared suddenly, and was subsequently found |
in lonely hut near Oil City, brooding over
his misfortune.
fire Friday morning destroyed the resi- |
dence of Mr.. Rosecranz. at Lowell, Kansas, |
and two of his daughters, aged seven and sew !
enteen years, persisted in the flames. The elder |
Of the two had succeeded in getting out with |
her mother, when she rushed back into the /
burning building for her little sister, and had |
dragged her through the smoke to the head OF I
the stairway when the floor fell in, and both 1
were plunged into the burning mass and their /
bodies consumed