The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-09
What the Lynchburg Convention
did not Do.

claiming to represent all OlCno lnGelIlSence
Of the State, should have failed to give
any evidence of that intelligence in its
long and tedious declaration Of principles.
There is nothing contained in the Lynch
burg platform that proposes any pro-
nounced change in existing State laws :;
no legislative measures of reform recon-
mended nothing is promised the practical
operation of which will enure to the good
of the people. The entire document teens
with reputation OF the former positions
of the party and senseless TRADE against
those who have carried ont the measures
it endorses.
One would suppose from reading this
platform that the Coalition, during its
brief career, had covered the whole field
of Improvement in State affairs and placed
the Commonwealth in u position than
which there was nothing better to hope
for. To party and to people who never
look ahead this may seem the case, but to
those who take position in the front of
| the march of progress, there are many de-
mands which the good of the masses and
the interests Of the State require should
be given attention.
Foremost among these is a change of the
Constitution by which the election Of all
officers, State, municipal, county and Fed
eral, shall be held at the same time. AS it
is now, we have at least two elections ev-
cry year instead of one election every
! two years, as it should be- 1t is impossible
| to estimate the cost of these frequent
elections. The actual dollars and cents
expense to the county and State f; the time
and money which the candidates and each
individual loses in attending meetings, go
! ing to the polls, hunting up other voters
and the like, to say nothing of the discord
| it creates among neighbors, the dissen-
tionS and excitements it gives rise to, and
the harm occasioned to every community,
constitute severe tax on the people in
| themselves. If calculation could be
reached, we venture to say that the money
| lost on these semi-yearly elections, in the
way we have mentioned, would be almost
sufficient to meet the demands of the tax
gatherer To us there appears no good
reason why three-fourths OF this annoy
ance, worry and expense could not be dis
pensed with. If all the officers were
elected at the same time members OF Con-
gress are voted for, the saving would be
| immense. and when the election was over
people could return to their avOcationS,
and not at once commence to lay plans foI
the next campaign. Under existing laws
politics may be said to be at white heat
nearly the whole year round. One canvass
follows another in such quick succession
that the entire State is constantly in a
turmoil, and as consequence its material
interests suffer.
There is another matter which has beent toe
long overlooked, and which every consid
Grafton of justice and right demands should
be remedied. The present system OF
working the county roads is not only un-
Just and oppressive on the poor man, but
is standing obstacle in the way of max
ing public highways anything like they
should be- Under this law men who don I
own Il foot OF land OF hoof of stock are
called upon to work the roads an unlimited
number of days. during the year, whilst
those who own their teams and carriages,
and by whom the roads are principally
used and damaged, are required to con-
tribute but little more. We have never
had decent roads since this unjust and in
| equitable law has been in force, and we
never will have until it is abolished. Let
the roads be worked under a system of
contracts, the cost to be paid out of the
county checkered with well-graded high
ways, thereby improving the land, lessen
ing the cost of marketing, adding to the
value of property, and rendering travel
easy and pleasant in all directions.
Another crying evil is the present chan
| Gerry system. Estates are absorbed in
paying costs, fees, commissions, &C.,
and the supposed benefciaries of the fund,
receive but q small proportion of that
which they are justly entitled to. Under
| the prevailing practice man might as
well carry his property to the grave with
him. 1t goes into court and by the time
the lawyers, clerks and officers get through
with it the heirs have the privilege of
holding on to the memory and name OF the
deceased, and that is, in many cases,
about the extent of their possession.
| A Stricter supervision of the railroads
| by the authorities of the State is demand
! ed. The discrimination made by many of
the companies against parties living along
their line and who for want of competition,
are forced to patronize them, is matter
which calls aloud for redress. and the call
should not go unheeded.
/ These are few of the measures which
the democratic party might have consid-
cred had they looked to the interests of the
people. They are measures which four
| tifths of the citizens of the Commonwealth
| will endorse and the enforcement of
which would prove of incalculable adyan
tage to every community in the State.