The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-08-23

fence mas enlightened us OH JillS. n SUI
plus OF courts is productive of Incidence
i'll judges and lawyers. Have but enough
and they must run on schedule time. Such
was given by Benz. Watkins Leigh to q
Virginia constitutional convention as his
eXperiece.
As matter of course we cannot escape
the criticism that Il change OF circuit linn
its and necessarily puts III some Judges.
and that these will be the politics OF the
party making the change. II bourbon
precedent shall control, this will assuredly
be the case. For not only was it the rule
to elect from their party, but to entail the
Office in q family us long as there WAS q fag
end OF it who could say that he had read
Blackstone and present license signed by
his father. his uncle, OF his cousin. | adj
NIT that no Legislature is likely to escape
a mistake in electing the number of judges
required by our system. can see where
the Readjusters, III filling the court benches
committed several egregious blunders. l.
remember, however, that serious charges,
going really to qualifications, were made
against but seven OF the Readluster eau
Gus nominees. Of one it is said, he was q
Dickinson college fanatic, ignorant and
corrupt, and Il sWindler private transac-
tions Of another. that he could scarcely
read and write and would rob a certain
charity school ;of another, that he had used
his office to put money i'll the pockets OF
his family, and OF another, that he was toud-
IN suspected as an accessory before the fact
to'an infanticide These four have since so
administered their Offices as to be now recog-
pie, " Mr.. fuckers real people" and Mr..
nized as '-capable judges, the s.best peo-
Barbour's people of character as con-
tradistinguidhed from the crew" The
least that can be drawn from this IS very
dIllicnlt to distinguished between charges
worthy of consideration and those that are
merely partiZan. | can sincerely hope that
Bourbon persecution will induce one more
to seek shelter whereregeneration and sane
LITIGATION are so instantaneous. This will
do quite well by comparison. Bourbon
Funderism cannot make SO good q show
ing from their lists Of II, when q large
proportion of the judges were elected by
their Legislature from its own membership,
and a still larger proportion from the faith
ers, sons and brothers of those who were
members. After which there were resig-
nations on suggestion to obviate s'remoy-
ais for cause,'' and self-eXpatriations to
avoid criminal prosecutions by some of the
electors and the elect. All of this argues
nothing but the fact that no State and no
political party is, or can be, without its
''black Sheep in high places. 1t argues
that Virginia is neither better nor worse
than other States in this respect, and it is
Il challenge for comparison Oh records with
Burbon- Funderism in the choice of judges
if upon this must depend the enactment Of
a law for the general welfare.
l cannot present the
REAPPORTIONMENT ELL
in this letter. My recollection is there
were thirty-tWo distinct bills before the
General Assembly. Only one OF these was
the Readjuster caucus proposition, to
which the opposition never dared offer an
amendment to OF present q substitute Tor.
1t was the only measure that recognized
contiguity of counties and equality of pop
ulation in this State since the days when
the Wings amalgamated Augusta and
Loudoun, OF the Democrats attempted to
utilize the ''Tenth Legion of three coun-
ties to neutralize Wing majorities in dis
'tricts on both sides Of the Blue Ridge and
the North Mountain ranges OF the Ale
ghanies. That was called the menagerie
apportionment because each district, as
defined Oh the map, was splendid animal
caricature. How much better is it now?
Prince William. taken from Piedmont and
utilized across the Bay; the "Tenth Le-
gion," on the West Virginia line, with
Highland and Bath beyond the Shenandoah
Mountains, part of a district marked by
a tow-path to the James River with three
Lower Valley counties crossing the
Blue Ridge to the Potomac, and thence
skipping Prince William, traversing Pied
mont to the triangular point where the
Seventh district pursues its marrow route
to the James Look over the map and the
census, and then wonder why fair ap-
portionment was defeated by iilibustering
Time, and very little time, will tell it all.
Two candidates for Congress said 'DraW
your lines so as to separate us, and we will
pass the BILL. They were answered that
we were districting State-not making
congressman. This lost the vote neces-
sary to carry the bill. These two reform
ers are now prominent i'll the opposition
party. This measure was treated by Bour-
bon writer's and speakers very much us |
have said they handled the Judiciary bill.
Any one of the thirty-0ne bills which am
bilious gentlemen had shaped to make de-
sirable districts were exhibited and dis
cussed as the place and occasion best suited,
but / never heard the bill us it was ar
ranged and perfected in committee any
where referred to. The bill in the hands
of General Elliott was the only one which
the Readjusters, as aparty, are RESPONSE
Die for, and it is such IL plan of apportion-
ment as either party ought to adopt. 1t
was wonderful to note how rapidly the
hastings orator could adapt himself to
situation. / heard the same man declare
to- the people of the white section that
the Readjuster apportionment bill would
"radicaliZe and negroize" the State, and to
the colored section he proclaimed that it
was an outrage upon the original Repub-
licans, because it jeopardized the only two
districts in which they had safe majori-
ties. How utterly untrue both statements