The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-09-24


The Republicans had control, were between
s40, 900 and $4,000 The last Legislature
was Democratic or Bourbon. 1t ought to
have been controlled by the expressed will
Of the people as embodied in the Constitu-
tion, requiring one session in two years.
But in this, as in everything else. the lead
ers of that party never think or care
about the people. The whole object they
have in view is selfish. They want the Of
fices-the direction of public affairs and
the dispensing Of the revenues. Review
their legislation from 1870 to the present
time, and there has been scarcely meas
ure passed by them that looked to the gen
eral welfare. Partizanism of the most Of
fensive and reprehensible kind has been the
moving consideration. The constitution.
law, popular rights and public interests
have all been borne down and violated in
the interests of party and the gratifica-
ton of party revenge The peoples
money has to pay for it, and the State
suffer.
The last Legislature, instead of meet
ing once in two years, met four times in
one year. 1t had the regular session, an
extended session. an extra session, and an
extended extra session repeated Fat cost
to the people of about $130,000. And what
was this done for? No measure can be
pointed to as operating to the welfare OF
the people. The debt settlement was I'M
settled in the most fragrant manner, and
by it the court dockets are flooded with
coupon suits; the Treasury invaded by
coupons an infamous election law
enacted, designed to ignore if not disfran-
chise one-half of the people Of the State
the Sinking Fund Board instructed to use
100000 of the public moneys every month
to purchase 3 per cent. bonds that are
not due for nearly half a ecentury-thus
sending''out of the State million Of cur
rency at a time when every dollar is needed
for home purposes, and forcing upon this
generation a burden thatythe very face of
the bonds and the policys they imply, say
that the next generation must pay, when
the developments and improvements IN the
State will ENABLE them to do so without
strain OF oppression.
The same body passed nearly one hun
dred. relief bills, discharging obligations
due the State from public Officers to the
estimated amount of. at least $780, 900. The
people are taxed. to raise revenues, faithless
off n tho IN
Legislature deliberately RENTS the pena!t y
wipes out the obligation and then squares
the account. What can the voters of
Virginia think of such public servants,
delegated and empowered to legislate for
the interests of the constituent body, and
not for delinquent public officers
And more grievous and startling than
even these Neutrality-suspicious. was.the exer-
else of power attained through force and
violence, to secure two-thirds of the mem
bers of the Legislature, for the purpose of
robbing the Executive of prerogatives which
had adhered to the office fora century.
The hands of the Governor were virtually
and effectively tied SO that he could not
stay the revolutionary purposes of this
reckless body, in their desperate resolve to
trample upon all rights and legal. and con-
stitutional barriers which interfered with
their partizan objects.
These are specimens of the legislation
which was enacted in the four sessions
of the last Legislature. upon which the
people will be soon called to pass judg-
ment. In no state of the Union was ever
such record Of reckless. disregard of fun
damental and statute law and the rights of
the people made. 1t surpasses in partizan
wickedness anything ever before written
or printed of a deliberative body in any
civilized country 1t stands out to itself
as the monumental offense against consti-
tutional freedom, and if permitted to go
unrebuked, may constitute a precedent
that may find it's contamination in anarchy
the people. If such an encroachment
upon constitutional rights had been
committed fifty years ago, the body that
did it would have been swept out of exis-
ence by an indignant and patriotic people.
We have fallensupon evil times, indeed. if
The public conscience has become so dull
and dead as not to quicken and kindle into
fame Of burning Indignation in the
presence of such heinous wrongs, such
fragrant outrages, invading everything that
is sacred ina .free.g government and threat
ening the very existence Of our republi-
can institutions. 1t is the concern of all
the people to stamp with their indignant
rebuke such revolutionary assaults upon
all the sacred muniments of the citizen
and of government and to give such testi-
mony of their aroused resentment and pa
triotic regard for the cardinal principle of
our form of government, as will carry
with it lesson for all time to come, to the
reckless demagogues who have dared to
commit such crimes against the State
Only some marvellous intervention of
Providence can save the Commonwealth
from anarchy. unless the people come to
the rescue and vindicate their own man.
hood and high resolve in the utter over
throw and destruction of faction that
could be guilty of and sanction such mon
strous wrongs.
Death of Judge. Rives.
At his home near Charlottesville, on
Thursday last, Judge Alexander Riyes died