Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-25
ings Of our people, exasperated them
against the whole party.

REMOVAL OF JUDGES.
Upon the advent into the control OF
the Legislature of the then so-called
Readjuster party in 1879, when they
and for some time afterward called them
selves Democrats, they, with some few
exceptions, removed all the county
court judges in the State, regardless oil
qualifications, experience, the require
ments Of the Constitution, and the de-
sires Of the people, in order to fill their
places with men who, they intended,
should exercise the important and deli
cate duties Of these responsible Offices
(amoDg which was the duty to fill all
vacancies, appointment to various Oh
fees, and having large amount OF con-
troll in county affairs,) with a single eye
to the interest Of Malone and
the party which he then secretly
intended to create. Many judges
appointed for these purposes were
manifestly unfit, incompetent, and
INSCRIPTIONS, and, Of course, many Pc
titions were presented to the General
Assembly to investigate charges against
them and for their removal. The right
of petition the Legislature could not
disregard, and appointed special com
miitees for this purpose, many petitions
being presented too late in the session
to be fully acted upon. Of the judges
complained Of, three resigned pending
the investigation, one after it, and OF
the rest only one was removed, and he
upon the ground Of utter incOmpetency;
and while the charges preferred against
the rest were mainly sustained, it was
deemed best to suffer them to complete
their term, then nearly ended, thus
showing a temper and moderation never
equalled in any of the many acts of the
other party.
In the case Of specific charges against
a county superintendent of schools that
he had refused to license eight (S)
teachers because they were either Dem
ocrats or had that tendency, and had
appointed all the teachers and all the
trustees Of his own party and had paid
ten teachers, creatures of his own,
without law, six dilatory motions were
made by his party friends in the House
to prevent his impeachment.
BOOMERANG CHARGE.
AS to their charge that the Democrats
in the Legislature squandercd the reve-
nues in unnecessary legislation, let the
record convict their own members of
doing it. The followers Of Malone in
the House of Delegates, on the fifth day
Of the session, commenced by Senseless
filibustering to obstruct legislation and
to consume and waste time, so as to
force upon the Assembly the necessity
of an extra session. On the very day
upon which the standing committees
were appointed their henchmen made
two Intellectual motions to adjourn.
This motion was frequently Tade be-
fore the d" Amen " had escaped the lips
of the minister who opened the session
with prayer. There were lbs motions to
adjourn made by their leaders during the
regular session, eight having been made
in one short evening session. During
the session the rOll-call was demanded
402 times uselessly and simply to OBJ.
struct the business Of the body. 1t was
called by them Is times on the 9th Of
February, y times on the sth of Feb
| ruary, 20 times on the evening session
of the 18th of February, and 81 times or
the 18th Of February, when the cOnsti
tuition term was near its end and thu
mass Of business crowded at the close
BY this course the session ended OF
the last of February with large
amount Of important business unfnish
ed. But the Democratic patriots of the
Legislature were equal to the emer
gency. They extended the session a
their own expense until the 18th o
March, and presented a spectacle Of law
giyers serving without pay, hitherto un
known in the annals, rs far as we know
of any American State.
THE APPORTIONMENT ELL.
After the adjournment it became ap
parent that the necessity for an extri
session was imperative. The presl
dental election was nearing, and il
the hurry of business-obstructed a
it was towards the end of the session
no bill had been passed apportiOninl
the State into electoral districts.
such law had not been passed, Nir
ginia would have lost portion Of he
electoral vote to which she was en-
titled, and perhaps the whole Of he
electoral vote, which might have de
cided the election of President Of tn
United States.
The congressional districts had no
been arranged since the completion {
the census Of 1850, and there was ne
cessity for so doing to avoid the cleo
ton Of congressman at large. Tn
J Court of Appeals had declared tn
, electoral act unconstitutional, and
, was imperatiyely necessary, especial
in A presidential election, to take tn
machinery Of the election out Of tn
hands of those to whom it had been II
trusted by the partisan county judge
created by Malone, who at last ha
ranged himself and his followers undo
the Republican standard.
, THE EXTRA SESSION A NECESSITY
, In the hurry of business occasione
f by the loss Of time thrown away, q
has been shown, in filibustering, man
f errors, both clerical and typographica
, appeared in the printed acts, which mi
takes, thus occasioned, the Republica
, platform and address has actually Ii
, impudence to father upon us. Again
, the General Assembly had passed
' low for the reassessment of the lands
I the State, which was in the Governor
hands when the session adjourned. f
r these and many other good and suii
cient reasons it was manifestly the dut
of the members of the General Assem-
bly, to petition the Governor for q
extra session, and the Democrat
S majority making the call, the ext
= session was called by the Goyerno
? The Assembly convened in the Capt.
to complete their unfinished bushes
: on the 18th Of August, 1884. No Of
T lection should be shown or urge
! | .oa:.,t ~ ovfro cacoiou caliaJ md,