Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-04-01

/ beg leave therefore, to say few words
in praise OF thu General Assembly OF
Virginia, which has just completed its
work.
have been closely associated with
every Legislature of Virginia since the
adoption OF our present Constitution, and
do no Injustice TO any Of them when
say the present one Is far above the
average Of its predecessors in intelll-
gence, morals and craftsmanship.
The good people Of Virginia recognized
the fact that the session of 1924 would
be one Of more than usual importance;
that extraordinary work would have to
be done in it-work requiring their best
representative men, and they selected
men suited to the work.
THEIR WORK.
Filling the various offices is one of the
most delicate and, I'm many cases, dis
agreeable duties Of legislators. When
there are competing candidates, some
must be disappointed.
Defeated candidates and their friends
are not only disappointed, but generally
dissatisfied. and sometimes express their
dissatisfaction in very vigorous language
The present Legislature had to elect
two United States senators, five judges
OF the Court Of Appeals, all the circuit
Judges, all the city judges, many county
judges, and all the Offices Of the various
State departments.
TO have filled all these offices without
dlssatisfying some one. or even many,
would have been something new under
the sun" Yet, no reasonable doubt eX-
lists that time will prove the wisdom dis
played by the Legislature in the selections
they made for these offices.
| No act OF the Legislature Will be more
commented upon than the change made
in the election laws by ENGRAVING tho
Australian ballot upon the Anderson-Mc-
Cormick law The walton bill'' should,
l think, be given a fair trial.
EDUCATIONAL LEGISLATION.
Among the many other acts which dis
played broad-minded craftsmanship. those
/ pertaining 10 the interests OF education
are especially commendable.
Appropriations 10 the University the
Virginia Military Institute, the Agrcul-
tural and Mechanical College. the Normal
Department Of the College Of William and
| Mary. the Virginia Female Normal
School. the Normal and Collegiate lnst-
tute (cooreD. and to the public free
schools, were as liberal as the finances
Of the State justified
Two other bills were passed in the inter-
est Of education which are worthy Of
special mention one provides for an an
nual appropriation Of $500 10 defray the
| expenses of establishing and conducting
summer normal schools.
About $3.50 teachers are now employed
| I'm the public schools Of Virginia. Many
of them are but poorly qualified for their
: work. Yet they are the best we can get
for the prices paid.
| How can We qualify them for better
| performance OF their work? Three iifths
I Of them are women. The doors Of our
/ University and colleges are closed against
them Uniustly and unwisely. | think.
The Female Normal School at Farmville,
the only state institution for thu cduca-
ton OF women, is full. Holding summer
normal schools in different parts OF the
State, and employing the best instructors
we can get to teach our teachers, Is the
only way now open TO us for helping
them to qualify themselves to do better
/ work.
WHAT IS TAUGHT.
! In these schools We teach both litera-
/ ture and methods-what to teach and how
| to teach.
! Up to this time the state has not con-
! tributed a dollar to this work. nor has
a dollar Of State, county, or district
school funds been used in IT,
The citizens in whose localities these
schools have been held have usually paid
their incidental expenses. All the funds
structors have been furnished by Dr.
J. L. NJ. Curry, general agent Of the
Peabody fund.
Or. Curry has placed Virginia under
great obligation to him by the valuable
services he has rendered her public
schools.
The appreciation OF this work by the
Legislature, as shown by their appropria-
ton for il, assures the continued aid Of
frtrI
TEACHERS SALARIES
The other bill to which / allude is one to
secure prompt payment Of teachers sala-
ries Complaints have been made from
various counties that after teachers have
earned their meagre salaries they have
TO wait months before they can collect
them, or to sell their warrants at a
heavy discount. ! do not think this will
be the case in the future. While all
the members OF the General Assembly,
with very few exceptions. deserve the
thanks OF our teachers, they should feed
especially grateful 10 Mr. Fentress, OF
Portsmouth, in the House. and Senator
Lovenstein. of Richmond. in the Senate,
for the passage of these bills.
They were interchangeable In their efforts
in their respective houses to protect and
promote the interest OF education by the
passage OF these and other measures.
THE MILLER BILL
The General Assembly deserves praise
not only for what ii did, but
what it declined to do. notably
for its defeat OF the Miller bill"
This bill proposed TO render the local-op-
ton law imperative in cities containing
over 5000 inhabitants. The Introduction
of this bill was not surprising TO those
who understood the circumstances which
led to II. 1t is worthy of note that its
patron was one of the most quiet, orderly.
temperate. and best men in the Senate, and
that it was passed In that body by the
votes Of men of like character and worth.
The unfortunate agitation of the sub
ject during the last political campaign,
no doubt. suggested the necessity OF such
a bill.
a few good. but misguided and over
Jealous temperance men were Joined and
urged on by agtators. who hoped to ride
into office by mounting d so-called tenn
perance hobby.
SAFE WITH DEMOCRACY.
These took unto them certain lewd fell
lows OF the baser sort and stirred I'm
the multitude 10 almost a state Of frenzy.
threatening not only TO disrupt the Demo-
cratic party, but TO destroy the very
foundation upon when the true temper
ance people OF Virginia stcod-local op-
ton. Many Of our best people fell into
the mistake Of believing that this effort
10 make temperance q political issue WAS
the outgrowth OF local-option. When.
however. this error was exposed and IL
was seen that local-option was one OF
the strongest fortresses of Democracy.
and one OF the greatest barriers to the
advance OF the mongrel party. yclept
Prohibition party, the House of Dele
gates. with the remarkable vote of II TO
10. refused TO change "a single line"
OF II.
This approximation TO unanimity proved
the correctness OF the claims that tenn
perance was safe In the hands OF a Demo-
cratic Legislature. and that Democracy :
can always rely upon temperance men
for support.
1 should be tempted to mention saua