Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1895-12-04


devious aud refuge of gamblers driven
away from Jersey. City and Cutter
burg? Betting at faro, wheel-of for
tune or keno table is prohibited and
punished. Why permit it on horse
race Is it immoral and degrading to
gamble with cards, but moral and elc-
waiting to gamble on horse-racine? l
am sure you will answer these ques-
tions as the moral aud orderly masses
of Virginia expect you. la view of the
facts have just given, it is hardly
necessary for me to say that recon-
mend the prompt repeal of the act ap-
proved February 26, 1886, entitled
IAN set to incorporate the Grange
Camp Association of Northern Vir-
ginia."
The experience of the last few years
has demonstrated the necessity Of su.
peryi=ion by the State over State
banks. Various instances, of recent
dates, could be cited where heavy
losses have occurred through the pur-
Joining of funds by bank officers, the
making of false entries, and the keep
ing of false accounts, or the gross mis-
management of said banks. Similar
power should be conferred over insur-
ance companies and building and loan
associations. I therefore recommend
hat an act be passed creating the Office
banks, insurance companies and build
ing and loan associations, with such
powers as you may deem necessary to
protect stockholders, depositors and
policyholders therein, the salary or
fees of said examiner or commissioner
to be paid by said banks, companies
and associations. [ recommend that
all insurance companies, life and fire,
chartered by this State, and now doine
business in this State, be required,
within reasonable time, to be fixed il
the act, to deposit with the Treasurer
of the State bonds of the State, United
States, or such cities as you may desig
nate, to amounts equal to FIVE per
centum of their respt ctive capital
stocks, not to exceed in any case $50,
600 nor be less than $4,000, and that
companies, associations, or societies
doing business on the mutual or assess
ment plan be required to deposit the
same securities 10 such amount as you
may deem proper. l further recon
mend that no company, association, OF
society hereafter chartered under the
laws of this State shall be permitted to
do business or issue policies or certifi
Gates Of insurance until it shall have
made the deposit required above Of
nd 81
now chartered and doing business.
1t is my opinion that nothing i'm
proves country more than good roads
and no investment yields the farmer
more than the money he pays as road
tax, lift is judic:ously used. The Su
preme Court of Appeals ofthe State has
held that road service cannot be re-
quired of the citizen, and / am glad Of
it, for long experience had fully demon
strated that the compulsory system was
"penny-wise and pound foolish" Dur
ing your session plans to secure better
roadways will be laid before you, !
learn, by committee appointed by
roads convention which met recently in
the city of Richmond, and trust you
will be able to evolve some measure
which will rebound to the advantage Of
every section of our State, by securing
better ways for getting from point to
point and conveying our products to
the railroads and markets.
! The act toprovide for the method of voting
by ballo aud known Jas tho Walton law"
| hes been vigorously assailed and earnestly de-
| Tended Has the act accomplished The pur.
pose for which it was intended? 1t has surely
secured quiet, peaceable, and orderly cleo
tons The excitement, confusion and disor.
der, and the badgeriug pulling and hauling
of voters that prevailed to such d sgusting
extent have ceased. So far, the effect of the
law must meet with the hearty support of ev-
| cry citizen who values orderly elections, con-
dennis the us9 of money at the polls, and de.
sires q free, untrammeled and unpurchasea
expression Of the will of the people. 1t is the
.pecial constable provision of the law that the
mo It strenuous objection is mado by the oppo-
nepts Of the act. IL is contended that under
it'illiterste and bliad voters are pl iced at the
mercy of the special constable. I have not
heard of an Indictment being found, or even
charge preferred in form against single spe
cial constable in any county or city. If more
tbs one Unstable is insisted upon, how many
would be suggested? 1 imagine, of coufs",
one for each party having ticket, and one
for each independent candidate With one
conatablc, there is only possible dishonesty in
the preparation of the ballots of the illiterate
and the blind; with more than one constable
there is certain destruction Of the secrecy of
the ballot, or disclosure, perhaps, ten-fo'd
eater than now and renewal Of the evils
of intimidation, money corruption, and undue
class aud race influences. In my opinion, the
Walton act, in its general scope, approximates
the object desired-of fair and honest eler
tons, and free, untrammelled and unIuis
chased expression of the will OF the people,
recommend that the act be so amended as 10
require the ballots in each county aud city to
be of uniform size and style, printed in plain
a, d uniform type so they can b, easily real
by those acau ,inted with the English lam
guage.
With pain and modification l bring to your
attention the frequent taking of human ife
without due process of law within the borde s
of our State. | know there is a crime too hor-
rible to mention, 50 black as to cry for v">
gcance; but even the commission of that
crime cannot warrant resort to mob violence.
I recommend the passage of an act requiring
every county or city to pay into thu treasury
of the State, for the benefit Of he public free
S :hool fund, the sum Of $2C0 for each thousand
of is population, not exceeding $1,000. for
every Iynchipg which may occur within its
limits, the same 10 he provided for in its
next annual levy. furth II recommend that
the expense Of the military, if caliei out By
the sheriff of any county or the mayor of any
city to protect prisoner threatened with
violence, shall be refunded to the State BIZ
said county or city out Of its next annual
levy. I further recommend that if any
officer, having in custody a prisoner, shall
nermit said prisoner to be taken from his