Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-08
GLADHE WASBEATEN
Bill GOssotts Rsjoices at His Eon-Elsc-
lion 10 the State Senate
,rc,sLAroRs HAVE A HARD TINE.
,,s che.tcrfcIdian Comments on
che Highways of His County-F""
waking ont the Road Tnx-Dont
,.a.r,tand the Fence Law.
THE cedars."
Midlothian. Va. March 4. 1896


Midlothian. Va, March T. 1870
mar Mr.. Editor: am mighty glad l
.. no, elected a member OF the Legisla-
- THAT'S honest, Mr.. Editor; 1 really
when I look back and remember the
- csmpaien OF last summer. and call
81, mind the awful defeat l sustained IN
49,. c,,,est for the senatorial nomination,
, s,el es though I would like to pace over
-, f,u upon the neck OF my beloved
..,,sirn manager. Mr.. w. w. Baker.
"a while / filled his ears with saccharine
,..k. slip quarter into his hand for the
,,-, he took in my defeat Readers or
80 column well remember that i attri-
,,,es my failure TO get the nomination
,,ol.eence on the part OF MIR. Baker.
,,tfeb was IN a measure excusable, on
account Of the influence exerted over him
~, his side partner. tom" Now 1 really
,oel rs though Billy Baker is the best
friend I have on earth. But, to return
=, where / began. 1 am exceedingly glad
tbot I was defeated last fall, and l guess
my friend Parrish feels the same way.
N the lawmakers haven't had enough to
turn them gray, It's because they were
married before they came here in De-
ccnber With the deaf mutes talking at
them. the military folk firing their guns,
the gamblers making books, the fence
law needing repairs. the good roads In
terrible condition, charter amendments,
and the thousand other bills that Solons
are heir 10 its Just awful It's bad enough
to have your own bills poked at you, but
70 have such a elimination Of bills pour
ing IN from every quarter and class It's
enough 10 make better men think thoughts
that wouldn't sound well II ventilated at
a prayer-meeting.
OF course, the things that interest us
fImers most are good roads and fence
laws. / remember mighty well the days
Of my youth, when i was compelled TO
work out my fathers road-tax. l liked
Il. however for II was about the only re-
taxation 1 had; indeed. / may say that 1t
Is the one oasis in my agricultural recol-
lection. Zach year upon the highways OF
old Chesterfield j met other bright young
minds. and. as we pulled a little OF the
same old clay into the same old holes we
talked a great deal. 1t was then that l
learned that the earth was made of land
and water, which, when mixed. make
the average Chesterfield road, and that /
learned my A, Il, C's In politics. Alas!
how much better off I would be II ] had
cultivated myself with only the alphabet.
II really saddens my heart to think that
these good old times are gone. and will
soon possibly be forgotten. The simple
fact that 1t wasn't lawful TO make man
work on the road cut no figure with me.
because l liked 1t. and wish the custom
was in vogue again. l suppose this can
- Far. H.,. -
chitects to do everything else. and guess
We will have TO do the same with roads.
Bound to keep in with the fashion, at any
cost.
While the thought OF good roads take
up much OF my leisure, also find time
10 consider the fence question. While /
blush 10 admit II, l freely confess that
this TO me is about as clear as the money
question. Why should l spend several
hours a day discussing the silver situation.
when 1t won't make is cents worth OF diff
ference with me one way or the other, or
why should fix fence to keep my hogs
up when my cows are allowed almost any
privileges they want. Most OF the feuds
originating in the country and irrigated
from time TO time with the best blood of
the Old Dominion started by ill-feeling
growing out Of the amenities of fencing
ard the difficulties Of keeping your stock
out or your neighbours corn-feld. II is no
wonder to me that the lawmakers took
this subject up as though 1t was a cord
Of wood and shuddered as they thought
Of II. one member Of the committee comes
from district where a fence law is
wanted another from where they don't
want the law. Then there is the law
maker who doesn't care fig one way |
or another, and he asks the question.
suppose the stock from a no-fence coun- |
~ Vanders over to the county where the |
law obtains. what then?' This would |
cause gap In the discussion, and the |
committee would adjourn TO take a smoke. ]
AS soon as l get my fences fixed and M
oats under the ground / shall knock On
Tor week or 50 and get Delegate Wood |
70 explain the Chesterfield law to me. If |
have pretty good sort OF fence, and |
my neighbours bovine comes along and |
pulls II down. and jumps over and de- |
bfoys thousand dollars worth OF my |
corn, IT'S all right, and the only thing / |
can 90 IS 20 send the hired boy to drive |
her out and fix the fence again. If my |
poFher goes over to my neighbours, and |
"ahaers about his broom-sage field, that |
y mol worth chew of homespun tobacco;
no can take the hog up and make me |
pay damages more than his old field Is 4
worth This don't look right through my |
gases, and ! should like to see Ii
strengthened out, instead OF hearing so |
Auch about gambling and military.
BILL GOSSETTE.