Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-03-03
URGED TO PASS THEM
Governor Writes a Special Message In
Behalf Of Three Measures.
PROVIDE FOR THE OLD SOLDIERS
Earnest Appeal to Prevent turning
the Veterans Out-Improvemehts
nj the Lee Monument Needed-The
Mu.ter-HolIs should he Copied.

urging that the session De eAtehoeu' W
give time for the consideration and pas
sage of three important measures. Inc
paper reads:
Richmond. Va. March 2, 1880
To the General Assembly:
Your session has nearly expired by limi-
tation; unless 1t is extended legislation
must cease at noon on tomorrow
You have been most assiduous In the
| discharge Of your duties, and faithful In
the performance of the high trust re-
posed in you. In your service you have
displayed an earnestness and zeal and
devotion to the best interests OF the Com
monwealth which has been generally
characteristic of Virginia's legislators.
Knowing that you are tired and worn.
and anxious to return to your families
and private business, l am loath to sug-
gest an extension of your session for even
a single day; but my sense Of duty
impels me-duty to the living and the
dead: duty to Virginia's history, and Vir-
ginia's heroes, as wen as her fame-to
recommend and urge sn extension long
enough to pass at least three measures.
CARE FOR THE VETERANS
/ A bill appropriating a sum suf-
| fclent TO maintain In the soldiers
| Home all the present inmates. | under
| stand that II the present appropriation OF
$50 600 Is not increased the board Of the
home will be compelled Cor want S1
money TO send away twenty-five OF
/ the inmates who are now being main
| tained and supported there. II this Is
done. what will become of these old vete-
rams? Where will they go? Who will
| care for them? Penniless and homeless,
/ they must become beggars or pensioners
upon private charity, or seek shelter
| under the roof OF the poor-houses of their
resnective counties. Should they be
made to suffer such humiliation? Is
Virginia TO be reproached for ingrautude,
which. I'm the language OF great man,
/ sums IN all the evil Of which state can
/ be guilty? l. she 10 stand before the
world as turning away from an eleemo-
! svnary institution twenty-five of her old
! soldiers who gave four OF the best years
! of their lives in the defence of a cause
which she espoused. and are now bend
| ing under infrmities resulting from ad-
| vanced age or disease contracted or
wounds inflicted In her service? win
| Virginia. with her l,iU,e0 population
Mace herself In the humiatng position
| of refusing TO take care OF twenty-five
| decrepid and poverty-stricken men, who.
in the vigor Of their manhood. risked their
| lives and barred their breasts TO the
! leaden-hail Of battle, I'm the vindication
of her rights, and the maintenance of her
| honor?
"Blow blow. thou winter wind; thou art
not so unknd
| As a States ingratitude:
Freeze. freeze. thou bitter sky; thou dost
not bite so nigh
As services and sacrifices forgot"
LEE MONUMENT IMPROVEMENT.
q A bill making an appropriation for
| the enclosure and preservation OF the
| Lee monument This Is the property OF
the State. accepted by the State from the
Monument Association. Neither the city
| OF Richmond nor any private person can
| expend money on II. In accepting II
| Virginia impliediy ar least. entered into
| an obligation to preserve IL and protect
| II from the vandars hand. as well as
| improve and beautfy the little plat upon
| which il stands. It's neglected condition
| to-day is a disgrace to the State and a
reproach 10 every Nirginlan Every
stranger wends his way TO this spot,
| expecting Of course, to see evidences OF
| a peoples pride and love in its care and
| protection, finding, however, only a su-
| perb monument unveiled six years ago,
| in an open field without an inch OF curb
|
| ing and a dilapidated shanty called a
| keepers house In June next there will
| be a mighty gathering of the surviving
| soldiers OF the Confederate army in this
| capital city of the Confederacy. They
will come from every State. and by the
| thousands. Not one of them will depart
| until he has visited the monument erect
| ed to perpetuate the memory Of their
| great commander How these old vete-
| fcft NJ 40 10 osf
time. this sacred spot will be disappoint-
| ed and grieved when they discover that
| the Commonwealth that gave birth to
| this illustriOus man, and who has added
| SO much lustre to her history. has paid
| no attention to this memorial reared by
| private donations and without contribu-
! ton of a cent from her Treasury. Can
we afford to be placed in such a position
| and subject ourselves TO the criticism
which will necessarily follow? VIII not
| orr State pride as well as our love for
the memory Of Robert +. Lee. prompt US
| To take steps at once TO properly care
| for. preserve, and protect this splendid
work of art commemorative OF him who
was "A Caesar without ambition. a F'rede-
| rick without tyranny, Napoleon with
| out selfishness and Washington with
| out his reward?
TO COPY CONFEDERATE ROLLS.
g. A bill approprat.ng "A reasonable
sum for the copying of the Confederate
rolls deposited in the War Department
at Washington. This will not only be
a simple act OF Justice to the brave men
who have made the Confederate flag
glorious and 10 their children. who are
| proud OF their deeds; but ii is necessary
| for the truth OF history. Already this has
| been delayed too long. Virginia has no
record of the names OF her soldiers IN
the late war She has preserved the
| rolls of former wars in which her sons
| were engaged. Can she care less for the
| rolls of 1867 to 1855? Is she willing to let
| the names OF her Sons who stemmed the
| tide OF battle from Bethel TO Appomattox
| fade and disappear, or the record of
| them remain subject to the ravages of
| time in the custody Of those who care
nothing for them and have no interest In
| their preservation? As the Executive OF
this Commonwealth IL is my duty 10 re-
| spectfully insist upon such legislation as
may be necessary to secure copies OF
| archives involving so much OF Importance
! TO the State as the Confederate rolls. |
| feel that | owe Ii 10 the soldiers who
are living, and to the descendants OF
| those who are dead. to insist that thesA
| records shall be copied and the names OF
| all. from the highest officers to the
humblest privates. preserved among the
things which this Commonwealth most
treasures.
THEY SHOULD BE PASSED.
Most respectfully, but earnestly. I re-
commend that bills for the purposes indI-
Gated be passed
The first should be for an amount sufii-
cient to maintain and support the twenty
| i've inmates of the Soldiers Horne who
must be discharged unless the present
| annropriation Is Increased.
The second should be for $500 or so