Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-06-01
WHERE THE MONEY GOES.

In view OF the utter ''''"f
,o,,s If the movement in favor OF eali'"s
~, noryont,on TO amend our state CON
~.,,,,,ion various propositions are Oeihs
49, os IN the next step that ought 10
.o,,op 70 effect economies mat are
sS.,rah,e In our financial system.
ON one hand we hear OF SusseS''0i.
,h,t as soon as the Legislature i"e''S
should appoint commission u JIM
,o,or,i,tee 70 frame such amendments
GO NAV be needed the same 10 DC IT,
led 20 the Legislature for It's APP
,.,.o,.al on the other hand, some ilui
,,,urs Of discomfort are heard 10 U'o
ocrec. that the vote upon the convention
..,.,ior was not taken at geher"
e,oc,ion and IT is insisted that the next
,,,s,aiure ought to submit the ques-
ton again. ,o
", az not doubt that some people
would like to see the question SUBMITTED
again. But the result would De inc
eame--unless. indeed, the Democratic
Marty Of virginia could be brought 10
declare in favor of the scheme. By this'
We mean that our party might ana pro
bably could. carry convention PIopo9'
,ion provided 1t outlined popu"r
,.o,,cv as 10 what measures 1t wouid sup
mort should convention De o'uei''',
Nm. thAro's the rub. We are not asieeu
among ourselves as to the constitutional
changes that we wish. Some OF US
would like TO see suffrage restricted;
others would not. Some would IKE 10
see the County Court system aboiEheo'
others would not Some would IKE 10
SOC "the bulk of the States revenue
raised from the oyster industry; others
womb not Some would like to see the
npblic school fund OF each county let
in the couue where il Is collected 'as III
North Carolina; others would not. pre-
'ferring the present system. And so 1t
goes, How in the world can we so
much as approximate concert of opinion
upon this subject?
The better plan would be TO ehtrust
the whole subject to the Legislature for
action at the ensuing session. Nhetner
the Legislature shall refer the matter
of amendments 10 a committee or TO a
commission is not a question of supreme
irnortance. So far as we can under
stand. the only difference would be that
n committee must be composed OF men,
hers Of the two houses, whereas, com
mission might be composed of members
or non-members. In either event, the re-
mort agreed upon would have TO be
aaonted by two successive Legislatures
before IL could be submitted TO the people
for adoption or rejection. Unless expe
dited by an extra session the amend
ments needed could hardly be secured
before the per cent. interest period ar
rived.
q, one thing we may feel sure, anC
this Is that at the coming session OF I'M
Virginia Legislature two subjects WI
have precedence over all others-viz.
Immediate retrenchment, and futur
changes in the State Constitution.
That IL is not impossible for the Legs
lature to Top OF useless expenditures
shown by the retrenchment measure
adop,ed at the last session. Several bill
were then passed in the interest q
economy. The most prominent OF thes
was the bin revolutonizlng the systef
NJ bringing prisoners TO the penitentiar,
Under the old law that duty was dc
vo,ved upon the sheriffs of counties an
The sereeants of cities Under the me-
law the Superintendent of the penitent
ary is required TO send guards from IN
oen,tcntiary for the prisoners. The n
suit has been a saving of 30 per cen
Where formerly the bringing of prison
ers here involved an expense OF SIG
per annum, II now costs about $500
II Il we're possible for the Superinten,
ent TO effect as great a reduction
railroad rates as I'm other expenses. u
saying would amount TO much MOI
than 30 per cent; but the State yeal
ago obtained special transportatio
rates for convicts. and these are n,
subject 10 change by the Superintendent
II required no little political coural
upon the part Of legislators 10 make IN
change. but the demand for economy
criminal expenses urged them on. an
results have completely justified them
their course. 1T was made the duty
the Superintendent OF the Penitentar
70 execute this law. and In doing so
has been as economical az II the saytn,