The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-01
FRIDAY. OCTOBER, 1. 1897.


II iiii lsItiNi<At 1 III AOO i4AiNtt- &.
Ex-Ccvernor Peter Turncy. Of Tennos-
see. has addressed the following come
mun'Cation TO the Nashville American.
AS q starting point in m effort 10
ccou0mize publis expenditures J suggest a
reduction In ;no representation OF both
houses Of tho General Assembly. NY
plan Is TO reduce TO ten senators ana
twenty Representatives which l think
the Legislature has the power 10 do UNI
der the provisions of the Constitution.
Either create each congressional district
as now constituted. one senatorial and
two representative districts. or redistrict
the State so that The apgOrtionment of
voters Tor Senators ana two Representa-
lives from a district shall correspond
with one congressional apportionment.
If the representation in the Legislature
Is thus arranged we can nave our best
men 20 legislato for us. as the extent and
population OF % district would require
that the man who hoped To succeed as a
candidate must be known TO the people TO
be qualified before he can he elected. and
we viii get freed from local and personal
prejudices and favors which are under
the present system potent factors I'm the
selection Of legislative material.
With thirty instead OF one hundred ana
th.riy-two members Of the legislature
each member would feel "a responsibility
for legislation ana know that rosponsi-
b.lity could bo traced to him. and would.
therefore. Doe more active ANA anxious in
the discharge of dutt.
An opportunities for Sinking and dOdg-
Ing woulc Doe taken away. every man
would Dee az his post and know that his
aota were being observed. There would
be- moro dclibcrafior ana sounder jude-
ment I'm the enactment of laws. and the
Interests of the people better subserved.
Upon AN questions each member would
see that 10 was his duty and 90 his i'm
terest TO investigate ANA understand pro-
posed legislation.
There would Doc less room for corrup-
tlon and bribery. and more room TO de-
tcct and punish ,ECm if occurring.
There would be q saving OF 500 or 5000
Dcr dav. or about $1,000 per legislative
session 20 the state:
have examined the question ana con-
Guide there is no doubt OF the coIstitu-
iionali.y Of such a measure.
Thirty representative men, such as this
plan would give MS. will be able TO enact
al necessary and proper legislation tor
the state in an entirely satisfactory way
ana afford much less litigation over the
consttutionality Of their cnactments than
do the present one hundred and thirty
two.
The prcgant organization is cumbersome
ond unwicldy and ought 20 Doe reduced.
As n d. % few men do the work Re
duce TO thirty members md every man
would have 70 work and understand what
was being done. We would have more
working members i'm the thirty than we
now have ln ;ho one hundred ana thirty
two l.. TURNKEY.
wolrs Cwg. ScDt. eG.
This Is ir accord with views that We
have long entertained and that we have
often expressed with reference to the
Virginia legislature. and tine arguments
which Governor Turney advances are
much tho same as those which We have
employed in this connection.
The Virginia Legislature IS so.arse and
unwicidy that 70 cannot fairly be said at
oil times 10 be dellberative body. The
pay is so small and the honor &c trihng
that I'm many communities &c IS dineult
TO get representative men TO serve.
The county OF Pttsylvana. Tor example.
has four Representatives I'm the lower
House and two I'm the Senate. and the
city OF sschmond is even more numer-
ously represented. What possible good is
there either 10 the county OF Pittsylvania
or 70 the city OF Richmond IN having such
large delegation I'm tho Legislatures Is
~ not rather disadvantoee-f0r TOO
u9ry cooks arc apt to spoil TIC broth.
We rather thinl, that Governor Tmney
hos some % the other extreme Cor Leg.
isla,ure composed of one senator AKA two
Representative from each congres sional
district would not be numerically strong
enough 10 DO committee WORK Blu, We
DO believe that legislature composed
u about twenty senators and forty mem.
hers q the lower house would De amply
large for an purposes ana would DO more
work and DO it more satisfactorily. than
TIC unwicldy body as now constituted
with legislature composed OF only
sixty members The State could AFFORD 10
pay good salaries and the honor of the
posltion would also be enhanced SO that
representative mon throughout the en-
tire Commonwealth would only Dc too
wiling to serve their people IN this ca
pscl;s.
We take advantage OF Governor Tur-