Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1898-04-14
Mr.. Churchman'S Defense Of the
Legislature.

We regret that we were not at home
asst week that we might have given
he letter of our friend Mr.. j. W.
Jhurchman to the public as 1t was
written. We desire to apologize TO
him for the liberty those managing
our paper took with his communica-
ion. He was doubtless surprised TO
ind sentences gone or expressions
changed, and the article otherwise
edited" This calls for an apology
from us, and we hope our friend now
understands how this happened, and
will not feel offended if the force OF
his article was weakened thereby.
When we are arranging matter Tor our
we never change a line or
expression unless especially requested
to do so.
We regret that Mr.. Churchman has
taken as personal remarks mrde by us
about the Legislature, for we assure
him we aimed none of our thrusts at
him, but spoke outside OF print OF MS
course with much commentator
whenever we mentioned the action OF
our representatives and have for him
personally the highest regard.
We do not therefore wish to seem
now, to do what during the session we
did not do. We know too well the
difficulties surrounding a new mem
Der, we know that he usually has
great task before him if he undertakes
as soon as he takes his seat to upturn
old laws, or make new ones, and VS.
find no fault if he is conservative, or
even quiet.
To speak of ''the suborned press"
or 1.-THE rascally lawyers" does not
usually call to arms all Of the editors
or all of the lawyers, even though the
term may be applied to State or
loca!li.y. 01cr frienG therefore ought
not to have taken as personal what
we said of the late Legislative body OF
(which he had the honor to be mem
Der. unless we were alone in our crltl-
cism. or had made it more personal
than we did.
Once we wer standing by when d
man who had lost law suit in WHICH
we, with older lawyers, were counsei Oh
the other side, made some not very
, chaste or complimentary remarks
about the -- lawyers. We step
, ned I'D and asked him if he intended
= his remarks to apply to us, when NJ
. looked at us in the most qulslcal wa!
and said. Lord God, young fellow
don't know who you are, but couldn'
, have meant you, was talking aoou
= 1awvers.n It would seem at first blush
that in this somewhat belated defens
. of the last Legislature our representa-
. tive meant to pick quarrel with us
when he speaks of a "cowardly lori
of attack" but we know too we'll In
good fense of the writer to think
ourselves, and therefore shall only D
Il courteous in all we have to say. w
Ii are a little surprised to learn that b
T. delayed so long his defense, for tn
IL reason that he hoped Senator Ople
'e Mr.. Walker, whom he says are bot
IL his seniors in point of years and teri
70 of service, would see fit TO answer OIL
- "thrustsn and "insinuations" at tn;
y BODY. These gentlemen possibly we
10 not aggrieved, or as years are SAID
&c bring wisdom, and as service In ii
% Legislature may do the same, posslp
IL the gentlemen possessed enough OF Il
vi above quality to steer far away fro
oV a task which few members OF the bot
III itself, scarcely a newspaper Ia t.
ne State, and few citizens of the Commo
III wealth have had the temerity to
Gil dertake. Our criticisms we're new
'sS directed at the personnel of the boo
Is They were gentlemen, all, SO far as
have heard. They were iFSss:s
intellect all that tie .ecc>lss9Sis5e.7. ID
for them, and to say that we eV
ed classed them as
We "1st-The sharp political scamp W
Ter advocated measures and cast his We
we as would best advance his polite
ng and private interests regardless OF
lat good of the State" and
We s2nd-His weaker brother who {
I'm not attempt to rise to the plane
are States craft, but stumbled along in
be honest helplessness whithersoever II
it led" puts words in our mouth a
DIE sentiments in our expressions not W
ba ranted by any criticism Of that 30
ng we have ever made. Our ciassldcatl
Ter of that body was somewhat as folio
ste Rampant Refogmers, Rampant Cons
lin 0atiues and Middle Men. The Ra
nd pant Reforme1 was for general
op heaval, the Rampant Conservat
o. was for allo wing nothing to be tou
at ed, the middle men were the balal
de- wheel, and were really the II
nd who accomplished what was
out complished, though it cannot
she denied that all were IN
nee or less responsible for success or Fl
SO. ure. 1t cannot be denied too that
has body would not yield to leaderst
I'M had no fixed policy, and it failed
uld nalIy in the minds of the people
Ken accomplishing what was expected
in. it, and promised by it. Anybody
at cut salary, and stop or diminish
set appropriation. This needs no sta
lex, men, but it takes men to shape lie
+. lation which raises revenue with
increasing taxation, and stop leak
the public treasury. AS to the say
to the State which the gentlen
tes- mentions, the raids made on sala
cen and our eelemosenary institutions,
mo doubtless work out, out the saving
criminal expenses which he puts
eh0 000 10 nnraIu exnerimantal