The Roanoke times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1897-1977, 1898-02-01
QUESTION OF THE HOUR.
What the Legislature Will Do the
Balance of the Session.

Richmond, Va, Jan. 31.-The house
to-day ordered to it's engrossment the bill
aimed at the Southeastern Tariff Associ.
alton, prohibiting Insurance trusts.
A resolution PROVIDING for an afternoon
session was adopted.
The senate bill creating u board of fish
cries was discussed in the house and nm
amendment reducing the nav of the sec
rotary from 81 200 to 81, 900 WAC adopted.
The question OF the hour is what will
the Legislature do? A large majority of
the mem bers are for reform in one shane
or another. They recognize that the peo-
PIE expect reform; that reform is needed:
tnat the expenses Of government should
be cut down and the revenues increased.
and practically all concade that unless
something substantial is done along these
lines 1t will mean that the Democratic
party of Virginia will have u hard road
to travel. They recognize thai party ties
bind but lightly, that party prejudices
are not al rank us Of yore and that the
old appeals will not avail in the face of
broken pledges and a feeble, do nothing
policy. But what TO do and how to do it
is as m uch an unknown quantity now as
1t was sixty days ago. Every member
who suggests an idea finds an antagonist.
Both branches of the assembly are sadly
lacking in adeiship. A visit to the
house soon convinces the Intelligent OBJ
server that it is like u ship without q
rudder. 1t contains many brainy mem
bers, but not one of them seems to possess
sufficient force to assume n genuine lend
ership. Mr.. Saunders of Franklin, is in
point of ability and experience perhaps
the best equipped man in the house. ne
is considered by all the best parliamentu.
rian and DICTATOR liz that body. His
tnc n a. 1ua, oil
alive and convincing, but unfortunately
he is totally destitute OF that ;ndefiable
but potent something called personal
magnetism. No man in the assembly is
fseer from hypocrisy and demagogy and
but for the lamentable fact that he is re-
Rarded AS an intellectual iceberg he would
beco ne power in the State. Mr.. Ryan,
the speaker. is perhaps the next best
equipped member of the house. He pos.
sesses many of the qualities of leader snip,
but unfortunately has not learned the art
of always keeping his tongue in the rear
of his brains. However high in the es.
TEEN of the body n member may stand
no exhibition of petulancy or i'll temper
will be pallisted or condoned. The
speakers Office is very trying one and
Mt times exasperating. 1t requires man
of unusual comrosu to at all times
present an unruffled front.
Among the other able members of the
house may be mentioned Messrs Win
burne, of Rockhridge; Anderson and
Reddy, of Richmo nd; Parks, of Page:
Pilcher,of Fauquier, and Willard, of Fair
fax; none of whom, however, have been
able to attract moIe than n handful of
followers. The house is COMPOUNDED
body and in a mild form chaos reigns.
In the senate the situation is but little
better. Being much smaller..body and
having number of experienced "old
timers" it is able to dispatch business
much more expeditiously than the house,
but like the house it too is like a ship
without n rudder and is drifting aim
lessly. BY SOM the senate is divided
under three heads: Corporationists, anar-
chists and middiemen. The last are sup
posed to be those who do not know Just
exactly where they are Sat Senator
Wickham, the father OF the seuate has
the ability and experience emitting him
To he leader but he ls regarded as cor
porationist in the ultra sense of the word
and for this reason is denied the leader
ship of the senate. Senators Witherseand
Earksdale are considered the head and
front IF the band of anarchistic senator's
whose members are threateningly ~
large. Senator Withers 's by far the
iuOSU pOllSueu anu IOTCeIul speaker In the
body and perhaps wields greater inf,u-
ence than any single member. But nei-
Their Wickham, nor Withers. nor Banks
dale nor Fairfax. the chairman of the
IIos' important senate committee, can be
called les ders, for mo one of then can
with any degree of certainty count -
dozen votes for any measure they may es-
ponse.
The best informed members of the as
srmhlv believe that the expenses OF the
State government can be cut down 81 So
ono and the revenues increased at least
300. 600 and this without injustice to any
interest. But we will see what we will
see
Senate bill %. intended to suuelch tn,
land Rrabber and which the senate passed
the fret week of the session is again on
the honse calendar after being buSeted
ahont for two months, and will probably
receive the attention of that body during
the present week.
The Roanoke county bird law recently
signed by the governor prohibits the kill.
ing OF quail from the first Of February 20
the first of November of each year.
Judge Farrar (Iohnny Reb) at Chris.
tian Church tonight
usupurNuu