Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1898-02-09
LET US LEASE OUT THE STATE.


LET US LEASE OUT THE STATE
The Solons of the s ate, now IN ses'
slcn, are "where two seas meet" tossed
bither and thither. The needs OF the
Commonwealth demand economy IN
expenditures. The "Vested rights
of salaries antagonlze. We travelled
With a legislative Lycurgus lat week
He confessed that his fellow statesmen
were in the disagreeable condition set
forth by the similitude OF between the
ron furnace aud the deep sea-" They
.were in trouble no. as other men.
On the same train, We had converse
vi b a citizen who had given four years
to the study of Virginia and its re-
sources. He had held position that
gave him access to prime sources OF
information. He brought forward
many facts showing loss to the treas
ury.
After listening to the admitted 'n-
poteuce of the,confused and unhappy
So,ons and the clear and yirile WORDS
of the citizen who had Investigated,
we concluded to "give mine opinion
als,." Virginia ought to let itself 10
contract. We should invite lids for
the conduct OF she entire affairs OF the
State for term Of years. The les'ee'
should engage to furnish the Common
wealth with Governor, Legislature,
judge,, ct ais, and be responsible Tor
the proper discharge Of the duties OF
these officials. We are confident that
"the peace and dignity Of the Com
monwealth" would be improved. And
there would be o saving of more than
a million of dollars. Our conclusion is
that Virginia, if managed by a dozen
practical men of affairs, could lessen
our taxes by a million or more dollars
each year. Not only would our fin
ancial burdens be essed, but every de-
partment would be improved.
Take one illustration. 1t is put in
TIE public prints that vast sum OF
money is expended on Judges" who
do not earn their keep. One circuit
iurist in ermine finishes up the bust
ness Of one county in couple of hours.
The clerk of his court had only one
hundred pages to show fov his pay a.
recorder. The Judge arrives on the
morning train, winds up his onerous
and exhausting duties by dinner, en-
joys his noon IL eal. returns to his own
comfortable, easy chair to tea. He has
rec ntly died, perhaps, from want OF
exercise. A Scion with concern for
people toiling early and late in storm
aud parching heats, proposes to abolish
that circuit and divide its trifing bust
mesa between other judges in danger
from want of wholesome athletics.
A people, getting poorer and poorer
year by year, pray for relief from con-
6scating taxes Heaven has granted
case for urgent and needful retrench-
ment. The caucus" proces DIS to nom
mate one of Their own familiars, a
of the Caucus" itself for tho
vacant jadgeship!
Ought not Sta'e, whose affairs are
,dmiuist ere d in tits wasteful manner,
10 be leas; d to men who would ses to
7, that every official earned his pay,
who would lid Virginia of drones, and
every dollars The people,
patent, submissive" dumb-drven cat
lie, as the politicians rate them, if
made to tug and lug under need'essly |
Ealing yokes and cruelty overloaded
wheels, iu desperate straits, will ulsst
he doing drivers and wreck the piled
lp 'party" plumber. Their endurance
las become TIL eadtare. Despair
'roods on every brow.
We know the professional politicians
rust 10 the appeal to loyalty to the
arty" to drown all complaint.
When party polls 100000 majority.
be attempt to "conjuxe" with the old
care-crow of "ne2ro rule" evokes de-
sion. The party may commit in
pituitary suicide by inward collapse
'om emptiness. 1t refuses to have
Constitutional [ onvention to choke off
10 leeches Of the Underwood" phle-
otomy.. And the Legislature doesn't
now how to "sall" a single sucker to