Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-02-21
I,xn-sn.nsrxG A.Ax IssrE.

A number OF our Virginia eHchah-
whose comments upon state poh'i'
have recently reproduced. say INA.
land graf,bers' law will be MADE al is''
in the fall elections.
We take It that the majority OF ~"
oorats hold 70 the opinion that ths -
is,irg law is unjust. and hence tney
-. desire the reelection ~ any menht
.,,ho. esvors its retention ia its presen
80. nm, II does not follow that the'
~ ty-n their backs upon valuable mem
bara who voted FOR the measure out VIM
80. sf,cs discovered their error.
.-.o "a. f. the bill would not have
been PASSED IN its present form u
,,,,a character had been vel unoe''l
vot one man IN a hundred even cream
80. machinery could be put IN mot'n
49, could make the Jaw The unjust OBJ
r,ossiva and ertortionsts thing u j.
PINT If NAV b. argued thst every mem
- should have acquainted himself per
fecfly with The provisions o. me uii
fore he voted for 81. Yes ihat u '"
theory held by not few. but u IS hoi
,beorv that can always bs worked out it
pracfice. II requires degree ~ iniail-
bnitv mo-, possessed by the average legs
lst0r.
o,, legislative session is limited in
length. and some weeks ~ 81 ere neo'
sarly spent 90 prelimInaries. u YAK
time Tor rnembers 20 get ACQUAINTED VIII
one another. Then there are state ONO
70 De- voted for. and many precious h'l'.
~ LEGISLATOR ere spent in caucusIng on.
o,o,aesirg The result ~ this II tha'
,.errv All irnu0rtant legislative "oth Dr.
deferred until near the close OF 'ns
sion. Then comes great hurry ''''
,orafnble. Bills arc reported in IaIs'
Numbers and are put through ar a Dig"
rate n speed
I, "a seldom that great deal OF TIM
"a lost I'm rpeechmaking. ~ any rai'
he not true that such long speeches. arc
,,l,,i,ed IN NJ were common In the oiu'h
DAYS. In the senate. with rs small mem
bersbip. nearly every member may hoI
Cor conslderabie latitude IN speechmaking
tpt I'm the House 81 Delegates orator.
ls not "a speciality. and speeches. or
nearly always brief
One great trouble Is that every comm"
,t,,, wants epecial legislation N some
deecript.on. and little time is left theiI
members for general business. "hai
wonder then that legislature after Legs
istpre should De- led into mistakes tna'
ar. obvious enough after they have adj
iournod. when thousands ~ shrewd men
hooin 40 examine ne Acts Of Assembly
lc.surclY.
There are some members more ATTENTIVE
20 their legislative Gutles than others are
There are some wiser than others hut
go have set 10 see one whose wisdom
aud watcbfuluess served him In good
stead ADJ the time Some bin that be- has
read carefully and given his approval 10
,,u turn out 10 be q different thing from
what Dc supposed 80 was. Sometime
ho viii Dc guided in bis votes by state
meuts from committees 20 find later On
that the committees and himself were
both mistaken as 20 the scope Of the mea
sure IN question. And so 10 goes. De-
.pite the utmost vigilance. bad bills be
come laws. Legislators give them .eivo9
little time 10 think and act. but they give
the Executive Tar less. and 30 d. nppAiIing
20 see in what great numbers bills are
rushed 10 him as the session nears its
close.
We are certain that the fnll purporf oi
the set in question was not understood hv
the majority OF those who voted for o.
II is inconcolvahlc that "a legislature. the
great majority ~ whose members repro
scented country constituencies. would have
endorsed sucn scheme or they coui
have foreseen 20 what length 10 could
be carried. In the case Of most member
10 was IN error OF misinformation rather
than of Judgment. Many freely admitted
this before any suggestion was made that
the law should become an issue in the
next campaign.
Some OF those members, We are con-
WINGED. will be reelected and We are
equally certain they may Dee relied upon
20 vote and work for the repeal OF the
o8lous and eXtortionatc features OF the
law.
Unless we are vastly mistaken as 10
popular NIiNl"N aN iHir t't'''f '''' p ~
Judgment condemns the law and viii hr
satisfied with nothing less than radical
notifications Of d. while every one must
admit that 90 has brought. and viii
set bring. into the State Treasury and !nfo
Oh. treasures OF the several counties AMI
cities. large sums ~ money we think the
opinion b. wernigh unanimous that tne
law IL harsh and oppressive. So we can
not doubt that it will be changed 10 essen
| tial respects.
Moreover we expect 20 End among
/ tho most jealous ~ The legislators
who demand "a radical change not "a few
OF those who voted for The BIN upon Its
| passage.
M rrtfeL.r Ni1n ~ IOndon who T. rn