The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-04-01
SUNDAY. APRIL /. 1900.
ALosT OPPORTUNITY.

1t Is greatly to be regretted that in
disposing OF the commissioner Of valua-
ton law the Court of Appeals did not
write a full opinion, answering the ar
gumcrts that were made for it and
stating those that brought 1t TO its con-
c!usion. Il is a great mistake TO sup
pose that this is an entirely one-sided
most unanimous against the law, but
there is a large body Of the people in the
country who are in favor of it 1t is
almost certain 10 rc-appcar in the next
Legislature. and may very possibly be-
come something of political issue. A
full statement of the objections TO the
law by the court might have Quoted
public opinion and might have ended
further discussion of the subject.
: If the court thought the law not only
4 failure for want OF compliance with
1he Constitution in its passage, but was
also Of opinion that 1T was a bad law OF
evil tendency, then an invaluable oppor-
tunity 10 lead public opinion in the right
direction has been thrown away. Our
own opinion is that it is one of the most
vicious statutes ever conceived by
legislator, and that there are abundant
grounds upon which the court might
have declared il void as being against
common right. ii is well settled prin-
chile of jurisprudence for the courts to
declare acts OF the Legislature null and
void when they infringe those reserved
rights of citizenship which society is
instituted 10 secure to every man.
whether line or provision OF the Con-
stitution can be found that forbids the
particular act or whether 1t cannot be-
This act is, in our opinion, one Of those.
If ii be said that 1t probes the con-
science of a guilty man and makes him
disclose property that he has attempted
10 conceal, then it may be answered
that It calls upon an accused person, un-
der heavy penalties. to furnish evidence
AGAINST himself-in effect, efforts the
cyidence-and one OF the most sacred
md important immunit.es possessed by
the citizen is exemption from obliga-
lion TO furnish evidence upon which he
NAV be convicted Of crime. But II the
guilty man may reasonably raise SO
formidable an objection to the act when
applied 10 him, how much moro power
fully may an innocent man protest when
1t is sought 10 apply 1t to him? Smith
is one OF the best citizens in the COM,
m,nity. lie pays every dollar OF the
taxes that he owes, and when any
doubt In favor of the State. Yet this
good citizen Is put upon the rack and
tortured and exposed as though he were
common thief. What possible excuse
can there be for that?
We pass by the cdious nature of the
inquisition which this act sets on foot
against every citizen and deal with 1t
from a practical standpoint alone, and
NO say that no mercantile community
could possibly survive under the opera
merchants out of every hundred is done
upon credit. With small amount Of
actual capital merchant may do a very
widespread business by borrowing money
at the banks upon the bills that his Gus
toners owe l!.a. and this is actually
what the great body of merchants do.
Now. we say that If the merchants of
Richmond had been compelled TO lay all
their affairs open TO the inspection OF
the public during the panic that pre-
vailed last December, NE should have
had such crash here as Richmond
would have been along time in recover
ing from.
The court had great opportunity to
set these considerations out before the
people, and il 1t had done so 1t would
probably have ended what promises to be
source Of much trouble.
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nEIaITLISc; RELIGION.