The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-03-22
THE LEGISLATURE.
Mr.. n. J. Ayers Briefly Sketch
es Some Of the Work
Done.

AHr'o "clc 80 WIN iht""u'c" ~
/ the Senate and 1919 IN the House o
Delegates. OF course the majority o
these bills were Of local or private
nature, and right here is where some
legislation is needed. The courts
should be empowered to grant relic
upon a proper case, in many instaDc'
es where the legislature Is appealed
to.
If member were to read and d.
gest all of these bills he would seri
ously impair his constitution, and il
Gov. Letcher had been present to de-
mand that they be read, the session
would have extended far into July
and the reading clerk would have
been minus a pair of lungs.
In some respects this has been one
of the most important session Ill a
long time, and the work accomplished
far reaching in its effects. BY far
the most important thing done was
providing for submission to the vot-
ers OF the State the question, shall
there be a convention to revise the
the constitution of the state. Both
Senator Flood and myself introduced
bills looking to this en1. My bill
originally provided for the vote to be
taken in May, which was finally en-
grated into his bill, as his simply
provided that the usual way, having
ole legislature submit the question to
the people, and the next Legislature,
if the people decided to have a con-
vention, provide for the same, should
prevail, which of course would need
iessly prolong the decision Of the
matter. This will call for an extra
session of the legislature to provide
for holding the convention, appoint
ment of delegates, &c. When we get
a constitution made by our represen-
tative men, and each county should
see to it that the very best men are
sent J, the cry of fraudulent elections
will be silenced, and the Eastern por-
tions of the state will have to find
some other theme upon which to
dilate other than "nigger and the
wah." The present constitution
was forced upon the people by that
paragon of ignorance and "scalawag-
ISM, John G. Underwood.
Many questions will come before
the convention; the election Of U. 5.
Senators by the people; the abolition
of the county courts, re-arranging the
circuits, and many other questions of
vital Importance.
Very early in the session | intro
duced bill to repeal the present
election law and l did it as a Demo-
crat, but was surprised to find that
so little interest was taken i'll the
matter by the men who were howl
ing so vociferously during my can
vass for its repeal. or by the indie
pendendants and we had several
those pure minded politicians,
neither fish nor fowl, who received
the united support of men of all
parties, and every one of whom, as l
now recollect, voted for Tyler for
Senator. | cast my vote for the
Hon. Thomas S. Martin and | did so |
because in my opinion he has made
one of the best Senators Virginia has
ever had. He has worked in season
and out of season for his state, and |
what is of more Importance to Dem
ocrats, for his party. This being
true, it is really amusing to hear some
simon pure Independent, who has the
inclination inbred all right, but not
intellect enough to trick cat, cry
trickster, trickster, that old wall of
the demagogue since Adam was
driven from Eden. Tyler's cam
didacy was but bubble anyway,
blown by the brilliant and versatile
Jones who has ability enough to Eli
any Office within the gift of Virgips
ians. When the constitutional con-
vention shall have completed its
labors and when there can be no
force in the cry of FRAUDULENT elections,
we will have in the councils OF the
state and nation men who are born
leaders, and the men who have here
tofore been on the surface will like
water, seek their level, and seeking
it sink to rise no more, until condi-
tons call them forth. | suppose one
reason the Republicans did not take
any interest in the repeal OF the cleo
ton law, was that they were convinc-
ed that the constitutional convention
would set all things right, and l un-
ierstand the leaders are in favor oft.
An attempt was made by Mr.. F.
.. Jordan of Frederick to pass a bill
'equirlng each county to pay its own
criminal expenses.
This bill if passed would have
a great hardship upon the
Southwest. We fought it manfnIly,
very member from the Southwest.
md prevented it from being reached
IN the calendar.
Of course our criminal expenses
ire large, because the negroes who
ant make living in the oyster beds,