The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-10-25
The Sunday Times.

The Sundays Times.
missioners of the Revenue. He
said experience for many years
showed thai The people OF Virginia tor
the past forty years showed that they
preferred 20 elect the Commissioner OF
revenue themselves. 1t was an office
that touched the people at their most
sensitive point-the preservation OF their
property. lie recounred the numerous
battles that the Anglo-SaAon race had
fought and won in behalf Of the principle
that ''ile who taxes property must have
The endorsation Of the people.
STRONG CRITICISM.
The speaker then strongly criticised the
Vicious principle Of appointing some class
es of.n!icers. He argued that custom and
tradition both favored the election Of
commissioner OF The revenue. He
referred to the gentleman from Eau
quier lhir Bunton1, calling him the great
oLjcctoT, and saying he would vote no On
every proposition. MIR. iIancocktthen said
that he would have to vote no Il Mr.. Hun
ton had the writing Of all the sections of
the Constitution. He paid his respects to
those who he said. had crmc here to
change everything. He created great
laughter 3 applause by his illusions to
Messrs. " rs, Hunton, Carter and
Tholn.
The speaker. gave his experience as
judge in appointing men to office, and said
it put political appointments in the hands
of judicial officer. and it had a tendency
to drag the Judiciary into the mire OF par
tisan politics. He said the reason the
Judges of Virginia had their names linked
With purity and honesty and integrity
came from the very fact of their being
removed from the political arena. lie
then took i shot at Mr.. Thom's suffrage
plan. and said he had explained it for
three nights and it was no clearer when
he quit than it was when he began. He
commented On the leaving to the judges
the appointment Of any political officer.
lie claimed that the Legislature might
pc trusted but it was very often Called
away by emotion, and it was best that
the old ship of State Should be strongly
anchored by a constitutional provision.
He showed why certain officers
like judges ought to be appointed in
stead of elected. hose officers required
great technical knowledge and the peo-
PIE were not presumed TO be the best
judges Of that.
James W. Gordon-"You are earning
that grindstone now"
Judge Hancocl-''Yes, and you we're
turning it the other day when you had
tn3J lpi VIII ii-EcJ each
a period tJaughter)
He concluded by saying Mr.. Thorn was
on his side, and he felt safe when he
was backed Jy such q tribune of the
peollc He never could consent to this
principle OF appointment OF officers, which
smacked of u monarchical form of gov
eminent.
Judge Hancock was loudly appia.de1
at the conclusion of his long and vely
able speech.
MR.. WRITER'S SPEAKS.
Mr.. Withera spoke in favor of the APP
poin:ment of commissioners of revenue.
He called attention to Judge Hancock's
consistency by saying he plead for old
yirginia's traditions as to commissioners
of revenue and was even stronger the
other day when it was proposed to re-
turn to the old Virginia custom Of allow
ing The sheriff to collect taxes He
fought 1t to the death. Mr.. 'Vithers said
he was not welded to any ,uethod of
appointment, but he thought the Board of
County Supervisors or the City Councils
were the best tribunals to select the reve-
nue. officers. he only wished the APP
pointive system esta lished for this class
Of officers. lie did not feel like it was
any reflection or attack upon any of the
present officials OF Virginia to advocate
officers who were bad or vicious, but
it was the system.
The speaker paid a tribute to the integ-
rity Of county officials whom he knew, and
said Il was ccwardly for a member here
TO attack an officer who had no voice here.
The only attack on these officials came
from DIRECTORS to any change in the Con-
stitution on the floor OF the convention,
by improperly criticising the motives of
members. Ee declared that those here
who most eloquently plead for the right
Of the dear people were men holding Of
tice by appointment.
Judge Hancock: II wish it understood
that have been elected by the people for
eight years as a Commemorative at
torney. and have served eight years by
appointment
Mr.. Wi;hers: y was making nc at
tack on the gentleman from Chester
field. The very fact that he is an cx-
cellent officer goes to prove that in some
cases the appointing of an officer is q
good thing as well as the eiecting of them
by the people, tApplause.)
OUGHT TO BE CHANGED.
Mr.. Withers described the nature
of the Office of commissioner of the reve-
nue.. and contended that the proper per-
Torrance of those duties would render
an Ollcef necessarily unpopular WIN
some classes OF thoughtless or selfish citi-
zens. He cited the attacks that had been
made by the Legislature upon the system
in the appointment of assessors OF real
estate and examiners of records and Judge
Hancock had justified those attacks when
he embraced these offices in his majority
report as a member of the committee.
he cited several other forms of at
tack that the Legislature had thought
necessary to make on the system. and
these changes were an admission that
the elective system of revenue officers
was unsatisfactory and inefficient.
The concensus of opinion IN Virginia.
continued the sg,ea;ier, was that
the present system OF PEI sonal
property taxation ought to- be
improved upon. Revenue officers should
not be made the object OF political contest
and strife. Their duties We're admins
trative and judicial and We're not like
those of sheriffs or treasurers. 1t was a
most unpopular office if its duties were