Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1901-10-09
The Constitutional Convention
MIR. O'Flaherty Criticised.

f-~f ~~ - - - 80 = ~ VIC VI AaulC
law qUadrennlal sessions of the legis-
lature instead Of every two years as II
now stands, in my Judgment, Was a
good thing and Will save the taxpayer
1t Is estimated, from 100000 to
$4,000 IN four years. This meas-
Ure Was contested with great deter
minatlon and was adopted by very
small majority. Ii still has 10 run
the gauntlet Of final action and nlay
yet be defeated, but II is to be hoped
II VIII stand the assaults of the enc
my. 1t is the only measure adopted
50 tar looking 10 II reduction of ex-
penses. The main argumen against
this proposition was that an interval
OF four years placed the delegate too
far from the people, that be would
not know their wants; that he would
not De IN touch with them, etc. The
argument leads 10 the conclusion that
Mr.. Ihos. ID. Gold and Mr.. Black
burn Smith, senator and delegate,
after having been elected 10 their re-
spectlve offices, would dig hole IN
the ground, crawl into il, aud hiber-
nate therein for four wears like a
ground hog, and furthermore, they
would fOrtlfy the said hole, place a
Gattllng gun on the same, and if any
citizen came around asking for any
kind Of legislation, be would be
blown into "plutonion darkness
Did any body ever see or hear OF a
representative trying 10 get away
from the people or giving them the
cold shoulder. On the contrary.
did any one eveI see youth address
his sweetheart with more affection
aud asslduity, then be does the PEG
| pie: l don't think be Is likely 20 get
out Of touch with the people; his loy e
for the people IL too great. too abid
ing. too Overlooking, TO forget them.
The legislature will be confined
10 It's action to general legislation.
all local legislation will be turned
over 10 the counties and cities. 50
there Will not be so much work for
the legislature 70 do aud they can
| give more consideration to State af-
fairs. Furthermore, they provide
and require that committee OF i've.
two from the Senate and three from
the House, shall visit Richmond AL.
nually 10 examine the books in the
Auditor : office. This committee il au-
thorlzed 10 employ expert account
ants TO see # everything Is correct.
Members of the legislature are not
experts IN keeping accounts. aud
heretofore they have depended upon
committee of the mem bers TO do
this work, which was almost worth
less, because they had neither the
time or knowledge to do it. This
! ought TO have been done Years
ago, and 1t seems strange the legisla-
ture never thought OF It. All the
money that has been stolen from the
State might have been saved, if this
matter had been attended 10 in a
business-hke manner; more than that.
the men who are now undergoing
punishment for their misdeeds might
at this time be free and respectable
citizens, because the temptations
would not have been there. So |
think the interest of the people are
sufficiently safeguarded by sessions
OF the legislature every four years.
Fewer sessions Of the legislature
think will prove beneficial. We have
too many laws and | think the law
yers themselves are often put to it,.
TO know what the law is on some
subjects. The way it is now it would
take mule and cart to haul all of
the statute laws of the State to the
courthouse.
Mr.. Editor, / do not like to crit
else members of the convention. but
when d man becomes a public officer
he is liable to criticism and he must
expect it, especially is this the case
when, in my judgment, he utterly
fails to represent his constituents. l
may be mistaken, but | do not think
so, in saying that the delegate from
Warren and Clarke, 80 far as Clarke
Is concerned, has proven a complete
failure. Why do say this? Be
cause every question so far looking to
a reduction of expenses, he has voted
against and antagonized in every wav
he could. In the first place he has
voted and talked against every prop
osition looking to reduction of iu-
rles ID misdemeanor, criminal or civil
cases and has demanded unanimous
verdicts by jury of twelve men. 1t
is true there seems to have been a
majority of the members who thought
as he did, yet | do not believe the
people of Clarke county agree with
the convention. 1t may be all right
in criminal cases to have twelve men
and unanimous verdict, but when
it comes to misdemeanor cases | do
not think the State should be put to
the expense of "a jury trial, but left
to the magistrate with the right of
appeal to three magistrates and their
decision to be final.