Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-11-02
AS OTHERS SEE TT.

4 i
Indictment for crookedness which the spe
cal grand fury returned against some o.
/ Its members 20 the court of the people
The contuma cious defiance by the lover
branch. Of the public demand that it stanf
not in the way of purging the municipa
legislature of whatever pollution. If any
that may faint It, is causing not only the
| body itself, but Richmond TO be by
| word and a kissing. Not only III para
aphic glbes. which are netting. but In
i serious editorials, which are most CALLING.
our State contemporaries are rendering
the Common Council and the city OBJ
jects of scorn and derision. Nor In these
articles. as rule, Is there any trace
| Of "sa tisfaction.'' On the contrary. many
| of our contemporaries sympathize with
us in what they term our shame"
1t Is not pIeasan to the Dispatch to
| read these references and comments on
| the scandal: still less Is it pleasant to
US to reproduce them. When we have re-
produced any Of them ii has been from &
/! sense of duty. born of the hope of infu-
reconsideration. and failing of that. arous-
Ing the people to the necessity of forcing
rcconsideTat ton. If il be possible IN TINS
spirit we reproduce extracts from an ar
ticle in the Lawrenceville Gazette. which
has always manifested warm regard for
Richmond and her people. and the capt
tai city's reputation. Following the dec.
laration that the Common Council OF
Richmond is certainly no, representative
Of the men who and whose ancestors
, made her and won for her the envlable
reputation she has held among the munl-
c,palities OF this country. the Gazette af
firms:
NO man who is truly representative OF
the worth. the virtue und the intelligence
Of that city. as eXenpllfled by the old
regime would ever vote to stife the in
vestigation of charge that affected his
honor or his integrity. He would never
rest satisfied under the bare suspicion Of
being guilty of accepting bride. much
less under the direct charge emanat.ng
from an official and authoritative source.
Those are not words with which ito
butter parsnips." They are hard and
singing But they are true. and hold the
mirror up TO the Common Council 80 that
It does not seem possible it can fail TO
see itself as others see it. And # it can
not, whether justly or unfhstly It will
invite further suspicion that its moral
vision has been destroyed by the virus
of corruption. which the grand jury vir-
tualIy charged I. had inherited from the
last City Council This contention cannot
be successfully challenged.
But that is not all the Gazette has to
say. After depioring the marked changes
time has wrought, as illustrated in the
character of the men who. with the new
dispensation have come TO the surface in
Richmond. as elsewhere" our contempt
rary adds. Richmond has abundan:
cause TO be ashamed of her Council. and
to make a mighty effort for deiiverance."
The Gazette's allusion to the men"
who have come to the surface with the
new dispensation only accentuates the
fact that the action and the attitude Of
the Common Council are causing the whole
TO be judged by part. and only en-
phasizes the obligation Of the body to re-
consider. in order TO the dong of justice
TO itself. the upper branch. and the city.
We hope the Common Council will yet
see the matter in that light. and speedily
reverse its position. Every days delay
in SO doing is bringing greater od.um
upon Richmond. But if the body contin-
tn 1afia rf nd OH ia
contuma cous. then there will remain only
one thing to be done The people musl
make mighty effort for deliverance''
of the city from the ever-increasing bur-
den of approbrium the lower branch mas
cast upon her. They must make an ire
be made by rallyine en- masse to the sup
port Of the Citizens Union. and COM
polling all in the Common Council who
voted against concurrence to take their
choice between agreeing to investigation.
and never serving the community In a
public capacity again. And our word for
it. when 1t shall have been realized tina,
those are the alternatives there will be
an Investigation. and thorough one. Be-
tween receding from a position which is
utterly untenable and indefensible for
an innocent man and being under the ban
Of political debarment. even though Of
fee may not be desired. few will hesitate
long IN deciding. Ii may be said that this
IS drastic and coercive method OF attaii,-
ing the end in view, but the shame of
the situation would justify it.
The Martinsvlle Standard (Republican>