The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-02-09
,AN0I Tier Err DAY OF
SPEECH; ,,]I |
.Messrs. Stebbins and Withers
for the Report.
.CoRP0 RATI0Ns THE ISSUE
Mr.. Waddll Offers New Suffrage Plau.
Good Work Do1e by the
Body Last
Week.

Week.
The Constitutional Convention was in
session three and a half hours ycster-
day, and all the time was spent in Com
1nittec of tho Whole. (ATr. Neezcll in tho
chair fur Their. considering the report Of
/ tho Committee on Corporations. MI.
| Stebbins concluded his argument in favor
| CT the report, and he was followed on the
| same line by Mr.. Withers. who COM
| menccd q carefully prepared argument
on tho subject, and who had not con-
cluded when at 1870 the body adjourned
until noon tomorrow. Mr. Waddlll, OF
IIcnrico, offered 4 new suffrage scheme,
and it was ordered printed. The appear
ance of the Cook County Marching Club
and the music of their band in the Square
at 1880 caused the convention to- adjourn
half. an hour earlier than usual, but the
members had earned this slight holiday.
for they have. put in fine weeks work
since Monday.
DETAILS or THE DAY.
Rev. Mr.. Snead, of st. Luke'ss Episcopal
Church, offered prayer at the openlns
of tho session. and siNty-threc members
we're in attendance
A great many leaves of absence we're
asked for and granted; one or two for as
much as six days, and most OF them one
and two days,
Consideration OF tho report OF the Com
mittee on Corporations was resumed in
Committee of the Whole, Mr.. heezel pre-
siding. -
Continuing his speech begun Friday in
support Of the majority report, Mr.. Steb-
bins insisted that the business Interests
! of a. state demanded the adoption OF
corporation commission, and a vast ma
iority Of the business men of the State
were urging it,, because they knew by
actual experience in every day transact
tions that some strong: hand was needed
to prevent Discrimination, eNtortion. faV-
oritisn1 or negligence in the conduct OF
| public service corcopratIons
| He. cited mum instances CT discrim-
| ination in favor of producers III the west
! ern States and the consequent injustice to
| Virginia farmers and cattle raisers. In
| this connection he stated that some towns
| and cities in Virginia were Disseminated
against to the advancement of others, ana
! declared that whatever railroad authori-
! ties might saysto the contrary, his own
| act ual experience as a wholesale 1ner-
| chant and his freight receipts conFlhcea
| him to the contrary.
| COMPANION OF RATES.
!! Mr.. Stebbins then went into a comparl-
I son Of railroad rates in Virginia, N orth
F Carolina and Georgia. He dissccted the
! table submitted by Mr. Hunton, prepared
-by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad OF
| its rates in Virginia, and commended that
| those rates were not the same as those or
EotEer railroad systems in many partcu-
1 lars He showed by tables submitted by
/ himself that the Chesapeake and ONO
1 table was misleading in many particulars,
! and said he was sure that neither Mr !;
/ FIuntou or the Chesapeake ana ONO had
/ intended to mislead. In Il colioquy be-
! tween Mr.. Hinton and Mr.. Stebblns. the
latterPe vinced perfect familiarity with his
t subject and the former confessed to lack
of technical knowledge but said he would
] submit further statistics later. Mr.. Steb-
i bins asked to have the comparative tables
1 he had prepared nrinted int he record.
MIR: WiTHERS FIGURES.
1 MT. Stebbins was given an ovation
4 when he concluded. He was followed by
1 Mr.. N'ithers.- After paying his
| read from Tine census reports
/ Of 1900 to show that in cvery
| form of industrial development, including
] railroad CONSTRUCTION. each s.of these
4 Southern States having corporation COM
i missions were in advance of Virginia,
and said those facts sufficiently retuted
the charge Of obstructive and dlapoilcai
/ Populism'' in the minds of the advocates
of proper supervision and control or the
/ conduct Of all public service corporations.
! The speaker went into a. detailed ana
exhaustive account of the railroad ltiSa-
! ton with the city OF Danvile. and said
| he desired the people of Virginia TO know
4 the facts under which the city OF DanVlllc
/ cot it's verdict. Records from the court.
i affidavits, statistics and pleadinss wero
/ introduced aid commented on with great
/ earnestness, tedieusness and lucidlty.
4 Mr. Withers more than once apoloslzcd
! for having to ''inflict" this mass of ma
/ terial ON his audience, but explained that
/ he wished the people, merchants and
| farmers especially, of Virginia to know
/ what they had suffered from ignorance
/ of facts heretofore He was closely 1ol-
/ lowed by the strictest attention from
every member present. He commented
| on the table prepared by the chesapeake
/ and Ohio Railroad. and asserted that q
more misleading and cooked UP table had
/ never before been seriously submitted to
| an intelligent body Of men.
BAND BROKE THEM UP.
!, In the midst Of Mr.. Withers' very strong
t speech the band was heard below, :,no
/ the Cook County Democrats arc coming
vas voiced by many members
T. 4 rush began for the windows; Mr.
/ NTithers suspended moment; Captain
! Wise moved that the committee fi -
I Amid much confusion, the committee
j arose (rnembers all having before arisen)
/ Mr.. Waddill was heard amid the din te
/ veg to he allowed to introduce a new suf-
] frage n,an molten was made to adj
! ;curn until Monday at Il o'clock. and al
$50 O. clock tic weeks heavyslabors came
to close. -: ~
1 b: Secret and Social fairs. sS.sss Il
Loca14Union, s No. Thea trical Stage
i Employees have issued invitations fol
i-.1ai, n,n11al hnII.lta ha s-iNtar