The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-12-13
Charlottesville, Dec. eth.
Passing Of County Court Day.

Editor Of Tho Times Dlspatch:
Sir,-One more County Courts after this
month. and then the County Court Will
be gone. Farewell, venera BILE institution.
"Tare thee we'll and, II forever,
Still forever, faro thee we'll" &.
84It must always BIO with regret that
we sec old Virginia In any Of her long 4
established customs receding into the
past. But the decree has gone forth let
1t stand. t5s 4 Il .iI
What shall como into the public life
Of Virginia to take tho place OF the Coun-
tyl Court? What shall our. people have In
lieu Of the monthly gatherings to which
we and our fathers were so long accus-
toned A. sovereign convention has said
we no longer have need Of an admins
tratlon Of Justice SO frequent as each re-
curing month. Certainly we can get
along without some Of the features that
in days gone by have marked our County
Court days; such as drunken, broils and
noisy quarreling OF warning political rae
tons striving to get control OF the ma 4
chIne,'' and dsputing about Questions
which brought down to their last analysis
amounted to no moro than this: Whether
one selfish asprant or another should
get the office and put the salary Into his B
pocket. Most assuredly still II our men \
stay at home on those days, and devote
themselves industriously to their usual
vocations, and eat all honest dinner with
their wives and children, tho time will
not be thrown away.
n But T favor tho keeping UP Of the
monthly gathering of the ncople as Of
yore, especially in tho communities from
which the saloon has been expelled IL
that desirable and practicable? would
call attention to the fact that the hold
Ing Of the court did not ordinarily con-
5stitute the occasion. 1t was but rarely.
oven the sensation of the day.e1t Is doubt.
full whether most of those In attendance
passed the threshold Of the courthouse.
They We're present to see their friends, 10
buy and to sell, to collect and pay debts,
to see men that on 5somo other day they
might have to ride twice the distance TO
have an interview with, to discuss pub
lie questions face to face, conyersationally
or from the platform. or in deliberatlve
assembly. These were valuable ends an
swcred. 4 Take them out OF tho public
life OF Virginia, and I am afraid n real
and great lbss will DO sustained. Yes, let
us Nrginians hold on to the monthly
gathering at the county seat. 1t will be Q
constant and wholesome reminder that as
q county we arc Joined In body polite,
whose we'll being is to be subserved and
fostered by all. Make 1t a fair day (oldor
than court day ITSELF, In which you will
carry on honest trafncking with your
sne!ghbor and fellow citizen, and thus BEN
eflt yourself and them, too. If You have
them to sell. bring horses and n,,lTs.and
colts and pigs and hampers and baskets
and shuck door mats, (the best IN the
world, and you will be able to pick up
many n clean dollar. and 80 back homo
at night with n fatter purse than you
started out with In tho morning. Make
these monthly gatherings occasions for
cultlvating In all citizens q public spirit
g(or as should prefer to sny).aa civic
spirit, which will make all INC people feel
that they are In tho same boat and that
they must all work together Or Success
fully ride the wave together. Let great
questions be discussed such as education,
good roads, public health, etc, sometimes
in mass-meetlng, and sometimes by spe-
cial speakers appointed beforehand for
the purpose. To these important themes
might be added for consideration local
taxation, the preservation and erection
Of memorials, the enactlng and enforcing
OF proper laws. II for the old-tlme court
day we can substitute days needed for
these purposes who can doubt that Yir-
gnIn will be tho gamer?
JOHN POLLARD.
Bowling Green, Va