Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1903-01-15
OUR RICHMOND LETTER.
Especial Correspondent. }

political policy and costly compllmen
for Republicans to send Democrats to tn,
Virginia Legislature, because it is supposed
that Republican representatives will no
be able to influence legislation where the
dominant party is so largely in the majsri
ty. The Republicans of Tazewell have
done this very foolish thing in the past
THIS suicidal policy will not again prevail
if can prevent it.
Now, in regard to the influence of q
Republicans in a body of 1l9 Democrats.
| quote from the Richmond Dispatch:
"Mr. w. H. Boaz, of Albermarle, one
of the most experienced and conservative
members of the House, said last night that
every contested measure passed by the
House this session, and every important
one defeated, had been passed or defeated
by the Republican votes. In fact, he
said, the twenty.one Republicans in the
General Assembly held the balance Of
power, for they clung together generally.
In this view, Col. s. Nj. Newhouse cordi'
ally acquiesced. The Folkes bill was de-
feated by the solid vote Of the Republicans
against it,
"The Republicans are unit i'll favor OF
electing commissioners by popular vote.
Their attitude is attributed to the not un-
natural feeling that by popular election OF
commissioners, a Republican will stand
better prospect of getting a commissioner
ship. This power welded by the Repub-
icans, who number less than one-sixth OF
the membership, gives them more potent
influence in shaping legislation than their
numbers justify, in the opinion of many.
BY holding a caucus, the predominant
view of the Democratic members can he
determined, and once determined, the
minority party will be utterly impotent to
accomplish anything.
"The result, in the event a caucus Is
held, cannot be forecast with any certain
ty, but regardless of the result, none of the
Democratic members can afford to refuse
to make the matter party issue. 1t
may, therefore, be assumed as practically
certain that the caucus will be held to-
night"
The caucus or conference" was held on
Friday night, and resulted in an arran ge-
lnent to have commissioner elected by the
people for the first four years and there
after appoint them.
This effort to deprive the people of their
sovereign right to choose their public
servants, ought to he an eye opener to the
people of Virginia.
Just think of one hundred and nine
teen representatives, claiming to be Demo-
Gratis, gorying in government of the
people, by the people and for the people,
having among this number so many (miss)
representatives of a Democratic govern
ment, that it required party caucus to
save the people one of their most sacred
rights. FIom this exhibition of oligarchy,
aristocracy or ring-rule, or by whatever
name you may call it, l am moved to
make few observations.
l lay down the self.evident proposition,
that every appointment to office in Demo
cratic or Republican form Of government
is denial of the theory Of government
under which we live. The first observa-
ton upon this proposition and the need
for the Democratic caucus to be held, to
determine whether the Commissioners of
the Revenue shall be elected or appointed,
is, that the principles of self-government
are not safe in the hands of any political
party that elects so many representatives
who deny the people who elected them
their further right of electing their other
officers. In the second place, l observe
that representatives so welded to appoint
ment TO Office and SO distrustful of the
peoples ability to choose their own officers
do not represent the principles of popular
government and should, therefore, be re-
pudated at the polls.
In the third place, that more Republl-
cans should be sent to the Legislature. If
q Republicans can WELD the influence
that they do here, if we had a few more
we could save to the people their few re-
naming rights.
The House passed the Commissioner
Bill on Saturday as agreed on by the eau
Gus 1t will come over to the Senate to-
day. We are going to try to cut the tail
off the bill in the Senate. The tail is, that
after four years the commissioners shall be
appointed by the circuit courts.
Yours truly,
]. n. HARMAN.
PSI will give you some interesting
items on the new tax bill next week, 10