The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-12
The Passing Of County Court.

Editor of The Times-Dispatch:
Sr,-"Court Day!" Everybody in Viz
ginia knows what is means. Our fathers
knew and their fathers. Even the chill
dren know How far back 1t goes, !
don't know, but certainly beyond the
memory Of any now living. Court Day
Is a venerable. hoary institution in Vir-
ginia, and that alone justifies the tear
which we drop on the grave OF the Coun-
ty Court which passes away this month
OF January, 1901, perhaps no more to be
known amo.g u.s. Did our very able
and conscientious convention know what
it was doing when 1t decreed tho pass
ing" OF the County Court? Doubtless 1t
did, and for one I am not disposed TO
declare tho deliberate action of such a
body OF men as idle-consldered. Times
change, and We change with them, and
1t may be that the mutations OF time
called for this change. That which Is
oldest is not necessarily bcst-wc oil know
that. But at least 1t remains to be proven
by experience whether 1t was best to-
destroy an institution as venerable ana
popular Ms the monthly Court Day IN
rural Virginia. Perhaps twenty men
went to town" on Court Day without
any business in court to ono who had
business. Many went because they had
business with each other, and nothing
was more common than to make engage
ments to meet "ln town" on Court Day.
Many went for the reason given by q
venerable gentleman OF past genera
ton. When asked why he went 70 court
every month, whether ne had business or
not, his reply was: q ay
II consider tia duty as it Is certainly
n pleasure to meet my friends from DIFF
fercnt parts of the county. and to be-
como acquainted with my felloW-county-
men. 7 would not miss going for any
consideration"
g,rc say that this Is sentiment and not
reason is but feeble assault upon this
position, Sentiment Is usually backed
by reason and hence It's power as a con-
trolling influence among mon. 10 meot
and greet our friends, to know our fol-
| low countymen Is matter OF no small
consequence. II warns our hearts, en-
larges our vision. cheers our spirits. en-
pands our charity, strengthens our pa
| triotism and bcgets within us the very
spirit which has given Virginia It's re-
nown .or hospitality, Did our Constltu-
| tion makers think of tall this? Perhaps
| they remembered that Court Day Ia an
! occasion of temptation to many who 80
| TO town sober, but are prone 70 return
| drunk or not to return because they got
drunk Having been witness or sucE
| cases debars me from combating so
| good n reason. "'rwns true. tbs pity
and pity tits, It's true But more than
all 1t seems certain that what are call
cd business reasons moved tho ronyen-
ton. old Virginia must fall Into line
and swaow that abqmlna ,h,,s, maxim. Il
busIness.' Conditions have changed and
We must keep M with the times No
doubt this is true, but must We open
tho door to the materiallstlc spirit OF
gain? 1t will be woeful day for Old
Virginia whom the, demon money shall l',l
drive out the gentle spirits Of soclabili-
~ and hospitality which have SO long
dwelt in our people Why may we " not not
adapt ourselves to changed conditions
ana fall into The procession Of progress,
while set We cling to the old and beautl-
ful injunction Of holy writ and "use hos
! pitality'' towards one another and to-
Wards the stranger within our gates?
| The passing of County Court is no small
matter. There was good in itintrinsical-
! ~, and incidentally Tie incidental good
of itself mnnnot be measured by doll
lars and cents, What Is 10 take lts
/ place? - a.
| Virginia, l00i.