Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-04-01
LEGISLATIVE COMMENT.

1SoAoAALbNG - W w m Il " IL.
Governor Montague, to the great
surprise of church and temperance
people, signed the act that amended
the Mann bill so as to leave out iail
sentence for Sunday selling. Antici.
pating this action of the Governor
the Norfolk Landmark says editor,
ially:-"The Governors duty in the
matter is to do what he thinks right,
and not what he thinks the Legisla-
ture would like. As matter of fact,
the act in question did not receive a
large majority of the votes in the
Senate. We do not know what ma
jority it received in the House of
Delegates, but it passed the Senate
by vote of IL to 12-not receiving
in the upper House, therefore, the
vote of half the members. Obviously.
the Senate was not in favor of the
measure in the proportion of two to
one, which would have been required
to pass it over the Governors veto.
But that does not affect the Cover
nor's duty in the matter a particle.
If Governor. Montague approves the
weakening of the Sunday liquor law
as it now exists in this State, he
should sign the measure which ELI
inmates Jail sentence as q punish
ment of saloon-keepers who violate
the law. Ii he signs the measure,
the people of Virginia will under
stand him as approving of it's pur-
pose. If Governor Montague does
not wish to see the present Sunday
liquor law emasculated, he will un-
hesitatingly veto the astonishing bill
which was passed to emascu late it.
The General Assembly having ad-
journeJ, the Governor absolutely con-
trolls the fate of this legislation in
favor of lawbreakers. The Lepisla-
ture puts upon him the response
bility of making it valid or null. We
should think he would be glad to
avail himself of the chance to show
that he is in favor of making liquor
dealers in Virginia obey the law"
TELLS PATHETIC STORY.
But single feature marked the
dying hours of the General Assembly.
Over in the Senate, no reference
was made to the innovation now
about to break upon the people of
the State through their proposed new
Capitol building, nor need there have
been any, for it was in this historic
arena that the great battle was
fought aud won.
But the feature was i'm the House
hall, where but a dozen members
had fingered to witness the final
scenes. Among these was Major
James N. Stubbs, of Gloucester, who
has seen more years of actual lepis-
!ative life at the Virginia capital
than any other living man. And
being in reminiscent mood, the
veteran told in an eloquent and
pathetic manner of some of the
glories accomplished where he then
stood, and spoke feellngly of the sad.
ness that would come in partinp
with the old building in its present
form.
1t was time for reminiscence and
reflection, and no doubt the old law
maker felt keenly the shifting of the
sands since he had come upon the
scene of action. There had been oc.
casions when he had served in both
branches, with burly negro colleagues,
and when small Democratic min
ority had struggled for the very
political life of their constituents.
He had seen the destinies of his State
swayed by a mongrel party, when,
through the alliance of negroes and
carpetbaggers, Constitution had
been foistsd upon his people, which
raised the man in black 10 political
with his erstwhile master.
de had passed through the troubled
waters Of reconstruction and had
seen the blood and tears shed by his
people as the result of drama many
of whose important scenes were laid
where he then stood.
With evident feeling, Major Stubbs
turned and drew graphically the
other side of the picture. He referred
to the recent Constitutional Conyen-
ton as having been composed of the
pick and flower of the Common.
wealth, who had lifted the white
mans burden and liberated the
thoughts and energies of free peo-
pie, and to the resolutions which,
coming not in the angry swell of
war, had given to the people white
Democrats as their legislative and
executive officers,a and ali these innova-
lions had been wrought in his time
and upon the spot soon to be given
such widely different appearance.
In the chair above, where at that
moment sat young executive, toll
Ing over measures which had resulted
from the best thought of his State,
ne had seen the highest rights of his
people signed away by Governors
chosen by the unholy alliance of
and negroes.
Major Stubbs's mind reverted to
these things as he spoke, and he re-
Iated them in a manner which indi-
;ated that his forty years in political
life had extended over period in
which there had often been violent