The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-18

afford 10 endow a chair at the Virginia
| PAIytechnie Institute or SOME other State
Institution for instruction in highway
building. for no better feeders to the
railroads CAP be devised than good dirt
roads terminating at thoir stations. II
would pay taom quite as we'll, certainly,
as money expended for n course Of lee
lures In railway constructions.
= =. --.-
The Commemorative Attorney.
The Tines-Dlspatch is advocating the
candidacy OF no party man for the posi-
ton Of Commonwcalth's Attorney, hut
we arc very far from being Indifferent
10 the subject for there is no moro Inn
! portn,,t official lii our city government
than the Attorney for the Commonwealth
1t IL for him not merely to prosecute
criminals after they have been indicted,
but in large part to apprehcnd and to
report their offenscs to the grand Jury.
lie must keep his eyes wide open and
ascertain whether or, not the law Is be-
ing violated, and when he learns that
there are attractions, he must put the
grand jury OH notice. Therefore, the
Commemorative Attorney may do great
harm In the community by being slotll-
full, by shutting his eyes to law-breaking,
by failing for one cause or another to
apprehend law-breakers and take initial
proceedings against them.
Again, after there has been an indict-
ment and the accused has been brought
to trial, tho Commemorative Attorney
must represent the interests of the state,
and in the great majority of cases he is
the only representative. and he is usually
pitted against shrcwd lawyers on the
other side, who take advantage Of every
defect and technlcality of the law to
clear their clients Therefore, IL the
state be not we'll represented by counsel,
the States interest will necessarily suf-
fer.
A good Commemorative Attorney must
be- first Of all, good lawyer, and voters
should remember that in selecting such
an officer, they are selecting an attorney
Sto represent their interests. and they
should be certainly as careful as they
are in selecting an attorney to repre-
sent them in any individual suit at law.
But a good Commemorative Attorney
mist be more than a good lawyer. He
must be n man Of character, of courage
and of discretion. 1t goes without say
ing that he must be incorruptible, but he
must also have the courage to do his
duty without fear or favoritism, and,
moreover his courage must be tempered
with Intelligent discretion. With a good
Commonwenlth's Attorney, the people
may be sure, at least, that criminals
will be detected and brought into court,
but with an incompetent or weak-heart-
ed attorney, many criminal will escape
prosecution. 1t is, therefore, OF supreme.
Importance to the good order and NOR
atty of the community that our Com.
monwealth's Attorney. whoever he may
be, shall be qualified in all respects to
stand between the general public and the
criminal class and protect the public
interest
1t is for the voters to decide which one
Of the candidates now Offering is the one
in all respects best qualified for the
position, and It is a duty which they
owe to themselves and to the community
to select the best, without regard to
personal favorltlsm. A conscientious
voter will net bcstow favors at the public
expense.