Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1906-03-22
THURSDAY, MARCH %. 1905.
rxrsAyAsASce AND CORRUPTION.

which recently closed its first session
made a record for extravaganza and
corruption that has never been equaled
by any legislative body that has met in
this State. 1t was not only disgrace
fully partisan but disgustingly reckless
in its extravaganza. The present Gov
ernor in his inaugural address declared
chat the time for partisan politics, and,
consequently, partisan legislation had
passed in Virginia. But if we are to
judge by the workings of the Legisla-
ture to which he made his address, par
tisan politics has just about reached its
stage of perfection in the Common
wealth.
Though we were told that a new con-
stitution was to be made for the pur-
pose of giving us a more economical
State Government by reducing the
number of State officers, judges, etc.,
the General Assembly at it's recent
session did everything possible to prove
that such was not the purpose of the
new organic law. New Offices were
created for party pets and new judicial
circuits created, where there was no
necessity, to give honors and emolu-
ments to certain favored ones. The
representatives of the people seemed
more eager to raid the treasury of the
State than to legislate in favor of their
constituents. The seven or eight hun
dred thousand dollars of surplus in the
State treasury, together with its reve-
nues for the next two years, was given
out to the gang of hungry vultures that
roasted about the Capitol as long as the
Legislature was in session. Here is
what the Richmond Journal, solid
Democratic newspaper, said about the
conditions that prevailed while the Leg
islature was in session:
"a feature of the General Assembly
was the size, aggressiveness and per-
sistency of the lobby that flocked to
the Capitol on the opening day of the
Legislature, and remained lowering
about that body during the entire ses-
sion. Representatives of railroads, in
surance companies, private corpora
tions, endeavoring to block legislation
deemed adverse to their interests, or to
suggest measures that would minimize
the effect of restrictive laws, officers
of State institutions seeking increased
appropriations, candidates hunting
office, individual interests pressing per-
sonal bills-the Capitol was overrun
with them. They crowded the CORR
doris, hung about the committee rooms,
congested the lobbies of the two cham
bers, and filed the cloak rooms.
Upon several occasions in each House
business was forced to be suspended
until the noisy, pestiferous breed could
be cleared out. F"
On the Bird ult. John Curlett, mem
Der of the House of Delegates, rose tC
his feet in the hall of the House anC
declared;
Corporate interests have beer
brought to bear upon this General AS
sembly to hold up legislation that
threatens to initiate for the people
against private corporations.
Conditions exist of which the peo
pie, know nothing, l am reliably in
formed, for example, that one of the
most prominent members of the House
calling him by name) represents some
thing like dozen corporations. F"
On another occasion, Senator Fulton
of Warren county, addressing the Sen
ute, said:
''When l came to this Senate two
wears ago, more or less unfamiliar with
legislative methods, / discovered con
dition which brought the blush of shame
to nv cheeks. refer to the lobbyists
sent to this General Assembly by the
State colleges and universities, who
stood forever knocking at the doors ut
tering their demands. have returned
to the Senate again and find the same
conditions.
"They arrive here early in the SEES
sion, find out the condition of the
treasury with reference to the surplus
and after that it is simply question Of
dividing the SPOTS.
'sWhile these colleges thus have mer
here plying the General Assembly witt
arguments for special favors, great OBJ
jects like the primary school system
have to rely upon what Individual mem
bers of this Senate can dol theii
benefit"
1t seems that the lobbies got about
everything they wanted in the way Of
legislation and appropriations. The in
-. ,~,a,, L;llod The Wharton law