Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1906-04-04
Com mems on the Recent Session
of the Legislature

Comments on the Recent Session
of the Legislature
PossUM RIDGE, April 2, 1905.
EDITOR GAZETTE IL notice in a
recent issue of your valuable paper
some of the doings of the lately
lamented Legislature. And as
there have been many comments
about what was done, we fellows
up here on the Ridge have got
some opinions that we want to
spread. We notice that Mr..
Egglsston says that the General
Assembly of 1905 is a memorable
one, mainly because it donated
5000, 900 for the schools. Some of
us people up here can see some
other things that will make US
remember the Legislators and what
they did while in Richmond. We
will RENE mber that they passed
bills and made laws by the whole
sale. They put in circulation
about five millions Of the treasury
pRonsy.
We are not kicking because OF
the bill which appropriated $780,,
600 more for the benefit of the
public schools. AZ most of US in
this community have plenty Of
children to send to school, and
none are able to send seven or eight
boys aud girls to college or semin-
airy, we've got to depend mainly
on the public school.
After sending representatives to
Richmond few years ago to dis
continue lot of Offices and reduce
the States expenses, and after
having that convention cost the
State some millions of dollars, we
think it hard for the recent Gen.
eral Assembly to create a lot of
new offices with large salaries
attached. / suppose, though, that
the members of our State Legisla-
ture know some things that we
do not,
In our opinion they turned down
one of the best things that was
brought up, namely, the Torrens
system of land registration. That
bill would have reduced the ex-
penses of many of US fellows out
here ID the country. 1t would
have kicked the land grabber out
of business, aud would have put
an end to buying piece of land
and after it was paid for find out
you couldn't get title for il.
That Booker resolution for a
2-cent fat rate per mile for riding
on the cars was a good thing for
us poor people, but we nOsice that
out in Ohio since they passed q
similar law the railroads have
discontinued selling roundtrip
tickets or half rate tickets to
preachers, and they have raised
the excess baggage rate so per
cent. No moe cheap rates to
conventions, picnics or ex-
cursions. We haven t. figured out
how the thing will work in Vir-
ginia yet, but we think it will be
all right.
Another thing that will make us
remember the recent Legislature is
the tact that it passed a resolution
to have the commissioners of the
revenue appointed by the courts.
Now there's room for high kick
right here. If we elect anybody
to an Office it ought to be the fellow
that we want to assess our. FRO
perty. Now it's about as important
to elect our assessors as our legisla-
tors, and We notice they didn't
ask any judge or court to appoint
the men who 20 to Richmond to
make the laws, patch the holes In
the constitution, etc. We've got
lot of Democrats and some
Republicans up Eers who don't
care row of pins about politics so
we get the best men we can find to
fill our county Offices, and We
resent this taking away from us
our right to vote for one of our
most important officials. They
said they wanted to keep the COM
missioners out of politics. Well,
iU's a pity that some Of the
legislators had not been kept out
of politics, so they wouldn't bank
rupt the Commonwealth and take
away the rest of the liberties of US
fellows on Possum Ridge. tell
you, Nj. Editor, this thing has
got to stop somewhere or some
things going to drop, and drop
hard, too.
There are many more points that
might be discussed regarding the
doings Of the recent Legislature at
its last meeting, but owing to my
being new contributor ! will
close. JIMMY G. RrcKETs.