Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-03-06
JUDGE RHEA
CONFIRMED.
After bitter partisan fight,
State minority faction
OfDemOcrats join with
Republicans, but lose
out two TO one.
ECHOES OF THE FIGHT.

ne Leg lSlaIlVe JOlnC session Thurs
day night confirmed the appointment of
Judge VIM. F. Rhea, of Bristol, to be
Corporation Commissioner. The vote
stood 81 to 46. Every vote cast for
confirmation was that of Democrat,
while q Democrats and all the Repub-
leans voted against the nominee. The
Democrats voting against confirmation
were Senators Gravatt, Gunter, Saun-
ders, Sims, Strobe, Tucker, Walker,
Hartman, Chase and Wickham, and
Delegates Breckenridge, Craig, Ed
wards, Evans, Lewis, F. M. Love, S.
H. Love, Montague, Myers, Powers,
Rev, Sterrett, Walker, Weaver, Will
cox, Wilkins, and Wingo. Among
those who defended Rhea were Judges
w. H. Mann and Martin Williams.
[Richmond News Leader.l
1t is pity, we think, that the South
side Sentinel has seen fit to drag per-
sonahties into the Rhea case. We can
not see that the personal character OF
characteristics of Judge Rhea's chief
accuser or of the prosecuting attorney
have anything to do with the matter.
Abuse of the other side is the poorest
and weakest of all possible defenses.
The question was whether Judge Rhea
was fit man to be Corporation Com
missioner. 1t seems to us that to
bring in personal issues detracts from
the dignity of the discussion and makes
play to passion where there should be
an appeal to reason.
lClifton Forge Reviewl
The only charge that can be substan-
tiated against Judge Rhea is that he
has all his life been fighting Demo
crat, and the records show that the
chief opposition to Judge Rhea came
from the Republicans of the Ninth Dis
trict, where the new member of the
Corporation Commission has fought
bravely for his party. The great sur
prise of the vote on the confirmation is
that number of Democrats voted with
the Republicans.
fredericksburg Free lance
The Legislature, after several stormy
sessions, at each of which some fiery
debate was INDUCED in, has confirmed
the Governors appointment of Judge
Rhea as member of the State Corpo-
ration Commission, and while neither
the Governors appointment nor the ac-
ton of the Legislature in confirming it
will give entire satisfaction, yet when
the whole matter is considered we are
inclined to the opinion that the Legis-
ldture was right. Indeed, after Judge
Rhea had been nominated by the Gov
ernor, and the evidence against his
confirmation was all in, to our mind
there was nothing left for the Legisla-
ture to do but to confirm. To have
done otherwise would have been equiv
aient to finding Judge Rhea guilty of
the charges preferred against him.
when as matter of fact they were
hardly sufficient to create a suspicion.
Some contend that Judge Rhea, since
he has been acquitted. and for the good
of the Corporation Commission, ought to
resign. In our judgment this is mat
ter which ought to be left entirely with
Judge Rhea. If he feels that he can
give the people the service which they
have right to expect of Corporation
Commissioner, and if his work is ac-
ceptable to the people, we see no rea-
son. simply because he has been SUBJ
Jected to an investigation, why he
should quit the job.