Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1908-01-10
PREMATURE SNEERS.

:
What is to be gained by an article
like this. published in the Stauutor
| SPECTATOR
"Our legislature will soon be in SEES
sion. The powers that be have beer
looking it over and are pretty wei
agreed that there are some good pick
i gs to be had before the session ends
The States interests are minor, tht
Individual interests of the high muck
a mucks is paramount. The first
nice ripe plum will be the speakersbiI
of the house. This, they claim, Is al
ready in the basket. What jobs are to
be put through afterwards are not vet
fully disclosed, but rest assured they
are in a state of Incubation. Some
benchman will be rewarded. The In
surance commissioner incubus is al
ready on us AZ starter. 1t points the
way TO Others. We are fully prepared
for more of Just such. There was some
kind of a JOB nearly put through last
session in which the insane hospitals
would have had toplofty cap piece,
! as useless as a bursted balloon, but az
ornamental as the headgear of a drum
major. This may not be Matched this
session"
The legisIat ure has not met. Many
of its members are new men. NOT
the faintest intimatiOn of its policy
has been given.
Why should any newspaper Seek 10
discredit the legislature in advance, 10
invoke public distrust OF 1t, to bellttle
it, even before it has assembled, in the
minds of those who elected itp What
good end can be attained by any sucn
method?
Considering the case frankly and
fairly, does not the Spectator think
1t would do better and put itself In
stronger position if it took a judicial
attitude toward the legislature, stood
ready to approve what it may do that
appears to the Spectator to be good.
to condemn what the Spectator may
regard as bad or dangerOusr Would
not that attitude add weight to the
Spectator g criticisms and gain for 1t
the consideration of its own cOnstitu-
ents?-Richmond News-Leader, 31st
of Dec.
Had our valued contemporary read
US a little more carefully the above
lecture on manners administered to us
might not have appeared. Our arti
Gle whilst mentioning the Legislature
is not aimed at 1t by far so directly, Of
at the powers that be-" ''the high
muck mucks," and the wise old
hens which hatch political broods, IL
and around Richmond while the Leg
islature is in session. The Legislature
has many new members, u and there's
the rub. The new members will in
little while find that for many pur
poses they had as well be at home
The Speaker was really chosen before
the last fall election, indeed be wal
elected" we were told, before thu
Legislators themselves. Other i'm
portant matters may have been ar
ranged at the same time or earlier.
Our estimate of the Legislature ant
those who run it may not be as hlgl
as that of our esteemed contemporary
| We may use toward it, and to them
"sneers," indeed we may go furthe
when we feel they merit it. But unit
we have cause to change our mind tn
REBUKE of our esteemed contempOra
lry-which one can easily read betwee
the lines-is intended to deliver to u
La severe lesson on decency an
good manners, must go unheeC
ed. This lesson so gratuitousl
delivered will be hung on nail fo
future reference, and should we fin
ourselves able to move in that circle {
refined journalism which our esteeme
contemporary informs us exists, an
in which, of course, it stands near tn
head, we will be only too glad. BIZ
at our age and with our experience
the world, and our knowledge of pc
ltics and politicians, in and aroun
our State house. we trust our esteem
ed contemporary will not feel aggrie'
ed If we should write on these subject
and act in these premises exactly
we please. We would like our esteem
ed contemporary to note the raid
which will be made on that surplus /
the treasury of 100000. Not by th
Legislature, but the wise ones" GU
side.