Evening star., 1908-01-19
ak OF GERRYMANDERING
Courts Decision Hits Saloons Run
Under Guise of Clubs-Gowns
for Supreme Court.

nave the Rlctnpno. i FfSUciithSUdiS 'iiA'
Potomac railroad whipped to a finish
right now. We will neep on fighting, and
there is no way or earth that the genera
assembly can be made to refuse to repeai
the bill which gives to the Richmono
Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad
monopoly The people of the state Will
see that another railroad is built from
here to Fredericksburg. and later it VIII
be extended ,c Washington. | am willing
to be quoted in that matter. The speak
er was Judge A. 7. Embrey of t'redericks-
burg. counsel for the proposed Fredericks-
burg and Southern railroad, which now
has charter application pending win
the state corporation commission. ana
which is Hanging fire pending a near
ing of the bill to repeal the antl-paraiiei-
ing measure now on the Statute Doohs.
Judge Einbrry has been here for seferai
days and is working earnestly for the re-
peal cf the nill which seeks 10 shut out
all railroad building between this clty
and tile north. and he is eJated AT the
manner in which the people of the state
are backing up the scheme. The state Of
fcers are al,snng Themselves soiidl!
against the measure. ard today FORMER
Gov Montague was named as stare
proxy to succeed the late Frank T. Chrls-
tian The belief is that the move Is 10
enoc With the members OF the general as
sanbly and 10 do all that is possible 10
prevent the repeal OF tie anti-paraliel
provision NJ Montague was named by
the state corporation COMMISSION the
majority of Whose m embers al this time
are appGintets u. IT, former governor
The matter is To come before tie house
committee on roads "Wednesday next.
Repeating Piiotage Laws.
\ hill has been introduced in the hous
which repaals the license tax on coast
wise trading vessels. There is compul-
sorry pilotage law i'm Virginia. and under
the law ii Is permissible for vessel owners
to pay license tax to the pilots and 10
enter free at any time they may desire
to come into Virginia waters. The matter
has been bone of contention for some
time. and the bin now before the general
assembly relieves all cnasting vessels o.
this license tax and pilotage giving such
vessels the right to enter abSoiute!E Tree
There has been a slight change In the
tariff of charges ON other vessels. how
ever. but this is claimed by the patrons
of the bill IL be lower than those III et-
feet at other ports along the Atlantic
coast Ii is expected that the bill VIII
meet the approval of all the business in
i.reSts concerned in shipping matters
Will Elect the Commissioners.
Senator iialsey's bill providing for the
election of members Of the state corpo-
ration commission by direct vote of the
people has been approved by the senate
aud will become n Law. Tue method of Sc
lectns thesa officers Was provided for oy
the constitution. which permitted election
by the people after i3ln The bill pro-
vide- that alter another appointment by
Gov. Swanson ii l?ln tie people shall
,..a,.
missioner thus chosen taking office
little mere than II year later-February l.
1872. III. terins are 10 b" as at present
Tor six ytars-and the salaries are to re-
main unchanged. The governor taNors
this policy of the people electing the;
officers.
One OF tie most Interesting questions
before the general assembly IS tilat pro-
viding for the election of commissioners
of the revenue and city and county treas
t:crs by the pc, pla Tie latter are elected
by the people. but they cannot succeed
themselves. The commissioners are ap-
pointed by the circuit judges and are per
mitted to succeed themselves. The IDEA
is to change the law so that both these
officers can succeed themselves and to let
the people decide tae matter, of who shall
fill the positions. One Of the bills - this
effect came from publican senator.
and if il becomes a law IL means that iii
tie ninth congressional district there Wll'
be many republican commissioners in Of
tice whereas at this time they are all
democrats being appointtes of the circuit
court judges.
Money for Militia.
The general assembly has amended the
military laws of the state so that they
conform To the provisions of the Dick
BILL" by which th. military establish
ment OF Virginia is to be organized on
the same principle as the national militia
BY this change of ;ae laws the state will
receive S:tDUat year for the soldiers and
will comply in every respect with the re-
quirementS as To encampments. target
practice and rifle range. There is also a
movement on foot to double the fund for
The soldiers that they may have suit
able armories and proper equipment The
bill WAS one of the rrSi introduced and
the rules of procedure We're suspended in
order To permit the enactment of the Law
50 that il would come wiuhin the pro-
visions of the federal law and become eff
fectiVe before January II.
Change of Congressional Lines.
What ground there may be- for the re-
port is uncertain. but the impression is
that the proposition To redstrict the state
for members of congress will not amount
To much. The report III circuia ton is that
the republicans do not propose To permit
amy charge in any Of the districts. as
they hope to be able to elect another rep
resentative this fall-in the fifth district
But there are democrats who think that
one of the republican counties of the fifth
district could be spared 10 the sixth dis
trict making that district safely demo-
cratic But whatever is done will meet
the stubborn opposition of tlla repub-
Leans in both branches. and they have
manifested that they can and will fight
W hen ii iS necessary to contend for their
rights.
Clubs Hard Hit
There are iii Virginia any number of So
cia! cluDS-some for the entertainment of
members some for literary pursuits some
for athletic purposes and some for social
purposes thy are all Interested in a
decision announced ny the supreme court
of appealS by which they are made, to
understand that they are not To be oper-
ated for commercial purposes OF as make
shifts. The case IN point involved moth
ing more than cigar and soda water
privilege Sunday. its managers so de-
claring The case tested in the
courts and in the trial court the daci-
sion WAS adverse To the organizers of the
club. Iilie case was carried to the SUI
preme court and in an elaborate decision
by Judge Cardwell the principle is estab-
iiShed that these clubs cannot operate eX-
cnpt for thu purposes of social inter
course and that the sale of articles of any
kind Sunday To the members. which
sales are To constitute the revenues Of the
club. is in plain violation of the laws of
the state. The clubs are not TO dispense
food or drink except TO bona fde men,
bers and there must be otler sources OF
revenue than that derived from the bust
ness done with the members. The court
holds that the violation of the law under
the guise of clubs is nothing but make