Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1908-03-19
ViCI0USIY PARTISAN.

News Leader have availed themselves
of a speech recently made by Senator
Noel, at a meeting of the Republicans
Of that city, to warmly defend and
praise the Virginia Legislature for the
work it did at the recent session. Sen
ator Noel severely criticized the Legis-
lature for its vicious partisan acts and
disgraceful extravaganza in the way of
increasing salaries of certain officers.
and the creation of new offices for ia
vorite members of the tribe" The
Senator's speech caused the Journal to
say that this General Assembly has
enacted more wise and judicious legisla-
ton Of general interest and import to
the State within the sixty days it has
sat, than any other in many years"
And the News Leader declares: 1.-The
truth is this Legislature is one of the
best the State has had
The Norfolk Virginian-P Pilot, in speak
ing of this same General Assembly.
said:
The General Assembly passed some
very wholesome measures. some of very
questionable wisdom, some of more
than doubtful consistence with consti-
tutional prescript and democratic prin-
ciple, and not few vicious in theory
and bound to prove detrimental to the
public interests when put into prac-
tice.''
We doubt if our esteemed Norfolk
contemporary had reference, in the
above quoted paragraph, to two of the
most disgraceful acts of the General
Assembly-the confirmation of Rhea
and the redistricting of the Fifth and
Sixth Congressional Districts.
What kind of acts and legislation fix
the character of a legislative body?
Will few, or even many, wholesome
acts entitle a General Assembly to be
called good one or one of the best the
State has has ever had, when the record
of that body is blackened by two or
more Of the most atrocious partisan
acts?
The confirmation of VIM. F. Rhea as
a member of the Corporation Commits
sion was enough to stand off, from a
moral standpoint, every wholesome
measure that was enacted by the Legis-
lature. To the Rhea outrage, however,
was added the infamous partisan meas
ure by which the Fifth and Sixth Dis
tricts were redistricted. Strange to
say, our Richmond contemporaries have
been silent about this; but the Virgin
ian-Pilot entered its protest against it
when the scheme was first mentioned.
The controlling majority of this Vir-
GINA Legislature has been VIGOROUSLY
plant to the touch of the chiefs of the
tribe" 1t was in response to their
demands that Rhea was confirmed.
And it was at their suggestion that
Democratic members of the General
Assembly disregarded the oath they had
taken tc support and maintain the Con-
stitution, and caused them to vote for
redistricting measure which violates
both the spirit and letter of the organic
law of the land. When the representa-
tives of the people vote for such things
as these they cannot expect to be con-
sidered good, even though they have
supported and enacted meritorious
measures.
A man may acquire a fortune dis
honestly, but he cannot remove the
stain from his name and life by devot-
ing large part of that fortune to be-
nevolent causes. Neither can Legis-
lature commit infamous acts and relieve |
itself of odium by the enactment of |
meritorious laws that are from neces-
sity non-partisan.
This Legislature will be chiefly re-
membered and held in scorn as the one
that confirmed to an exalted position
a man that was not fit for the place;
that for purely partisan ends passed a
monstrous Congressional redistrictinR
msssure; and that increased the ration
of pie to hungry office-holders who be-
longed to the tribe" and provided
new places for other hungry members
that had not already been cared for.
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