The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-06-07
is THE STATE so
AEg pi G

Is the Governor and other response
BILE officers of the Commonwealth help"
less II the State Is being plundered
before their eyes? Attorney General
Todd apparently wotttf nave us" De-
lfeve this. How q commission shall
spend its money. he tells us. In wholly
wfthts its discretion d I'd only the
Legislature can authorize an tnvesti-
CATION to be made to ascertain the
real value OF the work done.
suppose the State appropriates ST.
600, 600 for q building ana Il commits
sion erect a 100000 structure and put
the rest Of the money in their pockets.
must the Governor of the State be a
silent spectator OF this robbery IL the
Attorney General OF the Common
wealth in such a case bound hand and
foot until the Legislature meets. as
Mr. Todd's reasoning implies, or may
he not intervene 10 protect the state?
The Legislature can investigate
doubtless, but there are intervals Of
twenty months between the close Of
one Legislative session and the be-
ginning of another. Moreover. the
Legislature may not choose to act
even when 1t meets. four Legisla-
lures met and adjourned since the
Rittersville Commission begun spend
ing Sl,7o3.00o of the States money
money to It, even though the Govern
or complained OF its inordlnate de-
lay------
The Legislature In an hour OF clear
vision perceived that II was wise to
provide for some responsible person to
see that the state shall receive full
value for the amount of the expendi-
ture "in the erection OF new buildings"
That is just the man who at the pres
ent time is wanted at Rittersville. The
Board of Public Grouna. and Build
ings has appointed Architect Lindiey
Johnson for that purpose and at the
same time the Attorney General de-
stroys his chief usefulness by instruc-
ting him that, while he may do some
other things, he must not inquire
whether the State Is receiving full
value for the amount OF it's expendi-
ture at Rittersville.
1t was the business of the Legisla-
ture to investigate the State Capitol
charges, but Attorney General Car
son did not consider that this cut him
out entirely. or his own volition he
instituted an inquiry from hts own
Office and the answers to his ques-
tions, which he obtained from Mr..
Huston, were important evidence
against the defendant in the trial
which secured his conviction. We
do not know under what act OF As
sembly Mr.. Carson made his investi-
cation, or whether he had any express
warrant for 1t In statute law at all.
but we commend the spirit which
prompted 1t for Mr.. Todd's emula.
ton. 1t is always in order to elicit
the truth. The State is never hur.,
but always served by letting in the
broad daylight into the proceedings
OF those who expend its revenues. No
possible harm can come TO the State
or to those who serve the State hon
estiy by giving due effect 10 the law,
which requires the State representa-
tive in Rittersville to see that tho
State shall receive full value for 10
expenditure"
Under the Attorney Generals adj
vice, forbidding this inquiry, fraud,
II 1t exists. ID protected. A cora
parison between the value OF the com
missions work and the vast sum
which 4. received ID forbidden. The
law which directs that the State rep
shall zee that the State re-
ceives full value for In expenditure il
suspended by order of Mr.. Todd until
the Legislature meets. With all re-
spect to the Attorney General we can
see In his Interpretation OF the Act
Of 1895. forbidding an inquiry 1t Rit.
tersvilie. ITO zee that the State re-
ceives fun value for IT. expenditure
only bad public pOIicy Rad nt0rala
md bed 1aw h1lsd eaphta