The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-05

tue the genius of "a great artist. They
arc so used 10 good art tllut they do not
know how bad Il statue can be. It
they really want to value our monu-
.ments Alright our citizens should go 10
Washington and look at sonc of those
monstrosities Which ndorn tho CAPITOL
or else journey down into North Caro-
lin and see a few OF those erected In
honor of the Mccklenburg Declaration.
we believe there are about dozen OF
these monuments each uglicr than the
last. 1t would do our people good to
see these treasures. and 1t would en-
courage tho New York dealer to try
the Old North State as a future mar
ket for the abandoned artless.
=--------------------
DIsPUTING THE GERIsYNIANDER.
Mr.. Montague thinks that the Fifth
District gerrymander was illegal, and
of course he can prove 1t. II he could
not, he would be or very little use to
Mr.. Parsons. What would be the use
of the long investigation IT. when it
was SHOWN tiluI MI 'oduiluelS was
really elected, there would be no other
ground on which to contest his place?
What would be the use of counting bal
lots for days and days If, when they
gave Saunders his seat, there was no
dNher way Of ousting him?
What was done in the Fifth District
has been done q hundred times in
every state OF the Union. We do
not say that such a gerrymander IS
very crcditablc or that 1t is in accord
tance with tho spirit of tho Constitu-
ton, but II we went to work to try and
put Floyd county hack into the Eighth
District, we should have to shift prac-
tically every congressional district
east of tho Mississippi and would have
to remove from their seats honorable
men who have held Office without ques-
ton for decades.
The gerrymandersis not creature
of yesterday. 1t did not even have its
origin under the dispcnsation Of Tam
many. 1t was not even born north Of
that mystic line which is supposed to
separate the cunning from the crude.
the Yankee from tho Southcrner. It
took its name. to be sure, either from
Elbrdge Gerry, OF Massachusetts, or
from Judge Gcrrymandcr. of Louisiana.
But the theory of the thing, we must
| confess, was worked out here in Vir-
GINA.
We might as we'll confess the truth.
Patrick Henry was the original father
/ of the gcr.ymander. and q President of
the United States was the man whom
y it was originally intended to benefit.
In those good old days Of political pur-
Il ity-for such days existed even before
4 Thomas Jefferson established his party.
n we are told-this cunning device was
worked out by the great Orator to help
James Monroe get seat in the First
Z Congress. One young James Madison,
! not unknown to fame. happened to live
A pretty close to Monroe. and had some
4 political aspirations of his own for
4 Congress. Henry knew that If Orange
and the adjoining counties were tackled
i on to spotsylvania, Madison would get
the seat, while Monroe would go hum
4 CRY. Hence in the Virginia Assembly
of 17sS-'S9 Henry SO arranged the
4 lines of the district that Monroc's fol-
lowers had a fine chance Of elcctins
y their favorite. It was good plan
lit was worthy Of Patrick Henry II
was worthy of Virginia statesnanshlr
y that could meet any emergency. Bu
! lit did not work. Much to tho surprise
of Henry, and greatly to the delight
of Washington, young Madison wor
I the seat, and did not oven have to gel
y 1t by the Juggling of a T'ederalst Con.
grcss.
We know the awful consequences OF
! confcssing this forgotten fact Of his
tory. We know with what joy tho min.
3! ions Of republicanism will pounce upor
s 1t. We know with what glec they vii
q look to the sacred soil of Virginia an6
Z find on It's map the justification Of thu
Eerrymander as 1t is to-day. But
I truth is truth, and must be told.
If Mr. Parsons is going to complain
! land If our beloved Ex-Governor is C
Il Justify him in his complaint, they m1Eh
q Eas well haul Patrick Henry UP, as tn
q man responsible for fudge saunder
y Ibeing in Congress.
n sSyf 5p lf1s =
.JEFlsERsoNs On THE LIQuO TAR Ar
I. 1FF.
some or our solons must be Yer!
anxious to know what Thomas Jeffer
son, thought on the liquor rattle. sev Y
cral of them, In obliging fellow-meln
! hers. have served notice that they N
2 tend to cnlighten them. and more tina ll
: ono of them generously offsfs to quot
! unlimited pages of the great leader
$ writings on the subject We under
g stand that Jefferson IS to be held U
n as a grandfather OF local options til
y progenitor of prohibition and as tn
q undiscovered father of the Tllman dis