The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-29

lHs StIhlte VI NHt company tiltH
MED by the existing laws. This bill
was vigorously fought by the railroad
companies and was voted on and de-
feated in the Senate of Virginia
March ., 1900. Mr. Glass in the
Senate Journal is recorded as voting
No" His vote and action as a sena-
tor were favorable to the railroad
interests and against the lahoring peo-
ple. Mr.. Glass also was member
OF the CONSTITUTIONAL Convention OF
Virginia. one of the most important
and beneficial features OF the new
constitution is that creating the STATE
Corporation Commission and giving IL
power to control and regulate the
railroads and to fix freight ana pas
senger rates. This great ana neeoed
reform in the interests OF the people
precipitated a fierce ana determined
fight in the convention. Failure to
aid the people at this critical time in
Inc history OF Virginia was a derelic-
ton of public duty which can be
neither excused or extenuated. Let
us examine the records of the Con-
stitutionai Convention and ascertain
what MIR Glass did during the days
this great tight va sbeing made Tor
the people The Journal Of the Com
stitutional Convention discloses that
the report of the Committee on Cor
porations. which included tho en-
pIoyers' liability bill was taken up in
committee Of the whole on the fourth
DAY of February. 1909. Mr.. Glass an
swered the roll call on that day.
He appears to have peei pr resent
each day u~th Feb"Iar- IA. 13o..
which was the 'ast DAY on Nni&h ne
answered the roll cali while this Hart
of the constitution Was Aoirg toi sd
cred ON February Il, 1909. he was
granted indefinite leave of absente e.
After the report Of tn G auFntttec IN
Corporations had bean considered for
some time in C0mnttttee of The, whFls
and amended. Il was presented viii
amendments 10 tina Constitutional
Convention for vote ard disposal. IT
WAS considered each day from Tch-
ruary IS to Mac,a 4, 1902. wnen II
WAS finally adopsed. Curing these
DAYS. from the 18th NJ February 10
March 4 there were twenty roll calls
upon important III alters deeply AFFECT
ing the people of Virginia. ana tcter
mining and fxing the powers ct tie
State Corporation Comm ssio9. dr.
Glass Is not reco~t d rs voting on n
single ono nf thess ron calls. He IL
not even paired upon single tolt es u
as being favorable or untavorablc to
any of these important matts"a, In
Guiding the empowers iiah.iity sec
ton, nor paired uoor tina ma. uaep-
. ton OF the report. He seems ID have
folded his tent ht> ga Arab anc ned
to the desert When this great hkat WIS
Icing made for The people. far such
cast and far-reat hing importance to
TIE future Of This 1. pinm%nH eaih.
II Mr.. Glass aossa.e vas cause
hy sickness or 5faar unavoidable tauss
he certainly could have PAL cd epon
these measures. AMI a. iaa@t upon the
final adoption Of tie report. lie fall
ed even To do this But his derettc
ton OF duty and fleeing from the fight
becomes more marked and more strtk-
ing when an examination or his reg
ord will show that he had himself
paired upon other smaller matters, on
February IS. after his absence on
February 81. he Was paired with Mr..
Gordon. of Nelson, on an unImportant
amendment To The report of the COM
mittee on executive offices. He did
not answer a roll call until March 10.
I9a2 MIR. Glass, posing IS great
champion of the people now. and de-
sreHs If regulating railroads In the
interest 81 the people should explain
why he fed from this fight and missed
the greatest opportunity Of his LIE no
prove himself the champion OF the
people against tho corporations An
other remarkable incident in eonnec-
ton with this record Is that even
Gdfffk tHN d%G&AS Ia va ttit
whole. when the fight was being
naged for the people and he MAS
= Present. he failed to III his voice or
give any utterance In behalf or the
people Absent, silent. impaired the
provision OF the rev constitution Gre
sting the Corporation Commission and
making the employers liability hiH a
part OF the constitution uere adopted
without any assistance from him. II
n ct
= .rinnal Convention had. been. as dere-
lict az Mr. Glass. there would exist
to-day in Virginia no Corporation
Commission to control and regulate
railroads and fix freight and passed.
ger rates in the interest OF the peopls.
Jacob and Esau.
The people Of Virginia cannot APP
prove the public record OF man who,
when he wants high official positions,
dlstt4 SEES the fas, tbst he poss szrs
the voice of Jacob. put the hand of
Esau. 1T comes with poor grace troru
him 10 conduct campaign Of criti-
cism and abuse against others while
r the record shows such glaring Tail
ure of public duty at one Of the most
critical times In the history of the
State staring him In the face. The
small criticisms to which have been
subjected by inveterate political enc
niles pale into instgDlfcance before
this monumental failure OF duty by
MIR Glass This disposition on ms
part 10 fail 10 vote or be paired on
important questions affecting the reg
ulation and control of railroads has
been further exhibited by his record
In Congress. Du July %, 1905. when
the question came UP In the House OF
Representatives upon the adoption oil
the conference report on the railroad
rate bill regulating and controlling
railroads, MIR. Glass did not vote anG
was not paired. Again he seems tC
have fed from the aght without max
ing proper provision tn have his vote
counted or aid in the adoption OF this
most important measure.
These are not the only pretentions
presented to the people by Mr.. Glass
which are contradicted conclusively by
his public record as disclosed in the
Constitutional Convention. He nov
poses as great opponent OF machine
politics, although in every campaign
he has extended to Senator Martin his
support. IL there Is machine In Ntr'
Kinia dominated by Senator Martin
the responsibility lies with MIR. Glass
as much as with anyone else, Hl'
conversion did not come except con
currently with his candidacy for thu
Senatorship. This must convince any
impartial person that his present po
sition Is animated by seiishncss ant
not by patriotism. No one ever heart
from him any lamentations or dis
tress or of doleful conditions unit
he conceived the idea to further hi