The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-08

COMMISSIONERS Or TIME rNVS
ALSO IN on rRorosnp
AnEnDAExr.
NOW GOES TO PEoPE!
QUESTION OF PERMITTING r.
TO SUCCEED THEMsELvus ~ 81
OFFICE - TO BE
VOTED ON. N

Passed by the Senate yesfaT&<
with only five opposing votes. tno IT. i
to resubmit to the people Of yiEx1ul
an amendment to the ConstitutiOns1
lowing city treaSurers and comN1
sioners Of the revenue to suc0eN
themselves awaits only the g0vefn0& \
signature. IL was passed by the HoUGM3
more than q week ago. III
Able lawyers have disagreed - LIZ
Its con5titutionality. j. Ran0oluNt7
Tucker expressed the view Of tho 1,1&s
jority yesterday when he dAclafo
that ''in any case where an amam9Sl
rnent II defeated the Legislature W1e1a
its imperial power may submit III
again." This was denied by C.. Har6&S
ing Walker. Of Northum beriand. 49,
commended that once an amendment G1N
submitted 1t cannot s.1jn be put Sc
fore tho people unless a new stakE
IN made and the next succeeding Leg
islature In allowed to confirm the bfles1
Mr.. Walker began his attack yesfers
day where he left OF Monday. f2Ss
spoke for nearly two hours. quotiu2$
hold his argument. G.. T. Rison. UGfs
Pittsylvania, supported Mr.. Tucker. Mr.
Walker fought the bill single-handeds
Not Voice Of People. says Walker 8s%l
Let us be honest withourseives To-;
once" said Mr.. Walker. WHO 10 b.
hind this bill? IL II the people? Mo-
In plain language the county ofliceSQ
succeeded In getting their amendman4s
through. The city officers failed. III
means We are merely helping these OF
ficers to succeed themselves. We ar0s
following no one. not even Ourselves.
My attitude IL entirely impersonaf.
But verify believe the provtsicn. nj
the Constitution that com missi0neSM
OF revenue do not succeed themee1ye3s
is good one. The history OF IT,
State shows II II Impossible to knew
the standing Of treasurers' Offices 49,
til they leave the office There hav9a
been many cases Of defalcaticn.
This IL not the voice OF the people,
but the piaintive voice OF the ONCE
holder you hear. They 40 not Ike t0s
fleave the warm precincts OF their
offices and venture forth into the
cold, cold world. NY sympafhy 10 with
them. but We should not viofate thu
Constitution. do not believe theY
10 put to vote and adopted.
Alleges An On1cerfsDlders' Trust
County and city treasurers are ~.
ganized. You may talk Of the pov4
er OF corporations-and prior 70 tha
constitutional convention the LAG1ae
lature was not free or the grasp a.
corporatins for thirty years--hut tn
power OF corporations does not CONF
pare with the power OF treasurere
over the Legislature ( this state. Whst
they can't do II not worth 1oIn9.
They have undertaken to do sos,,o.
thing now l do not believe the Gu-
preme Court will uphold, although II
usually agreas with the LexislAturo.
In my opinion the amendment has
been killed. II the people can breath
itfe into an amendment. they ca
breath the frost OF death into It.
Tucker speaks tee Sill.
The constitution ID regarded" satd
Mr.. tucker. who replied to Mr. Wax
Ct. In some quarters almost - ~
classic, but the best feature tlaink ia
that u allows the right TO ameEtt IT,
Notwithstanding the many precouentn
established by hiserigaIncm
established by the virginia LegI0lae
ture ana JUDICIAL decisions In otnsds
States, the people were not allOwoAs
to vote tnts.aAenIiy on TINS prOp0o1-
ton. l believe 1t would be wise tSl
establish nrecedent- but that whsIa6
question 10 u siae issue in thus ca
I he case IL not whether In was sub
mitted constitutionaliy. Ia any CO.
whore an amendment 10 defeated IL
Legislature can submit the prupoatvS
ton again. q;
The question II Of legislative char
uCScE hlAo iS8lSa6tJs0 Juu8Ineht, 1NWN
not judicial consideration. There ri
nothing In the Constitution to prevoe
the Legislature submitting q que9
tion a. many times ~ It may 50 alSss
No court will undertake to annul tegin~s
lative Judgment IN
Il asked Mr.. Walker Quest1ods
can be resubmitted: he did not -
swer." III
Here Mr.. Walker interrupted: n "
question mew not be resubmitted, Datl|
1t can be submitted again. The na1onS
ground must be gone over twicc. q & 81
Mir. Tucker resented an intirna&tp
that legislative members are innik
enced by oihceholders. He declax9
he did not think there was q No.
in the State would listen to fr1en Il
In ONCE when his conscience told hta
how he should vote. 5BA
Mr.. Rtson. following Mr.. Tuck1IES
ydeelaEeds TIA. neaplss did innt hssn
right OF choice. Each successive "a
islature. he said. has = right to ns1l
NIT an amendment. sH
A vote was called Mt $50 o'c3oe@
Those voting against the bill W0t[&
Fletcher. Holt. Aapp. Walker ~
West. IN