The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-12


was responsible for tho enactment Of
legislation by the present Legislature
providing for the submission of an
amendment to the Constitution allow
ms city treasurers and commissioners
! or the revenue to succeed themselves
indefinitely. There must havo been
some kind OF Influence US powerful rs
| that which could be welded by q COM
pact organization exerted upon menu
| hers of tho Legislature. or they never
would have voted to violate the state
Constitution In the fragrant manner
! proposed. 1t Is not recalled that any
'olack-and- tan Legislature OF recon-
| struction days. ever sought TO amend
the Constitution In n manner other
! than that prescribed b. the Constttu-
, ton ITSELF
The Times-Dispatch Is neither a
chronic sorehead nor Is It tho organ Of
| disappointed eeckers after place" 1t
opposes this amendment TO the Vir-
Einia Constitution because submission
in 1912 lie plainly unconstitutional. and
because It believes that definite limi-
| tation upon the terms of city treas
! urers ana commissioners is best for
the public service. The common good
is tho solo motive of this newspaper
III lighting the submission OF this
| amendment in 1912
That there is an omceholdcrs' trust
Is proposition which. In our opinion,
cannot be denied. outside of the we'll
known fact that the ,reasurcrs are
| banded together In formal associa-
ton, the history of the amendment In
tho present General Assembly is
enough to show that combina ton
calendar is staggering under the bur
den OF many important and vital meas
ures, such rs the tax bills. the pfi
mary and pure election bills. the CO.
ordinate college for women bill. and
others of similar magnitude. These,
with strong public sentiment behind
them, are still hung up, but the city
trcasurers' and commissioners amend
ment slid through both branches of
the General Assembly like g creased
pig. Could ono man or my set of men
of ordinary Influence have raiiroaded
the measure through so swiftly? Com
mon sense records n negative answer.
1T must be plain, from the nature OF
the case. that large number of men
combined and of great influence turned
tho trick here II must be further
apparent that the influence that made
this bill whizz through was political.
The composition of this lobby was
such TINT Il appealed forcibly. as .hc
record shows. 20 all but ono man in
the House and all but five IN the SEN
ate. What set OF individuals would
have such mn intimate and compelling
some general combination of office
holders must have been behind tho
bill?
There was no public demand. thore
none. there VIII BIO none. for this
amendment. In the absence of that
demand tho only Interested parties are
the oHceholdcrs themselves, and It is
their lust for office that has sent this
amendment up to tho Governor. The
treasurers ana commissioners have
common interest at stake. and 1t is
logical that they should band together
W PiptVSt tHal interest I'ney arc ac-
tuated by no motives Of the public
good, but solely by those OF private
gain. They constitute trust. because
they arc banded together TO seek for
themselves. q monopoly Of the Offices
affected in restraint of the right of
any citizen to hold that Office unpre-
vented by the undue influence Of any
class.
The oiliceholders' trust had Its gents
and lobbyists here. They saw TO 1t
that their pet measure was ground out
speedily and quietly. There were
doubtless times In tho Capitol when
one could not strike without hitting
a member of the oficeholders' trust.
The main question must not be lost
sight OF. That is. the unconstitution-
aii;y of resubmlssion In 1912. No law
yer. no member has cited a case up
holding the validity of the contem-
plated submission in 1919; on the other
hand. Senator Walker. counse! for tho
people IN the Senate of Virginia 81
this case. cited decision after decision
showing that the submission In 1910
was constitutional and valid. and that
this question cannot &c to the people
for vote until 1914 Regardless or
the moral and political questions hero
involved, the amendment cannot stand
as a constitutional proposition Is 1t
too much to ask OF our Legislators that
they who make the law shall respect
the law:
=--------=
a Connecticut man hit a mule with
his auto. and his license to run car
has been suspended. II the male had
been on the job. the fellow would
never have had any more Use for
license.