The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-12
>ANDB,GGING AND AFFIRMATION.

>ANDB,GGING AND AFFIRMATION.
True TO his promise not to rest in his effort
TO secure to plainly indicated majority of the
House the right 10 pass the Jordan enabling
act, its patron on Saturday again moved that
II be advanced upon the calendar.
Once more in desperation. confessed mi
nority succeeded in temporarily avertng its
consideration.
We say in desperation adysedly both in
account Ct the belief that such tatics cannot
long stand against the light Of right and rea-
son. ana because of the remarkable charges
made ny those Who knowing themselves pow
crloss defeat the measure when considered
by ths whole House, seek to shift the burden
of their own unfair methods to the shoulders
Of the friends of the bill.
Fer instance, this statement Of Mr. Oliver, as
reported in the Timcs-Dt8pateh;
y rope that the House will frown down on
these sand0ag tactics. and on the spirit which
says. I. You don't give what / want. /
viii knock out everything else until you do"
This mind you, as a charge based the
action Of an explicit majority OF the whole
House in demanding that it be permitted to ex.
ercise the right Of majority and in deter
mining that it will not be complacently the
tool and dupo Of the minority!
In the light of such facts, the word sand
bag would seem lily chosen.
But more remarkable still is the reported
reasoning of Mr. Coleman. of Norfolk. to whom
Il tart ing r7 IF this brit, as compared with
others which have been taken up out of their
order was exceptional The matters taken ur
in this way have been matters on which the
House itself passed, but this was a pro
position trhich the people ltere to cote. and
1t was not the duty of the Legislature to hurry
It. He would not submit to browbeating, bull
doing and vilfcation, employed by somt
OF the advocates of the bin
This is frank to the point Of disaster. ]
the House has before ii a measure which in III
judgment deserves to be passed without th'
risk Of delay Advance IL. If. however. tbs
measure be nothing more than one expressive
Of the desire Of the people to express thci'
own opinion. III IS not the duty Of the LegiS
latare 10 hurry it
Here is representative government. with ;
vengeance So long the initiative of legs
lalicn is the personal matter of representatives
every device is jusuhable In giving it effect
when nothing more appears in favor of
measures passage than that il embodies a pop
ular desire. it is exceptional" TO suggest tina
the representatives Of the people them an.
particular duty in the premises. Whom. anC
what in the light of this candid confession o
faith do Mr. Coleman and his astute fellow
pariamentarians represent? He and they cx
pIicity deny a duty to the people. The infer
onee is unpleasant. but unacceptable,
Even within the bounds of his own logic
MIR Colemaus reasoning would seem to b,
faulty because majority of the House does wish
10 pass the enabling act. 1t is peoples mca
snse; II sAoald be- for that reason, repre-
sentative bodys pleasure to grant it, We be
lieye that what should be pleasure will short
cessity
That aside il is Illuminating to hear a mi
norty that is trying 70 chI0r0f0rm what IL
plainly the viii of the majority, and what they
themselves admit is the will of the people
ss@st ipp3ae ta cuaRiqg into the I5ok Of honest
rage and talking of "sandbags." "browbeat-
ing" "yiHfcation,"
Some such terms may possibly be proper to
this dsengenuous flibuster. but SO far they
have not taken the right direction.