The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-11
Voice Of the People
Defends the GcncraI Assembly.

Assembly.
Inc f.oitor of The Times Dispatch:
., 9th your issue Of February 2,
"a TcieEence to your editorial. headed
bnnor s asiatiVe Outrage" you attack the
IN anu honesty of both branches of
me virginia Legislature, uIIcgiur in
- our unfair attack that we we're blind
tlon ~, onths to uphold the Constitu-
iioli OF our grand old Commonwealth
L cannot conceive for one 1nOmcnt WHY
~, newspaper with the record of ,rnc
nort eosn-tDispIatch, filling such an i'm:
as II does, should put itself mon roc
Org at this time as to accuse its i,ris-
in orr Dihhn nnnss,4 or voting for measures
they contain or nrInc, body. not because
h,,t n virtue. love, honor and peace.
in "e n nmm. we were voting and uphold
ti5nni e" ann sly, which were unconstitu-
were afraid that IL we sunnort'.J
c rnSasnrGs which which contain moral and
defeated In our efforts to return IN two vo
So.s TO these respective bodies TO
iiePPpcseht our several sections OF this
AT these honorable Bodies Son 80
lhcr assert that even a cornncld nv
ycr Knows that such rcsubmlsslon this
y 3icii is unconstltutional. Is tho corn
Li.tu iaWSer less Intelligent than the
city lawyer? This biii w,.ich " vo,i
ysier TO is local one. and. as you say,
sen n,Iinse4 rn the House with but one dis
SsentinS votes in the Senate. Now. IN
poth branches OF our honorable body
IN 14 ,h hu' Oh lao have. by their actions
LICK. surrendered their prIncipIes
!, os smEGcsS; can you conceive OF such
Ing e or,,n state Of nTairs--a lead
unslhE iS5 out OF 40 OF It's members
VINO were selected by the best peopin
ms VIII vnf w %a, state TO make such laws
periiy of the whole State Now T.,
tnese TWO bodies there are many able
ihWSers those who considered well this
TThhes'' or, ana who voted for tho bill.
ana did what they believed was their
uu.y because 1t was their duty, and
1 an because they were afraid OF being
deicated by the influence OF these
oniceholdcrs You referred TO in your
nrtlcic These two branches OF tho
,,1.n S,Hi" ~ were selected by the best
we nave the power to create a law. IL
We creature greater than the creator
rsIihE your own words. you say that
icSis!ators do not ask themselves. '.Is
II TO the peoples best intercsty" hut
ls It to my best interest TO vot. for
sueh ineasures?" as we could not anord
say that II there Is any member in
eithcr OF our branches OF the virginia
i.csisiatnre who would vote for meas
ures simply because he is afraid OF
defeat at some future time by his
people, and would ignore the morals
nhd right principles In the measures
80 ,'s"NS 10 So utcplN interested in, he
should be led 10 the door of the Canitol
ana ordered to leave tho city at once
as he would not be 1T to SIT among Z,
body Of honorn BILE representative.
submit that tho six members In the
two branches who opposed this meas
ure have ms much right 10 oppose II
as the l3i did who voted for IL. fnd
we honor them for standing by what
thcy believed TO be their sacred dutv
but we do not contend that six mems
opinion should or could outweigh iaI
men. many of whom arc of equal in
tclligence. Being new member,
40 not claim to measure UP TO great
many OF these able rcprescntatiyes
but when the honor of body is at.
tackled Of whom am Il member, I do
rise Lp with all the powers that be 10
resent 1t. We like The Times Dis
patch as a paper; we take IL daily in
our homes. but wc feel that We have a,
moral right to resent such an editorial
spread abroad In our State, under the
headlines OF "a Legislative Outragc".-.
Gn editorial that goes 10 our homes
and calculated to produce Il sentiment
against us which there is no founda-
ton for. and which we, as the repre-
scntatives of our people. do not de.
serve. c. j. MEETZE
Member House Of Delegates.