The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-09
LET TUE CONSTITUTION ALONE.


session Of the General Assembly to Sc
cure the adoption OF resolution sub
uniting again TO the people the ques-
tten Of whether or not city treasurer.
and city commissioners of the revenue
shall be allowed to succeed themselves
after two consecutive terms in Office.
Under the Virginia Constitution cuun-
~ treasurers ana county commits slon-
ers OF the revenue are allowed to sue
cred themselves indefinitely. This diff
ference between their status and that
or city trcasurers and city commission
e.s Of the revenue was created by the
people at the polls in 1911, when they
passed "a constitutional amendment per-
hitting county treasurcrs and commits
sioners of the revenue to succeed them
selves without limitation. AZ tho Same
election the voters denied the city
right. This result was brought about
BY no desire OF the people to discrimi-
Hate between these two classes OF Of
neers, but simply BY reason OF the tact
thst the county trcasurers and COM
1-Ssioners of the revenue had such 4
powerful machine that they succeeded
= defeating the amendment which
"eu-d have put them in the same posi-
;s1n that city ircasurers and commits
<'2ae-s are in now. The same inhbl-
-'S1 should have been placed upon
s-ath, but the selfish and powerful lead
n
s&rried the day through their polt.cal
influence.
This is an old question; it has been
ihreshed out thoroughly in past year,
in The Times Dispatch and in many OF
ITS contemporaries. There is absolutely
no reason why 1t should be brought IN
again, when the people and their repre-
sentatives are already overwhelmed
with veSing public problems. NOBODY
wishes II rcconsidercd but the city treas
urers and the city commissioners of the
revenue. who have money and power
10 gain by such Il lifting OF the two
term Limitation now imposed upon them
money and power, let it be said, to
ne gained at the expense of official cr-
hGiehcv and oftcntmcs at tremendous
cost 10 me people III Will entail but
little expense 10 resubm!t this question
l" the people next year at a general
election, argues the Clifton Forge
Review, and we favor its being done"
me fact that II would cost little IS no
reason why II should be done--the
70 &c ~
public welfare, and. therefore. should
be allowed 10 lie on the table. II
could not be submitted TO the pe,plc
next year, but would have 10 pass thig
session OF the General Assembly and
tAe succeeding one, and then be sub.
i"'t'ea |" the people In 1914. In thu
meantime. 1t would be source OF con
slant agitation ana unrest which the
PEOPLE do not. want to contend with.
II any alacif4menr' has to DO intro
luccd at this session OF the Genera.
Assembly it should be one TO re-
SUBMIT 10 the people the matter OF al
lowing county treasurcis and county
commissioners 10 succeed themselves.
They should come undo, the same umi
i"tton imposed upon similar officers in
'he cities, The Clifton Fory. Reyiew
would cure The discrimination by hi,v :
ihg two evils where there should be
none, would have TWO vicious systems,
treated because one already existed.
shch step would be wholly backward
ana indcfensibic. Better lake Tho ,.ico
I, tfpe int IN,
'eh' man plant II in Two systems. Tho
"n!y logical way TO put these county ana
y!tE officers OH the same footing is to
place the same Limitation upou INC
county officers as upon the city officers
and not 10 take the limitation OF ~
both
This is not The time To-. amendments
10 the Constitution. This session OF
The General Assembly already has .
mass of work before Il mat wan mink,
II stagser under the burden Gren,
.oiicies affecting the welfare and IN,
progress OF the people are pending
and matters are TO be considered ina,
ritally affect each citizen TO ,bes.
things the Legislators should deyot,
their time, and not 10 the considerable,
OF the wishes OF petty lobby Of un
satisfied city trsasurcrs and city com
'hissioncrs of the revenue a cousti
tntional amendment is 4 serious mat
ter II Is change in the organic Law
Of the State, and it is not TO be con
sidered hurricdiy and mpernclally, bu
At great length and critically. VII,
"ffers constitutional amendments Of
rival and unnecessary nature at thi
session Will serve the state III Enougl
difficult problems have already pre-
scented themselves for solution, and hi
old. old whine frJm special Official In
tcrests for constitutional amendment
vnght 10 be stiflcd at once. Let In
4 ~,