The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-03
DESIRES RECALL
OF ALL OFFICERS
A. F. Thomas Makes Initial Plea
in Virginia for Modern
Doctrines.

Application of the principle OF the
recall would be applied to every public
servant. from the janitor who sweeps
che corridors Of tho CAPITOL to the
chief Justice OF the Supreme court. IL
former Senator a. +. Thomas, Of
Lynchburg, had his way. His address
yesterday afternoon before tho House
Committee on Privileges and Elections,
In behalf Of the amendments TO tho
Constitution offered by o. 3. Martin,
OF Campbell, and Intended to Introduce
In Virginia the initiative. the referen-
DUN and the recall. was closely listen
ed to and aroused good deal OF
comment.
Beginning his remarks. Mr.. Thomas
said ne realized his visit to be purely
missionary He knew there was no
chance of favorable action by this
Legislature.
Voter is Representative.
Tho voter. he argued, Is merely a
representative, since there are at the
outside not more than 100000 possible
voters in Virginia out of a population
of more than 100000. The member
OF the General Assembly, he proceeded.
is merely the agent of the representa-
tive. The Individual voter ps merely
the trustee for those VINO do not and
cannot vote. He disclaimcd any in
.ention OF attacking representative
government, but only desired to make
1T possible. BecaUsc government In
Virginia Is satisfactory, it is not i'm
mune to tAe dangers which nave at
lacked other communities For In
stance, there are less than dozen
.nen who control the credits of the
country, and he could show that dur
ing tho last ten years from S1.500,O00
60 s2,0oO,0Oo had been sent out Of
Virginia which should be IN the State
treasury. The hund Of Wall Street,
therefore, ls already at tao Threats OF
the people of tise State.
Tho trouble with democratic govern
mont said Mr.. Thomas. 10 that IL Isn't
properly organized. The great mass Oh
tho people will not initiate Legislation
under any system, and when imitation
Is confined to representatives. there are
leaders outside whose Palliative Is de-
MED tho common veal
Referring to the referendum, he said
the principle is already we'll recognized.
"You refer liquor legislation SOME
times you do and sometimes you don't.
he added, amid the laughter of the COM
mittee
Private business Method.
Mr. Thomas'S remarks regarding the
recall were forcefully delivered Sup
pose" he argued, that u railroad hud
10 prove tudt llh Gh6 VI ~.
ought to be In the penitentiary before
1t could fire him. Yet that Is the way
in which the state is run The same
principles OF administration should APP
ply to public as TO private affairs.
81 respect the Judgments OF the
courts so long as they are wise. ana
/ discard them when they are not wise.
Judges are men before they are iurisis.
No stuffed prophet business goes with
me. You have to show me what man
ner of man II Is. I do not believe any
Judge Will be made coward through
the recall. II The recall makes hin,
q coward. he was a coward before tho
principle was heard off,
The people of England, said Mr.
Thomas. have far greater liberty than
those Of the United States. becaus.
there. when the people. through their
Parliament. pass a law. no court can
declare it unconstitutional. The Su
preme Court OF the United States has
held that condemned murderer is not
of right entitled to an appeal and yet
you can't make law from which the
railroads cannot get all tho appeal
they desire. London is tho centre III
the great accumulated wealth of the
world. because property rights arc bet
ter sefeguarded there than anywhere.
and yet the people rule In that land