The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-06-10
LET'S HAVE PARTICULARS.

LET'S HAVE PARTICULARS.
Burke. we believe 1t was. said he did not know
how to draw an indictment against a whole
neople. The Times-Dispqtch, Of this city, has
drawn and published an indictment or issued a
libel against the people of the State of Virginia
II the accusation is sustained by evidence the
indictment is good. If 1t is unsustained 1t Is a
vtntlictive libel. If the accusation Is a libel
It Is peculiarly atrocious because 1t Is intended
to do injury without Offering opportunity for
defense. 1t carries denunciation OF an entire
hoay while not suggesting an individual who
NAV answer. It is designed to arouse suspicion
and besmirch character from behind a cunning
ambush of generalities, the cheap device OF the
common scold eager to wound and vent wrath
while seeking escape from consequences and
evasion of direct responsibility.
Sunday morning the Times,Dispdtch printed an
editorial article including these expressions:
The Hobbies which infest the general assembly
OF Virginia preportionately are just as po"erioi
and lust as crooked as those which peset con-
gress. In fact, the situation In THIS common.
wealth. In proportion, is worse than that at
Washington, for here we have a lobby or I'M
mense size and tremendous power. not only IN
every community, but in the State at large, COM
posed of a great number OF those public office
holders who are com pensated IN fees, VINO con-
ceal from the people the amount OF eotnpensa-
ton paid them in fees AS public ofacers, ana VINO
at every session OF the general assembly use
their influence and their strength 70 prevent
the lawmakers from enacting such legislation
as will enable the people Of Virginia to ascertain
what remuneration their public servants receive
This ohiceholders' lobby. better known as the
piunderbund, is unique; there is no Ike national
organization. 1t is a combination in the interest
OF authorized theft and legalized graft
To a very great degree. the general assembly
of Virginia is the tool OF the plunderbund. The
organized fee ofIcehoiders dictate 70 the so
called representatives OF the people what legis-
Iatton they shall and shall not enact. Any
measure desired by these official highwaymen
OF legislation is passed with marvellous rapidly.
while the recommendations OF the governor Of
the Commonwealth are openly and nnally snuh.
bed. The Times~Dtspatch knows OF a clerk of
court OF a small county whose voice IN iegisia-
ton is a hundred times more powerful than the
governor OF Virginia A certain ~ontemptibi
crook has more Legislative influence than the
chief executive elected by all the people of
the Commonwealth. Legislators who never seek
the advice Of the governor of Virginia boldly
and openly consult on the floor of the general
assembly this ar2h~thug OF the plunderbund
as 10 what they shall or shall not do as TO legis-
lation. The general assembly Of Virginia Is, to
q large extent, z general assembly of those
who do the o-a1sas Of the officeholders Of Viz
g1nia-
A second evI ~ the lobby in this State is
that ex-rnemberz and ex-ofiicers of both the
senate and thu house are given the privilege
OF the floor IN both houses and misuse it.
There are many upright men who use this
right properly. but there are others who abuse
1t in the most disgracefui way.
Then we are told of United States Senator
Burton's com plant that members OF the congress
at critical moments of legislation are "~deluged"
with kilograms and letters from their %constit-
uents, as commercial and social organizations
and as individuals. warning, threatening and
beeeeching. The Times Dispatch, on this presents
tie following mme
As~far as we are aware, this practice has
never been employed in Virginia, save by GER
tain persons representing the Anti-Saloon league.
That such eIeventh-hour intimidation has been
absolutely ineffective is evidence of the courage
ard Independence of members OF the general
assembly Of Virginia, who refuse to be bull
dozed by such d childish device.
Incidentally, II may be noted that when one
branch Of the. Virginia general assembly by a
narrow majority rejects the plea of the Anti.
Saloon league for reference Of Statewide pro-
hibition 10 vote Of the people. the general as
fembly demonstrates its courage and indepen-
dence. kilograms and letters direct from the
CITIZENS Of Virginia are childish devices and
attempts 10 bulldoze. The same general assem-.
bly, that is s~lavishly subservient to the plumber.
hnnd and is the tool Of the oficeholders when
rejecting a raw. unconsidered bill for the aboli-
tion Of fees, is an example of courage and indie
~pendence when 1T rejects the measure OF sub
mission TO the people urged by the Anti-Saloon
league. Yet Henry c. Stuart. the uncontested
NOMINEE Of the Democratic party OF the State.
has said directly and specifically, In response
to a question from this same Anti-Saloon league,
that If the general assembly sees fit to adopt