The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-02
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND roCAI
JOURNALISM.
DO 1T NOW:


JOURNALISM
About five months away now. the next session
of the Virginia general assembly will have before
1t several interesting and vitality important ques-
that the sixty days limit fer sessions fixed by
the constitution Is unwise Bodies OF men are
like individual men. When time is unlimited and
surroundings pleasant the temptation to daw-
die along is strong We observe legislatures of
States having no time limit sitting three, four
five months This means not only serious an
necessary burden on taxpayers, but opportunity
for development OF hereses. experiments and
crazy notions. IAN idle brain Is the devils
workshop" and members of a legislative body
awaiting the leisurey processes of committees
with no occasion for hurry are likely to fall into
mischief personal and public. People in Rich
mond and throughout the State concerned in
large business affairs always more or less
uneasy and disturbed while the general assem-
bly, is in session and have their nervous systems
Jared occasionally by some radical or dangerous
proposition from the floor Of house the
other
Much of the preliminary work Of our assem-
bly, should be done by one or two committees, or
commissions gathered little while before the
time for the meeting of the assembly TO prepare
budget gather information Of the States finan
cial prospects and digest definite plans Of prog
ress for submission TO the general body Thus
much time could be saved and much detail, delay
and useless discussion avoided. When there are
questions OF vital import Ike reconstruction of
our system OF taxation, for instance. they should
be considered in extra session called for specific
and clearly defined purposes and no other; so
that thought may be concentrated on the one or
two matters and not distracted by local and
trivial details. Mr.. Byrd is right about that.
Members of the next general assembly have
not been elected yet but 1t is timely TO consider
little not only the duties of delegates and sena-
tors to the public. but the duty of certain parts
of the public to the assembly. In this connee-
ton We desire especially to admonish neigh
Dor, the Times Dispatch Nothing work more
harm than d newspaper published at a State
capital and conducted unwisely. The number of
members OF our last assembly who declined to
stand for reelection is remarkably large. In some
counties there was difficulty in inducing citizens
to offer themselves for election. What kind of
material we will get from those who will be sent
here because nobody else wanted the seats is
10 be determined by results We believe this
indisposition OF many men of strength and I'M
portance To serve in the assembly Is caused, in
3 great measure by the conduct and methods OF
some Of our Richmond newspapers, including
our morning contemporary. Men who mean
something in their own communities and who
have natural sense of dignity and regard for
their own characters and peace dislike to be
lectured and stormed at daily II they were so
1n.i1gr .aeheo'texs called up by q f~aeher, and
accused Of seryility to underlined ina
chine" and subsection to lobbyists and the plum
derbund"-whatever that may be wherever 1t
may live. They are made uncomfortable by hav-
ing turned loose against them well meaning but
not particularly we'll informed well balanced
young enthusiasts contributing impassioned.
eloquent and absolutely senseess editorials TO the
rev~s eorf-
servative and well ordered community the Hearst
methods appropriate FOR the lower East Side of
New York city and representing the standards
OF rich and reckless mountebank some of us
20 too far We forget that the business and
functions of a reporter is to report what hap
pens and is said and done as exactly as posi-
he, and that the business Of an editor is TO try
to think end induce the public to think. We fall
into the error of having reporters express poll
Giles and their personal opinions-an ideal re-
porter never allows his opinions to appear in his
work--and editors 10 give their time and space