The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-12
THURSDAY. MARCH IL, 1914,
NOT NATTER FOR INVESTIGATION.

NOT NATTER FOR nv EsTTGA11oN.
The recent unfortunate trouble between Rev.
Or. ". Asblry Christian and Delegate w NJ.
Myers, Of Richmond is not, in the judgment
4 OF the house committee on privileges and cleo
tons properly a matter Of legislative inyesti'
cation This conclusion was reached by the
subcommittee to which the resolution Of Mr.
Willis was referred and unanimously endorsed
by the fail committee which will report to the
house this morning recommending that the
matter he dismissed.
The rirginidn has purposeIy refrained from
commenting on this incident which all who
are Jealous Of the reputation Of our legislative
bodies must regret We preferred not TO pre-
Judge the matter or to attempt in any way to
influence the action of the committee to which
the matter was referred. Now, however, that
the committee has reached its conclusions we
feel constrained to endorse those conclusions as
wise and proper.
We sympathize with the very natural desire
which both Mr. Myers and Dr. Christian may
feel TO have all OF the testimony which each
may be prepared to submit brought out in
tun and open investigation. We have no doubt
thai when Mr. Myers avaed himself OF the
right Of personal privilege" the floor of the
house and denounced DIR. Christian that he
,elt justified in pursuing that course. We are
Equally frank to say that, in our opinion. he
was mistaken In his conception Of his rights
and in The course he followed. DIR. Christian
As q constituent OF Mr.. Myers and one deeply
Interested In legislation which he believed to
pc fraught with great possibilities for the moral
uplift OF the cities OF the State approached
delegate Myers in the interest Of the antivice
bill. MIR, Myers claims that DIR. Christian
transcribed the bounds Of propriety in his
language and nsed expressions which he re-
garded as insulting and construed as threaten
ing and an attempt at intimidation. Dir. Chris
tian, with equal positiveness and supported in
this BY two or three other citizens who accom-
panied him. claims that his language tenn
perate aud that he did not make any threats or
use any expression that could justly be CON
strued as calculated to intimidate. Here then
was plainly an unpleasant and regrettable mis-.
understanding between the member Of the
house and of his constituents who had
spoken to him a matter of legislation which
was entirely within his rights a citizen.
Although sympathzing with the embarass
ulent felt by Mr.. Myers If he construed the Ian
guage used toward him by the minister as in,
sulting we submit that this personal Is
sue between him and one Of his constituents
and not that properly justified invoking
the legislators prerogative OF personal priyi-
lege" This delicate right OF the members OF
the senate and house is a Just and necessary
right but there must be care taken to prevent
the establishment of the precedent OF allowing
the personal privilege" to be used in cases
r which the law making bodies should not
lake coguizance Suppose one OF the consti-
tuents of member Of the house from county
In a remote section OF the State should write
bis representative letter urging him to sup
port certain legislation and threatening him
With the use Of the writers influence and that
of his friends against the delegate in the event
that he did not support such legislation would
this justify the use Of personal privilege and
investigation by a committee. We respectfully
submit that it would not and are satisfied that
the house would take the same view. To per.
init such course would make it possible for
Investigations Of personal differences between
eitizens and their representatives TO consume
he greater part of The time Of the General
Assembly.
The twaddle OF the NeWSLcader about hush
up" the charges Of attempted intimidation is
childish Nobody wants anything of the kind
hnshed up DIR. Christian is as eager as Mr..
Myers. perhaps even more to get before the
public the full testimony 10 show that there
was no occasion for the denunciation heaped
upon him the floor of the house where he
had no opportunity TO reply. But the question
IL not what MIR. Myers wants or what DR. Chris.
tisn wants bat what the house, as a represen.
sative legislative body should do. In our opin.
ion the house must deal with such matters
from an entirely impersonal standpoint II
cannot afford TO depart from the proper realm
Of legislative work and give its time to matters
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