The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-10-08

been brought about except with your
connivance and assistance.
. These ofifciais, OF whom you now
+ complain, are the outcome of sye-
TEN and the product OF elections con-
trolled by only one-fifth OF the eligible
!, white vote OF the city OF Richmond.
/ With a white voting population OF
$4,000. at least 5000 have shirked
or Stunned that sacred duty. and
every one OF whom 1 charge here and
/ now with measure OF the blame aDQ
responsibility for the disgracefui con-
ditlons that have besmirched the fair
name of our city.
4 Indifference cannot relieve them
i from their obligations to society nor
can they shift the responsibility to
others Every man must either bear
his just proportion OF the burden of
government or expose himself 10 a
just condemnation for negleciing a
\ sacred duty. All good otflcials--and
there are many-have right to your
approval and cooperation. and the
bad official needs your vigilance to
hold him ia check.
4 servants Become Master
THAT these delinquent ofrcials may
defanfiy remain in authority empha =
sizes the fact that your servants have
become your masters and calls loudly
for change in that system. which
makes it possible 4 certain percent
axe Of the votes OF every city In Vtr-
Finia. except Richmond have the right
to apply TO the state Legislature to
amend the charter under which they
live
/ The people Of Richmond have no such
right why? Bepuse at the instance
of former Council an act was passed
in the Legislature taking this right
from the people Of Richmond and plac-
I ing II in the hands OF the Council II
IL true that Richmond liz not specially
named In the act, or II would be I'M
: constitutional but the law applies to
all cities of 100000 population, and as
there ;s no other city in virginia with
90, 900 population, Richmond is the
only city affected.
! III the people OF Richmond want to
amend their own charter, they must
first get permission from the Council
while the people Of Norfolk. Peters
!, burg, LynchburE, panville, Roanoke.
/ Newport News, Fredericksburg and
every other city in Virginia. except
Richmond, can apply directly and pri-
! marlly TO the Legislature for an
amendment. to their charter. whether II
suits their Council or not. Why was
this done1 I will venture the opinion
that not Ave per cent of the people
/ OF Richmond knew OF 1t at this time,
Power Taken from People.
Why was the power taken from the
people of Richmond and vested In tho
| Councn7 why was the exception made
In our case?
DO you think II was done in the In
terest of the people. or was 1t done
To give the Council more power
Can Il be justified on the pretense
OF saving the people OF Richmond from
themselves fs II that the people Of
| Richmond have less intelligence than
the people of Norfolk. Petersburg. New .
port News and the other cities In the
State. or is II that the Councils of
Richmond can he relied on to possess
superior integrity and Intelligence
/ mo my friends. will tell you
why and why we are here tonight;
II is because the people OF Richmond
have not attended to their business
You have slept while your servants
became your masters, and the outcome
OF 1t all has been shame and humilia-
ton for lis In the eyes of the world
but II the occurrence which brings us
together, outrageous az II is. shall
J, arouse us to a proper sense OF public
duty and responsibility, we shall be
, more than compensated and will hal
II as a blessing In disguise.
A PEEP AT THE RECORDS.
"Tf there has ever been u time
when the people should know the
facts, this IL the occasaon." deciar-
ed Murray NJ. Mcclure. who was
= presented when the loudly expr~ss-
ed approval of MIR. Easley's words
Q subsidized. Mr.. Mcclure, who APP
pe2red before the Councfl Conn
mittee investigating charges made
against nccused police commission
ers in the Vice Commis~ion's report.
III IN of
hrowb~ating and bullying tactica
, of counsel for the commissioners
gave the meeting = peep into the
2 record.
Every statement made be either reat
direct from the recorded evidence 1t
self. or from the statement made I,
Y the public by Commissioner Wei
, through the daily press this week II
defense or explanation OF his actor
in voting against Detective sergean
Krengel at the Police Board meeting
4 last Thursday. When ne read from
E the Well statement he read from tn
! record of the investigation the refu
tatfon of the reasons" alleged by Wei
' THAT investigation has shown" sal
' Mr.. MCGUIRE that the officers wer
afraid to enforce tho law In certai,
, quarters; they feared they might tres
! pass upon the pleasures Of their su
periors."
MIR. Wells "ReMs0ns.r
! Replying to the Well statement o
: reasons for voting against Krenge
Mr. MCGUIRE showed they were no
reasons and pointed to tho tsstimon,
I Of Krengel showing Well to have FIRE
: Guented houses OF low women and t.
? have threatened police officers tina
i. these resorts, naming at least thre
! outside OF the red-light district, Nigh
} be unmolested as the real animus
Mr.. Mcclure read the sworn state
ment OF Commissioner Well to the in
vestigating committee in reply TO ties
timony given by KrengeI This state
ment created much laughter. 1t shove,
= that Well had sworn that he had ueve
: gone TO the house In the penitentiar,
bottom or to $40 North Second Street
in a carriage" or lin an intoxicated
condition" 1t showed that he deniet
} under oath that he was 'in the hous
on Brook Avenue. intoxicated. In tn,
: last three months and that he ha,
not taken girls OF the red-ltRht dis
trtct riding in his automobile"
showed that Well declared that h,
spoke to Officers Goldsby and Campo
donics. telling them to leave aion,
certain resorts in a ocular no
= threatening manner"
Tribute 10 Omcers.
Mr.. Mcclure pointed TO Krenger,