Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-10-25
HENRY W.ANDERSONS REPLY TO TRINKLES CNTWOOD SPEEC

advanced the welfare OF virginia %,
Its people. nm not thiLlln,, Oh rec
! "rds, persons, or parties. but of tn,
future progress ANA prosperity a.
/ Virginia. our positions are clear
The choice is VITA the people.
The Democratic Record.
since the Democratic party has no
/ PLATFORM. and It's candidate has i.u
/ Platform. but plants has I,ct up ia
/ The record OF the Democratic party
sc are rcmandrd To mat record Ia
/ ina what. IL anything, they do stau,.
I Ior' what. II any. reason exists tor
[ the continuance ui that examination
I III control "i Virginia. Fortunatc.y
'ht candidate and leaders OF the party
NAY" state" that record for as. As
have pointed out tor months lcrnr.
the primary MIR. Triuklc. in speech :
throughout the State. condemned in
n" measured terms the conditions IN
every essential branch of ia. poIit-
icai and economic life OF Virginia,
concluding his review with tho car
nest nut correct declaration that
/ mere is something wrOnG n Viz
Ginia. North Carolina to the south
and Maryland. to the north, axe
sweeping ahead and hoCkoning old
NirGinia on. This ought not to he
Yet this sums up the whole result
Of the thirty-iivc years OF Democratic
control. of that record upon which
he now stands az the reason for his
election"
i'ut we are not dependent upon the
Democratic candidate for "a rcvic,.
"i that record or its results. IL:
IBIS Commission on Economy ANA
,.,.''
gate and report upon our stat" GOV
,rnin.n, 1t submitted it's report.
which appears in tho senate Bocu-
ments of l?lS. and there. SO far as
the record shows. il was dropped.
Its findings and rccommc ndations
were dangerous 10 the Democratic
organi"atiou.
THIS Commission was composed OF
four momb,rS-ail EcEIucrutS Th.v
were: l.. H. prcwry. of Petersburg
George l.. browning. OF orange.
Richard +. Byrd. of Winchester. ana
LEROY Hodges. Secretary to The COY
ernor. They associated with them
selves ten of tho leading Democratic
citizens OF the state. The rcpor;
condemns the organization and al
ministration Of the State government
in very strong terms. \ few of their
comments Will bc instructive. After
calling attention To the weakness.
and defects OF our Constitutional
system tn. Commission says.
Authority and responsibility ar
Cif!uscd instead OF being niaccd where
"a definite official can be held to ac-
count Tor the administrator of tho
states affairs. The people cleo, II
group % purely administrative OH
Gers who are responsible in aetna.
practice to no one. these officials
being accountable in the same way
that tn. Governor IL, but are not o:
sufficient Importance To IA" averar.
citizen for him To even remember tin,
name OF the official two weeks after
election. Another group OF similar
officials are elected by the General
Assembly There are next "a vast
variety of officers. some purely
local character. that are SLED rs thu.
Governor. Numerous spc, ial boards
commissions. bureaus and other
agencies. some exercising large POW
crs. are tackled on here ana there 70
our governmental structure. ana du-
piication Of functions and overlap
ping Of work ana powers occur ~
many Instances. No attempt h -
been made to coordinate functions.
make adjustments. or establish
proper executive control. We thus
find in our state machinery today
some agencies doing double wort;
and here and there the same work
being donc by two or more separate
AGENCIES
In concluding its general review Of
the government the Commission says:
private business organizations
usually effect reorganization when
they begin 10 extend their operations
beyond original conceptions. bat this
taking OF stock seems never 10 have
been thought Of in connection with
the State government Of Virginia.
Admitting that the Constitution pre-
vents many desirable changes bein-;
made. there are. nevertheless. mang
ether changes which can be made BY
legislative cnactmcrt-changcs that
would greatly improve the service"
The report OF this Commission de-
sponsiblc and incompetent" not be-
cause OF the men but because OF the
system" 1t declares that:
-. no free people should de-
liberatciy by Constitutional enact
mcnt, put their own vital affairs on:
Of their own reach and beyond their
own control. Yet this is exactly
what the Constitution has done with
The most important of our govern
mental functions. IL has virtually
placed the school system beyond the
reach of the people"
The Commission, after full review
and vigorous condemnation Of the
school system. comments upon the
dissatisfaction or the people with this
agency and says;
49,. The dissatisfaction of the
people or Virginia with their school
system is. in our opinion. fully justi-
fed, and radical reforms must be
made"
II further says that the present
tendency is to make the school sys-
tenn IL great political machine
This is the official finding Of four-
teen OF the leading Democrats in Vir-
ginia. as TO some Of the results %
thirty-fvc years Of management by
the government OF Virginia by the
Democratic organization. II was fled
with the Senate three years ago. and
as usual there IL rests. The Demo
cratic candidate was u member OF that
Senate. but the record fails to dis
close that he ever suggested o"ti"n