Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-10-12
THURSDAY. OCTOBER. l.. i?s..

Inc 'onr lallor al loOlcy street
JDW presumptuous IT is for r. Holman
l l Willis aud Major Marvin Smithey to
set themselves up as representatives, Of tho
"aEriCuitural classes Of Virginia. by com
parison. the historical incident OF The
Three Talors of Tooley street, who
wrote themselves down as. We the people
OF England and whose presumption is
cited by the cryptic &c. b. X. of the Har-
risonhurg News Record. sinks into utter
insiEnifcance. For does not every one in
Virginia know that the right TO represent
and think for and speak for Nirgnia's
farmers has been reserved to this same
&c. b X" whose voice has been heard for
years in the press and in tho Virginia AS
sembly rs the self-constitutc Interpreter
of their desires?
And who are these mon who thus boldly
presume 10 speak for Virginia and dare to
rouse the wrath of &C. u. IL" by attempt
ing 10 usurp his peroEativc as the farmers
spokesman? Mr. Willis is only Tho floor
leader OF tho House of Delegates Of the
Virginia General Assembly II cannot he
expected, of course. that he would have
his finger on the pulse OF the pcoplo of
Virginia. and certainly not of the "agri-
cultural classes" How could ne be OK
pected to know anything about the senti-
ment for and against tho proposed bond
-
He is only one OF the States prominent
lawyers and tho leader in The House of
Delegates at the last session whose in
fuence was largely responsible for the de-
feat OF the road bond issue at that time
Perhaps then he had n right To spoak for
the agricultural classes" hut surely not
now, since he has gone over. hut ON his
cwn terms. to the GOOD rosd bond adj
vocates. u is merely Incidental and in no
y.-t-E H.,
Willis and Major Smithey have behind them
the formal pledges Of forty-nna members
OF the House and twenty members of The
Senate, in addition 10 the verbal assurance
OF a sufficient number of other Assembly
meinherS 10 make certain q cear-cut ma
lorify for the road bonds should q special
session OF the Legislature be called For.
OF course none Of this assured majority can
claim with truth to represent the "arricul-
turai classes, nor can il mitigate heir pre-
sumption tina, from every section Of Tho
State comes the insisten, demand for good
roads, demand grown so clamorous IS 70
force tire conclusion that the Agricultural
ciasses have joined forces with the urban
classes IN the helated effort 10 lift Virginia
Out of the mud hole class.
And so. after all, Major Smithey as rem
resentaive OF former opponents of The bond
issue may not he so lonesome Of old
friends as &C p x" solici,ousIv to,re
Already il seems Tho lonesome one ie dos
tined TO be &c y. *" himself who stiIl
speaks as the farmers friend hu, whose
voice falls on ranks ,hinned nv tho dcser
ton OF those Who have gone over 10 tho
camp of progress and whose endeav ors have
been joined to those of other far-seefnr
men with The vision OF sat" whose brsi-
ness wheels are no longer clocrod hv mud
and whose historical confines are no ,oncar
shhhnad because 'h"y are inaccessible
any The rhr.~ Tailor, Of roole, street,
have been overshadowed in The measure Of
.heir pre5nmpion by Tho one Tailor OF
Iooiey street iarrsouburg