The times dispatch. [volume], November 24, 1903, Image 4

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
Tho Times-Dispatch,
Published Dally and Weekly
At No. ? North Tenth Street,
Richmond, V?, Entered JartU'
ary 87. 1003, ? Richmond, Vs.,
as second-class mntler, under
Act of Congress of March 3,
1879.
The DAILY TIMES-DISPATCH Is sold
at 2 cents n copy.
Tho SUNDAY TIMES-DISPATCH i?
sold nt C cents n copy.
Tho DAI I,Y TIMES-DISPATCH by
mall?BO cents n month; $5.00 a yean
12.60 for six months; Ji.60 for throe
months.
The SUNDAY TIMES-DISPATCH by
mail 52.00 a yenr.
The DAILY TIMES-DISPATCH. In?
cluding Sunday, lit Richmond nnd Man?
chester, by cnrrler, 12 cents per week or
B0 cents per month.
The SUNDAY TIMES-DISPATCH, by
cnrrler, B cents per week.
The WEEKLY ' TIMES-DISPATCH,
91,00 a. year.
All Unsigned Communications will bo
j rejected.
Rejected Communications will not be
returned unions accompanied by stamps.
Up-Town Office at T. A. Miller's, No.
B19 East Broad Street.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2-1, 1903.
Primary Bill, So-Called.
Tho Koczell-Bnrksdnlo bill "To pro
?vldo for primary elections" Is Improper?
ly named. It Is not a primary election
bill. It Is a bill to provide for party con?
ventions and the manner of selecting dele?
gates to suoh conventions. Under it the
people will not bo permitted to vote di?
rectly for candidates for Governor or oth
,er State officers, for Bepresentatlves in
i Congress, or for Senators In Congress.
Jin all Stnto contests delegates from the
'cities and counties are ,to be ohosen by
primary elections to a State convention,
and Instructed to vote for this or that
candidate, but the convention -will make
the nomination. Tho sumo rule applies
to Representatives In Congress, except
| that conventions will be held In each dis?
trict, the delegates to be chosen by pri?
mary and Instructed. In tho caBo of
United States Senators, It Is provided that
"in any primary election held to select
tho candidate of the party to be voted
for United States Senator by the mem?
bers of such party In tho General As?
sembly, the names of all candidates for
United States Senator shall be printed on
tho same ballot as tho candidates for
State Senator nnd House ot Delegates,
and the election shall bo govomed by tho
same conditions as are prescribed ns to
such officers under tho provisions of this
act, nnd the person receiving the highest
number of votes In tho senatorial or
House district for Untted States Senator
shall be deemed tho choice of his party,
nnd the nominees for tho Sonata, or
Houso district shall be considered as in?
structed accordingly."
Now, it Is provided In the first clause
of tho bill that whenever, under authority
of a convention of political pnrty, the
Stnto Comlltee, or other body having such
uuthorlty, In snld political party, orders
a primary election to ascertain tho choice
of tho members of any political party
for any office to he elected by the peo?
ple of tho State, or any political sub?
division thereof, or to ascertain the
wishes of the peoplo ns to a candidate of
that party to bo voted for by the Gen?
eral Assembly ot Virginia for United
States Senator, any such primary shall
be conducted under the provisions ot this
act."
It would appear, thereforo, that If this
bill should bo .<prtHscd,_. It would bo un
Iswful for tlKS Democratic party of Vir
Blnla to hold a primary election to vote
directly for candidates for Governor or
other Stato officer, for a Representative
in Congress, or tor a UnlteatSdetmfwyp
In Congress, or for a United States Sen?
ator In Congress. If that Is true, the
Koezell-Darksdalo measure should bo en?
titled, "a bill to prohibit primary elec?
tions in Virginia."
For Good Roads.
A oommltteo of Baltimore men have
formulated a road bill to be submitted
to the next Legislature, as wo learn from
the Baltlmoro Sun.
"The bill provides," says tho Sun, "for
an appropriation of $100,000 from the State
Treasury, out of which one-half the cost
of roads constructed of proper road ma?
terial, according to tho manner proscribed
In the bill, i? to be paid. Of tho remain?
der, 10 per cent, of tho whole cost may be
-paid by the owners of abutting property
and 40 per cent, of the whole cost by the
county, or 50 per cent, of the whole may
be paid by tho county. It seoms to be
left to the discretion of the County Com?
missioners whether tho State appropria?
tion ahull bo applied for."
Wo should not bo surprised io see some
such measure adopted by Virginia within
tho next several years. Our tax rtite has
been temporarily reduced from 40 cents
en ,th* hundred dollars to 3j cents on the
hundred dollars, r< cents of which is for
pensions Vet by reason of tho large,
Increase In the taxes from railroad cor?
porations, the Klato will be'nble to meet
Hit- interest on the public debt ami all
current expenses without any sort of
ouibairasMiint. J-'rum this It appears that,
within the next few years by restoring
the tax rate <? what It formerly was,
or at the most by increasing the tux
rate io say \h cents on tlm hundred dol?
lars, the Stale would have a considerable
surplus of revenue which could be ap*
proprlated to the Improvement of the
public roads. U the .State would agree
to give to cuch county a sum or money
for this purpose mi condition that an
oqual Bum bu raised by tbe county, there
would be u great itimulous to road build?
ing In Virginia.
This principle lia? been adopted in unr
public school system. The Hlate appro?
priates so much money to t-ach county for
public school purposes, mui gives each
county the privilege of raisins mi addi?
tional tun, out of locul laiutluu. The
<iotintlt?* hnv* generally responded ahd at
the result the public school fUhd has been
doubled, nnd the probability Is that the
lncron.se from lochl liUMlon will bo mors
nnd more from year to year.
But to return io the nuesllon of pub?
lic londs, the State should at lehst have
n ronil commission With ft competent *n
glnerrlnK force and should plan Ana map
out nntl supervise the rood work In the
go vera! counties. Tho counties of Vir?
ginia havo been expending largo sums
of money on Miolt' roads, but In many
cases the work hns not been done Intel?
ligently and-tho improvement was not
pet-mnnent. tt would he a great stop
forward if tho State would furnish en?
gineers to supervise the work of road
making in tho counties.
SouThern~Railroads.
The New York Evening Post sAJ'fl that
no securities company controlled a sit?
uation so completely Judging by present
nppenrnnces ns tho Southern Railway
Company now dominates tho territory of
the South-Enst. Loulsvlllo and Nashville,
ns Is well known, as absolutely In tho
control of tho Atlantic Coast Line, which,
In turn is friendly to the Southern Rail?
way, and the Post points out that In?
terests closely connected with tho latter
are upon tho now Seaboard directorate, in
company with the representatives of the
Rock Island system. It further says the
Illinois Central management Is friendly
with all, and that tho management of tho
Southern Hallway, which Is tho leading
spirit'of tho whole, Is vested In a, voting,
trust, with Mr. J. P. Morgan and hi*
policy In control.
Tho Seaboard as an independent road,
has always been a source of anxloty to
the othor railronda of the South. For some
time past the Seaboard had been giving
no trouble in the matter (of rates, but
when It got Into difficulties the other
Southern roads wero very uneasy lest the
road should go Into tho hands of a re?
ceiver, for nobody known what n ? re-.
coivOV may do, and thore was a sigh of
relief among the managers of tho South?
ern, the Coast Lino and tho Louisville
and Nashville, when It was nnnotmced
that tho Seaboard had succeeded in mak?
ing its financial arrangements. _^
President Williams has time nnd again
statod that the Seaboard is to remain
nn Independent line, and it has been de?
nied by him nnd by Mr. Harry Walters,
ot the Coast Lino, that tho road has pass?
ed into tho hands of tho Southern Ball
way. That Is true, for neither the South?
ern Railway, nor tho Atlantic Coast Lin*
can, under the laws Of South Carolina,
own tho Seaboard road. But the Now York
Evening Post Is doubtless correct In say?
ing that under this now arrangement, a
community of interests will bo establish-:
ed among the four principal railroads of
the South, and hereafter they will *ork
harmoniously together. This does not
mean that thore will bo competition be
twoon theso roads. Competition will bo
active, and each road will do the best It
can to secure business. But It doss mean
in our opinion, that there wilt be no
more disastrous rate cutting, and It la
also our opinion that this Is in the in?
terest both of the railroads concerned
and of tho general public. A uniform
rate is what tho public wants, provided
the rate be reasonable, It Is also to be
considered that the railroads are most
Important factors in the development of
tho South, and thoy are In thcmsolvea
great Industries. They give employment
to large numbers of men, and when they
are prosperous tho country which they
pass is benefited. Somo people Beem to
think tlmt it makes little difference to
tho general public whether the railroads
nro prosperous or not. But ono might nB
well sny that It makes no difference to the
general public whether or not any others
of the Inrgo industries of tho land, are
prosperous.
Tho recent Soabonrd doal has cleared
tho atmosphere and put the entire railway
affairs of the South In a much better
si tun Hon'.
Captain Carter.
"Captain" Oberlln Carter, formerly of
the U. S. A., will be discharged from
Port Leavenworth prison this week. He
was convicted of corrupt prnotlccs In con?
nection with tho government work on
the Savannah River, where ho represented
tho government as engineer in oharge.
It Ih said Carter will proceed to prost
culo his accusors as soon ns he gets out,
and that In that way he hopos to estab?
lish his innoconco of tho crimes of which
he was convicted. It he can do so, It is
his right, of course; but thousands of
other prisoners havo said the 6?me thing.
There havo beon boys, too, who swore
they would "lick" their school master*
when they had passed from Juvenllty to
man's estate. Likewise thore have been
soldiers who solemnly rnsolved that thoy
would kill their cnptnlns, ns soon as the
war was over. It is possible that some
unpopular officers havo fallen from shots
aimed by their own men, It Is within the
bounds of probability that some teacher
may have been chastised by a rovongottil
youth grown to man's estate but, as a
nile threatened foIkB live n long time.
We doubt If barter's accusers will Uem
ble much when ho gets Ins liberty,
Captain carter was a handsome, highly
educated, popular nnd much trusted offi?
cer when bo got Into trouble He hud,
however, contracted the habit of living
high ami spending freely and his salary
was not HUlllelcnt to enable him to "swell"
as he desired. And so ho put himself un?
der .obligations to contractors, and from
that badness ho went to worse. The result
Wa^that ho was detected, tried, found
gnRty, mul made to serve out n term In
prison, though ho uppottlod to every sort
of court upon every sort of plea,
It Is n distressing case but the moral It
points is pluln.
Fever in Colleges.
Typhoid fever bus recently mmlo lis pp.
pijiiirne In two of th6 Impellent col?
leges of New Kiiglanrt, and the cuuse
lias not been discovered. The linprussluri
bicms to be that the. disease was con?
tracted eluc-whoie by some of the students
und ihen disseminated.
Wevmul uf the Virginia colleges |liwl
nuffM-id In. the name way, and the causb
Is mysterious. Df, McHryuo, ot live Vir?
ginia, Polyteohtilo InHtltlile, ?t Blacks
burtf, says that almost Invariably some
of tho hoys" coming to that Institution
from malarial sections develop fever af?
ter arriving.
Whatever the cause, the greatest ca.ro
tmiftt- be exercised by our liistliulioiiB of
learning to prevent. thesO outbreaks of
disease, An epldemlo of fever In any Vlr
glnla eollofeo not only bronka Into tho
work of tlutt Institution, but brings other
Institutions more or less under suspi?
cion,'and causes general lineiislnesB on
the part of parents. It would, indeed,
seem that tho colleges and universities
of the State, which are tho seut of sci?
ence, should bo ablo to discover the
causa and the remedy. It Is a matter of
grave concern to our educational Insti?
tutions, and should receive Hie attention
It deserves.
Bradley Johnson is but recently dead,
and now General Oeorgo Hi Hteuurt has
Joined tno great majority, lie Was seven?
ty-six years of ago nnd dlotl at his home
In Anno Arundel county, Md., Sunday.
The lntormont will be made in Baltimore.
General Stouart wns a West Point grad
uato, and resigned from the United States
army' Ih' 1SB1, and cast his lot with the
South, and rose to tho rank ot brlgadler
genernl. He' wns In most of tho groat
battles in Virginia, and Is affectionately
rc'me'inhoreri by thousands of Confederate
veterans and others,
Cardinal Gibbons has Issued the follow?
ing ' proclamation to tho clergy of the
arch diocese:
The reverend clergy are'kindly reQUest
ed to signalize Thanksgiving Day by somo
appropriate sorvice sultnble to their con?
venience. * ?
The Baltimore Sun says It Is only within
the past few years that Thnnksglving
Day has been observed In the Catholic
Church In the South, tind Cardinal Gib?
bons' proclamation Is somolhlng of an
Innovation.
Klchmondjs-??^ municipal primary
and general election will bo Interesting,
not to say, sensational, but you will not
be able to vote In either of them unless
you have paid your State poll tax. Re
membor that and "interview City Treas?
urer Phillips this month, unless you havo
dono so already.
Don't forget this. If you do, there will
be a Joke on you next spring.
It Is the Stale poll tax that you must
pay, and you must pay It to City Treas?
urer Phillips," or ono of his deputies,
Louisville's fire department needs
reorganization If It be true that some of
its members are In the hnblt of looting
houses on fire, And "cool" fellows they
must be, since two of them nre reported
to havo trjed on shoes and found they
wore fits before they deigned to carry
them off,
.English .law. requires the owner of lost
Jewols to reward the finder to the cxtont
of twenty per cent, of the value of tho
Jewels! Such a law as that in this coun?
try would Boon start up an entirely now
industry. The "Under" would first see
to It that the Jewels were lost.
The New_Or7eans Times-Democrat has
perhaps hit it Just right with tho state?
ment . that "tho Bouthorn people want
the canal, and they don't care much how
they get ?."___
Why should there be any panic any
whoro around In this country? There Is
a plenty to oat and to trade on, and
somebody got.Hie money tho other fellows
lost on stocks.
Panama enn have a real enthusiastic
Thanksgiving Day If Uncle Sam will
agree to stand by nnd see It well done
and permit no Interruption by spiteful
neighbors. .
Turk^i'H, crnnbejries, foot-ball and
chrysanthemums go to make up the mod?
ern Thanksgiving Day. Tho thanking
part of It seems to bo obsolete.
On Sunday last a Northern preacher
preached a sermon on the tariff. He
should have takon for his text, "Thou
shalt not stonl." %
Of course, this country' must guarantee
the Independence of Panama, It started
the independence fover among the Pan?
ama folks.
A cold spell that does not bring along
snow u. foot or two deep Is not the kind
of a cold snap to please tho average
small boy.
Mrs. Susan G. Huyton died i-ecently in
Lincoln, Nob., aged ninety-eight years.
Sho was born In Spotsylvania county, Va.
The Confederate Soldlors' Homo at
Bcauvoir, Miss., Is to be opened and oc?
cupied on Tuesday, December 1st.
The men who burn the midnight oil are
the men who save the country, at least
that is what J. D. Bockefeller thinks,
Tho bold proposition to repeal the
Ih\rkartale pure elections luw seems to be
subject to eurly repeal Itself.
Mrs. fs'atlon does not go to Jail any
more. Being an actress now, sho has
money to pay hor tines,
With a Comment or Two,
No Jem than fi.KH enlisted inon tiro
suld to have deserted from the regular
army last year. Some, ot the utllcers will
leui like following their example if the
President iloesn'1 deHert Oenertil Wood.-.
I'lmhla Times-Union.
Hut tho President, like Senator Hunnu,
Is something of a "stand patter."
A correspondent Is Informed that there
urn ninety members pf t'la Senate: thlrty
ibi'oi; Uiimocrau and lifty-seven varle
lies of Republicans? Washington Post.
That's ull right to put It that way on
paper, but when It comes down to voting
together on any proposition affecting pur.
tv illripllne. It Is Jltty-soven JtepubllcanH
and iblrty-tlireo varieties ot pomoorftW,
When it gets to bo otherwise, we'll have
smile liupu of Demoorallo supremacy.
i Imttannuga Times.
There's much truth and Q lesson worthy
of prompt attention In that reply,
An Iiffoi'l is belntf made to repeal tho
l.'.-iiXsdalo i>ui','-. eloutlons law. The Rich?
mond Timi's-JilHpiiiali sums up tho oppo?
sition to the law us "those who wish to
sell votes," but fear* thai votes may not
uiwava pa bought for patriotic purposes.
'J he TuiKs-Dlspatch is right; buying votes
Is a gum* which the unscrupulous can
t";si piny.-Nelson County Times,
You Can I
witness!
f i
% at uny day in the week |
| scores of the most erMicnl <g
1 dressers in Richmond find- |
1 ing cbihrdetc satisfaction in |
| and adopting the Bttrk |
I clothing. What is the ad- |
!> vantage of others should *
f be likewise to yours. Think <|
f it over. %
| Choice Suits, |
$7.50 to $25.50 |
Choice Overcoats, |
$7.20 to $30.00 1
Burk & Co.
1 1003 E. Main.
<i>
&renct of TJhought
Sn 7)t'xta Xand
Birmingham News: Mr. Bryan says
he is merely an onlooker In the politi?
cal discussion going on in England. If
ho would only do llkewiso when he comes
homo the Democratic party would bo
bettor of'. v
Columbia State: Panama reminds ono
of a small urchin who pewps out from be?
hind -Jits father's coat-tails and makes
facos at his mother, who wants to give
him a spanking. If tbe old man would
get out of the way, wouldn't the dust
fly?
Memphis Commercial-Appeal: It Is all
right to reward great services with
prompt promotion, but Goneral Wood's
career has been all promotion and no
services to amount to anything.
Atlanta Constitution: An overhauling
of the documents of our past dealings
with Colombia under the treaty of 184ft
plalnlv shows that our action In this case
Is fully In-line with our rights and that
we owe no apology to anybody for recog?
nizing tho assertion and creation by
Panama of her inalienable right to set
up ftn Independent government capable
of self-maintenance.
Mobile Register: Tho politicians now,
as aforetime, think tho ldoa of Mr.
Cleveland being renominated for Presi?
dent by the Democrats Is almost beneath
their contempt. They aro expressing
themselves' In hoots of derision. They
Bhould bo more careful. The people do
tho nominating, The hooters may In
turn find themselves derided.
? ? ' -
A Few Foreign Facts.
An Irish woman. Miss Douglass, has
been appointed to the post of horticultur?
al lecturer bv the County Council of
Louth, the first woman appointed to such
a post in Ireland, and over men competi?
tors. .
President Koch, of the German Relchs
bank, Berlin, has Just celebratedI the seml
contenary of tho beginning of his official
career. Emperor William conferred on
him the Order of the Red Eagle of tho
First Class.
Tobacco Is both cultivated and consumed
on a larger scalo In Japan. Tho plant
was introduced by the Portugese In tho
seventeenth century, and the trade in it
is a government monopoly. Tobacco Is
nlmost universally used in a small plpo.
The bronze statue of Cecil Bhodos
which wns recently completed at Fulham,
Hingland; for shipment to South Africa is
ono of the largest ever cast In Englana.
It Is 14 feet high and weighs over five
tons.
German scholars aro notod for their
longevity, but few even ot thorn retain
their mental powers as long as Professor
Edward Zeller, who, at tho ago of 89. has
Just brought out tho last volume of the
fourth edition of his history of Greek,
pji.ioaophy, with 63 pages added.
s-?
Short Talks to the Legislature.
lilackstone Com lor: ;'.'.'?? ,. ,
The bill Introduced In . the. Legislature
to legalize primaries is all right on the
whole. Every effort should bo hade to
havo these above suspicion, whether they
be by ballot or by mass-meotlngs.
Norfolk Vlrglnlan-PJlot:
Wo do not wish to bo unduly skepti?
cal, nor even by Intimation cast asper?
sions upon the Legislature. But we have
reason to seriously doubt that the pt-cs
ent General Assembly can handle the
oyster problem without lotting down tho
Lars for Jobbery,. For Jobbery Is In the air,
and some of it, there is reason to believe,
comes closer home to tho Legislature
than some of Its members may bo aware
of. 1 ?,'.".1
South Boston News:
We do not claim that the present pure
elections law Is absolutely perfect. Wo do
say that It is a thousand times --otter
than all the other election laws which
have preceded It, and that It worked
splendidly on the last November election.
It can be mado stronger, more stringent
and better, and. It possible, It should be.
But repeal It?nevorl
Bouthsldo Democrat:
To repeal the Barksdale law bocauso
some men will violate It would bo no
more defensible than to repeal all other
penal laws because men wall violate
them. Tho right policy for all Democrats
to pursue Is harmony and honesty; tno
primary plan scorns to us designed to pro?
mote the former and the Barksdale law
the latter. Ho let's try'them long enough
tc ho fully satisfied as to their efficiency
or lnolllelenoy, and not berato a'bout con?
ditions so much to bo desired,
PICKETT'S I POSITION.
Where the General Was During
the Battle of Qettysburg.
Editor of Tho Tlmes-Dlspatch:
Sir.?In your issue of November 3d In?
stant, I rend an article from tho pen of
S. A. AbIio, concerning the conduct of
General George E. Pickett at tho battle
WOMAN'S HEALTH
Depends largely on the condition of tho
stomach. If this important organ la al?
lowed to become weak, Constipation de?
velops. Then follow Nausea, Sick Head?
ache, Nervousness, Insomnl* and Gen?
eral wsakness. To preserve health there
Is nothing su good as Hostotter's Stom?
ach Hitters. It will aid digestion, pro?
mote regularity nnd cure Dyspepsia nnd
Constlpitlon. A trial will convince you
of Us value. For Sale by Druflflllt*
HOSTETTER'S
STOMACH BITTERS.
of Gettysburg, in which ho snys thai
"Ilia Richmond pnpors, groping in the
dnrlt, attributed the heartrending dlsfls
let to tho fnlltiro of the other troops en?
gaged to support Plckolt's division," vlis.i
PetllgfoW's dTVlBluni and that "General
Pickett nnd his stuff wero well to tho
rear, to the right of the column com?
posed of his own division, &e." Having
been nt that time by tho sldo of General
Pickett, and knowing this statement to
he incorrect, us well as nn unjust reflec?
tion on General XJlckott, I foel It.ft duty
1 owo to his Illustrious nntno nnd leader?
ship, ns well as to the history of our
Southern cause, to refute tho samo, slid
give the fiiets of Hint intrepid ehnrgo,
which I can also prove by tunny eye?
witnesses, nnd participants' In that fight,'
In which the gentleman namod above
could not have taken port, or If ho did,
was not In tho front where Plckott was.
It Is true, ?mt General Pickett's staff
was not with him In the churgo, but
I, as his courier, was with him through?
out. His staff Was fit some othor point,
but General Plckott was with his men, a
few feot In tho rear of the.advanclng col?
umn durlhg tho"fight. Ho gave tho Inst
command given on the field In person,
which was: "Forward, double qulckl
Boys, give them a cheer!" He then rode
somo distance along the line of his men,
dismounted, and wont In a left oblique di?
rection, and mounted again, and follow?
ed his men. How near he wont to tho
enemy's lino I ennnot with accuracy
say, but I know ho wont within a short
distance of IT.
During the ehnrgo across tho field, he
kept his oyo on the loft, never looking
for a moment to tho right of column,
showing that ho fearod tho loft, In re?
gard to his first report of the hattlo to
General n. E. Lee, which Was returned
by General Lee, with the request that It
bo modified. General Pickett throw the
blntr.o on Pottlgrow's division, beoause
ho afterward said that General Lee hnd
put on his left "a division that was whip?
ped the day before." General Pickett
knowing that Pottlgrow's division had had
a hard fought battle the day before, and
woro badly used up, and were In no con?
dition to support htm In a charge that
was unpnralolled In the annals of war.
General Plckott knew that McLaw's di?
vision was held In roservo, which wns
necessary should thore be a defeat, and,
as soon as tho left gavo way, he sent
after rolnforcomonts. It wns'known by
overy one on tho field that Pottlgrow's
dlvlBion gave way before Pickett's men
had mounted the wall, nnd If Pickett's
men had been properly supported, we
would have cnrrlod tho day.
I have the highest reepoet for the gal?
lantry and bravery of the North Caro?
lina troops, somo of whom fought brave?
ly under General Plckott, viz.: Mat. Ran?
som's heroic brlgndo and General Cllng
mon, who hold back Butler's forces
around Petersburg, with three regiments,
and the many othcrB ot the old North
State, who honored their Stnto and the
South, but In tho Intorost of truth and
history, and In defense of the Immortal
name of Pickett, I am constrnlned to
write this In honor of the dead hero, who
ennnot now defend himself, but who is
entitled to the praise and gratitude of the
lnnd ho served, and the admiration of
all the bravo of the world.
THOS. R. FRIEND.
Portwalthall, Va., Nov. 20. 1903.
?
MUNICIPAL INSURANCE.
This Subject Discussed by a Well
Known Insurance Man.
In The Tlmes-Dlspatch of the 15th of
November was presented an Interesting
communication from Mr. James P. Har?
rison, of Danville, on "Municipal In?
surance. At our request a prominent
surance." At our request a prominent
analyzed tho communication and pointed
out what he conceives to bo the good
features and tho bad features of Mr.
Harrison's plan. Ho says:
If the suggestions of Mr. Harrison were
put into <offoct.nt Richmond, for exath
plo, It would probably prove, as he
maintains, a fortunate thing for the In?
surance companies, but might prove very
disastrous for tho public, and would not
likely bo continued boyond tho time when
ono single year of abnormal loss expe?
rience was sustained.
Tho public nro now co-lnsurors Just
an effectively ns they would bo under
Mr. Harrison's plan, with the single ex?
ception that tho tiro insurance tax Is
voluntarily assumed by the owners of
property, when, under his plan, It would
bo compulsory. Whoevvsr undertakes to
furnish indemnity for loss or damage,
whether it bo tho general government,
tho State, the municipality, or corpora?
tion or Individual by contraot, In order
to continue such Indomnlty from year
to yoar must be under tho necessity of
procuring, by the levy of a tax sufficient
to produco It a sum adoquato to pay both
tho losses sustained and the oxponso of
the conduct of tho business. If tho tax
woro levie\l and collected by tho gov?
ernment for the purposo of providing In?
demnity, Just as It Is now tevlod' nnd col?
lected for tho expenses of government,
thoro might result a slight reduction ot
th.3 present average cost, for the reason
that It would be levied against till
property owned, thero being muoh prop?
erly existing not now Insured nt all.
and It Is possible, though not very proba?
ble that governmental machinery for
colUctlOn of the Insurance tax and ad
iustmont and payment of indemnity to
the extent ot loss or damage sustained
by fire might ho more economical than
tho expense of tho preterit methods.
Thore would he, of courso, the advan?
tage that the faith of the whole pooplo
pledged! wns tho seourlty for tho pay?
ment nf tho losses, wherens now oapltnl
nt hazard, chiefly provided through tho
medium of joint stock companies, Is the
basin of security, and that capital must
bo withdrawn and seek employment In
other channels of trnflo. .
The arm of government In tho work or
Inspection, enforcing correction of physi?
cal defects nnd prosecution for fraud
would undoubtedly bo more effective and
produce a better result than tho pres?
ent methods of corporation inspection
ana supervision.
In the business ot Insurance no man
can ask, "Am I my brother's 1Vcep*,!'l
for tho wholo IoBs occasioned by flto,
whether happening from fraud or causes
preventable, or apparently boyond con?
trol, is nlttmatoly sustained, not by tba
stockholder of the Insttranco company,
but by tho property owner whoso pron
ortv remains undamaged and who seeks
Indomnity on it against loss or damage
to him His interest In tho burned prop?
erty Is like the fellow's hnt In the ex?
pense, ho may not see it, but It Is there
all the samo. u '
As n practical lHustrutlon, suppose that
Mr, Harrison's plan was niiul.3 effective
iit Richmond, where tho assessed value
of the buildings Is about *21,COO,000, and
tho average nnnual loss on buildings In
Richmond is probably not mow'than
$160,000, The nverago rate on buildings
In Richmond is probably not much in
execs of M cents, which rato, If applied
by the city government, would produco
nn Income of $120,000 a year-not enough
to nay the estimated annunl loss, so,.that
additional levy of tax would have to
bo paid., nnd the present tax rato for
city purposes bolng SMO, the total tax on
buildings in Richmond would nooessaiilv
ho something In excess of nn nv.srago
rale nf 2 per cent, fur both city purposes
and flt-o indemnity. This would probably
work very satisfactorily s" long as the
loss experience on buildings was normal
only, in the avenl of any great eon
flugrnllon like Hint which hns visited
Chicago, Boston, Jacksonville, Kin,, and
Peterson, N. J., it Is very plnin to-see
lhat Urn city would bo out of business.
hecnush of tho fact that thero would
be no reserve rrom which in sustain tho
abnormal loss.
A general discussion of Mr. Harrlson'H
Ideas would probably accomplish much
gced. though It Is not at all HUely tlw-t
Time's Ripe to Begin
Selecting Your Christmas Gifts
Preparations >for Xmas gifts aro busily going on In thousands nt
homes. Christmas Is nearer Minn some of us reallc.o, Tho shortening
days of November and Decembpr fly fust,
Gift making IS a difficult task unless thero aro large and suggestive
Blockn from which to select. Last Season wo could hardly do Justlflo
to tho buyers Who crowded this handsome store, This soason finds us
111 "a position to do Justice till nfotind?to our patrons, ourselves and
our merchandise. i <>
We have good rsaaoti to bellovo that otir old customers will come
' back and the many new ones gained this past year?others we hopo to
gain-will all make thoir Christmas purchases here.
Why not select your gift now? The store Is not so crowdod and
yeu aa.n Inspect our stock at leisure.
We extend to you the courteales of our credit system, If you with.
Boms Qlft Mlnti?
Signet Rings, *2 up| Diamond Rings, $10 up. ' .
Bracelets, $1 up| Watches, $5 up.
Opera Qlaeses, $6 up) Ohatelalnes, $2 up: Ohalns, Eto,
One visit will oonvlnee you of the beauty of our goods and that out
prices are lower than goods of like quality, can be bought elsewhere.
Schw&rzsehild Bros.
Richmond's Lesdtna Jewelers.
123 E. Broad at,, Cor. Second,
POEMS YOU OUGHT TO KNOW [
Whatever your occupation may be, and however crowded your houra
with affaire, do not fall to secure at least a few minutes every day tat
refreshment of your inner life with a bit of poetry,?Prof. Charles Eliot
Norton,_ ..
No. 38.
The Graves of a Household.
By MRS. HBMANS. ,
Folecla Dorothea Browne was born In Liverpool September SO, 1793. Bhe published her
flret poems In l&Ot, and In 1118 she wan married to Captain Hnraane. dylna Mar II. 1M5
at Dublin. Mrs Hemnn? l? perhaps bent known to-day by Caiablanca, but tne poem we
publish this morning srlveB a far bottor Idea ot h*r work.
HEY grew lu beauty sido by side,
They rilled ono home with glee,
Their gTavcs aro severed far and wide,
By mount, nnd stream, and sea.
The Bame fond mother bent at night
O'er each fair slcoping brow,
She had each folded ilower in sight
Where are thoao dreaiuerB now?
One midst the forests of tho West,
By a dark stream, 1b laid;
Tho Indian knows his plnce of rest
, Far In the cedar Bhade.
Tho sea, the blue lone sea, hath one,
lie lies where pearls lie deep,
He was the loved of all, yet none
O'er his low bed inny weep.
One sleeps where Southern vines are drest
Above the noble slain;
Ho wrapt his colors round Mb breast
Qn'a.blood-red'field of Spain.
And one?o'er her the myrtle showers
Its leaves, by soft winds fannedj
She faded midst Italian flowers,
The last of that bright band.
And, parted thus, they rest?who plnyed
Beneath the same green tree,
Whose voices mingled nB they prayed
Around one pnrent kneel
They that with smiles lit up tho hall,
And cheered with Bong the hearth,?
Alas for love if thou wert all.
And nought beyond, oh earth.
Thle wrles began In tho Tlmes-DUpatoh Sunday Oct. 11, 1801 One Is published each day.
tho publlo could bo Induced to adopt IiIb
P-rho loss ratio In the United Slates Is
the greatest of any section of tho world,
it being about twelve times as groat us
that of France; nearly eight times as
great as that of Germany, and five times
as great as that of England!. Thero
can bo no doubt that tho great variety
of legislation restricting the right of con?
tract has contributed very mntorinliy
. to the high rate of the tax for Indemnity
in the United States. In tho European
countries, particularly thoso whoro tho
insurance cost Is smallest, there nro no
valued policy laws, no nntl-co-lnsuranco
Btatutcs, no anti-compact laws; Insur?
ance contracts ore loft ontlroly to the
freedom of the parties tlwroto, and co
Insurance instead of being prohibited,
Is compulsory in nearly all Instances.
The making of uniform rates is encour?
aged as a matter of protection and fair
treatment to both the assured and he
companies, and Instead of valued policy
laws, the public and the courts sti emi
ously hold to the principle that In?
surance contraots are for Indemnity onl>
and under no circumstances should load
t0InFranc. the owner of or tenant occu?
pying a building In which a fire. orlgl
nntee must show to the court hat he
fire did not orlglnato on?WM}t$W
defect In the )?IMlW^??ffi
luiaa or design, before he is onuuou
rf any recovery of Insurance money, and
the,, only the actual loss or damage pus.
talned at tho tlmo of Ihe ?re. If .fu >
nm At 01 ?u m? H5l?ttJ5f ?, ,
romts to Imornnco on tin'"?"?? ? ?
;& % c.4. >k L?k res. .??
of firels tlie avoidance of negligence urn
nntldhioss Orderliness, tidiness und
ate c?"re will do moro lo reduce tho fire
waste than an expenditure five times
that now annually made for mulnlo
imiieo of flre-flghtlng brigades.
A year- W two ago, when the Council
of the city of Richmond appointed a
sneelat coro??too to consider the ab?
normal fire waste at Richmond, H Wft?
The Largest and
Finest
Chrysanthemums
For Thanksgiving at
Hammond's
107 E. Broad.
suggestod to the committee that the pres?
ent fire department of Richmond be
systematically organised as a corps ot
Inspectors, detailed to make house to
hour* Inspoctlon, eaoh inspector oharged
with the authority of the law to com?
pel removal of physical defects and en?
forcing rules against untidiness and neg
llgonco, but nothing oamo of that-eug
gostlon. This plan has been tried with
most gratifying iwsulte In the city of
, Cincinnati, nnd wo are advised that
Salem, North Carolina, whore it Is part
of the religious practice of the Moravian
Inhabitants to make systematic inspoa
toin of promises, the loss ratio for nearly
a century bus boon Inconsiderable! while
In Winston, N, C? Immediately contig?
uous, tho loss experience since the eatob
lishfuont of that city has boen qul1*
heavy, no such inspection praottoe being,
followed-in Winston.
e ?
All Aboard,
The iie?m Republicans of Rochester,
N. Y., KVrmod the Doughs league,
taking the name of the ffrfo-t ^pWPr,
n-o.lorlck Douglass, nrfa for their motto
these words of Ills: "The Ropub fsn-par.
|y the ship, oil else the sea." Tho.elm lie
Is npt-thn rtepubllcan party carries the
negro Ilka so mucJt fre|gh . He has
notiilmr to say as to the sailing or in*
lliip.-Sprlitglleld (Mass.) Republican.
.e
Mr. Braxton Here.
linn A C Braxton, of Staunton, is \\\
11" clty^and is stopping at the Wostmore
"jlr. Slroxlon Is here on legal business
and will rnuu.ln for several days.
rViVlH^AWol
WOOPWARD b% SON
LUMBER.
NINTH AND ARCH ST8