The times dispatch. [volume], February 07, 1912, Page 4, Image 4

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

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
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(,a- In Richmond tand suburbs) und l'e
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Entered January IT, IXC., at Richmond.
Ve.. as ?ecen^-elasc matter under act of i
Con irre ?* ?f Mnrrv. :ST!>.
wi;i'N'-:si>.\Y FEBRUARY ? . 1015. :
\ LKfiISLATlVK MtTlt.MSH.
Blllitl to their oaths to uphold the'
Constitution or Virginia, a majority ?f
the Senate will to-day. in all probn- i
blllty, rcsubmlt to popular vote the !
amendment permitting city treasur- |
era and city commissioners of
the revenue tnilimitetl tenure. Even j
h cornfield lawyer knows that j
suea resubmlsslon this year is un- j
constitutional: that all lav. and prece?
dent declare that the amendment Is
dead and that tile only tiling the Cen
crai Assembly un do is to sin it bill
over again. If tin vote comes to-duy,
the people of this State will behold the!
sorry spectacle of Senators who know
that the bill is unconstitutional voting
for it. It Is true that certain mem?
bers of the body arc convinced beyond
dotibt that the measure Is contrary to
law. but becaust of the appeals of of
nc?hcldors at home. will, against their
conscience and ogulnst their better
Judgment, upheld ;> proposition which
contravenes the Constitution. Lawyers.]
good lawyers, nien of rel'atntlon anil
standing -'ll the bar. men who know1
the Constitution und know constitu?
tional law, will lay arJde tnolr obliga?
tion to support the fundamental law.
The Constitutional Convention, a
body composed of some of the best law?
yers and thinkers and patriots of Vir?
ginia, with care and deliberation, after
long debate, Inserted in the Constitu?
tion a provi?ion limiting city treasur?
ers to two terms and city commission
? rs of the revenue to cut one term
when elected by the people. It was the
judgment of the convention that the
rh-inclples here sought to be put into
operation were In full accord with hu?
man experience and the public weal,
yet :?y their selfish machination- the
city treasurers and commlss'onors navel
prevented then.- reforms from having*
any trial whatever City treasurers'
and commissioner? in ofucs .' hen the I
Constitution went Into olft-et are yet
In office in many cas. s. They were vot- i
td out of office by the people, at the
polls In 1910, but In order >.o save theirI
political necks and to" keep from being I
ousted nt alii certain treasurers and,
commissioners employed a:i able law?
yer, who devised an Ingenious plan,
for reconsidering the matter li: the
Cleneral Assembly and rer.nbmltting ihcj
? liicsflon to popular vole this year. It!
tins amendment had been rulltlcd In?
stead of rejected by the people, no
?inertion of constitution.'! llty would
have been raised. The cry of unron
stitutionallty in urging resubmlsslon
tins year hna been the wall of a spc-l
eis I class. The principle laid down in'
the Constitution ha., never been given ;
a trial, and a desperate band of office-!
h'ddrrs ha* so Tar defeated utterly
iiiis wise- law. a Constitutional Con?
vention propose?, bin the city treasur?
ers and comr'i*'.?rion>!.? dispose.!
Supporter's of resubmlsslon this year
about, "The people tlcsilV il. the peo?
ple desire it!" There liaj been no evi.
deuce; that the people du any such1
thing. More than one hundred news?
papers representing the counties ,.i
Virginia and open to expressions from
the people are constantly rcanncd by
The Tlincs-Dlspaich, but no expression
of demand for this resubmlsslon has
to our knowledge ever appeared in any
county or city newspaper 'm the Com?
monwealth. It is possible that a few
newspapers have editorially advocated'
r.tich resubmlsslon. but ;:' f... they huvc
rot been noted. The truth of it is, the
people, as a whole know nothing tit
till of the proposition. ,\r... statement
th>l the people desire this aimndineht
rcsubmlttcd Is: a platitudinous false
l.ood. The city treasurers and ebih
missioners of khe re venu? -there ....
Convention und the public-spirited
wise und detrimental to the interests
of the people.
It Is an unwholesome state of af?
fairs that will let a fov; oltlcc-ottning
Individuals oppoat s ic. ?. .-fully the
welfare of tli< Virginia people. An
unconstitutional amer.dmcnt to iht
Constitution of Virginia nus passed
the House with but one dissenting
vote, and only one man Iii the .-i mil.
so far ?ias dined to :j. u\a voice |
against thl? pernlciotls movement.
Legislators do not ask themselves, "Is1
it to the people'?, best interest?" but. "is
it to my best Interest?" t;,c law?
maker says to himself, "If ! vnp for
this, 1 will have inc city treasurers'
and commissioners' support In m
race for re-election or pouk <,tiifr of?
fice, i cannot afford id antagonize!
them This is unconstitutional,
but?." He does not inquire of him?
self. "Will tills fimenimmt hc-nefit tiu
people.'.' Is the principle laid dvwn
by the Constitutional Convention bet?
ter and more in accord with good and
honest government?' It -i strange
that those who will not let themselvi -
think about this matter are so sure
of retaining their pol'tlcal power It
would bo hard to think of ;> bottei
jtiuo .to oppose a man With than the
.'? V- '. t. \ . ' ?
fact that ho voted for unodhstltiitlonal
rcsiibmlsslon; the simple platform that
in legislator who voted for an unconsti?
tutional measure when ho knew It was
unconstitutional Is not lit to represent
i the people, ivotlld be powerful In Its'
fore-, in h legislative campaign.
is that conscientious and patriotic
opponent of tills unii-ndmeitt, Senator
Walker, lo stand alone against it? Is
it possible that experienced legisla?
te-..- uhd reputable lawyers can deafen
themselves u> law and precedent,
duly and public obligation'.' It is said
thai an overwhelming majority of the
s.nate committed themselves lo this
amendment before Inquiring Into it:
constitutionality. Can it be possible
thai Senators will hold a private
pi, dgc made In the dark paramount to
public duty: i
, STICK TO TUM THAU,. .
In .-;.ii.- of tlie forces now lined up
against the llyrd Tux Commission bill
as originally offered, the TlrtlCS-Dls
patch still hopes thai the Legislature
will make real progress towards the
abolition of the present Inequalities
of the taxation in this Slat"-. It Is a
noteworthy fact that the arguments
advanced against the llyrd bill have
all been addressed to the method it ot?
tered, for nobody has been able lo
deny die fnets upon which the cry for
tax reform is based.
Since these fnets
since llibse who honestly objected to
the Byrd bill have found themselves |
compelled 10 offer some substitute for
these remedies, the question narrows
down to the single Issue?what reme?
dies wUl Virginia use |p the present
situation'.'
An analysis of the effect of Mr.
White's segregation bill would mean i
laborious and complicated caleula
Hons; to adopt tho hill without
analysis might prove a catastrophe for j
tUe State. Taxes arc the life blood of |
government. When tax law? are lion- :
est und wise, industry invariably pros?
pers; but even Rome, with Its riches,
with all the world at its feet, with !
Asia and Africa for granaries, and the '
forests and mines Of barbarous Uurope
for Its storehouses, could not survive
Us unwise and unjust tax laws, olid ,
the fall of I'.onic was- primarily due to
a bad financial system.
Thai Virginia has survived and
prospered under its present tax laws
i- n proof rather of the vitality of lts|
people than of the justice of its legis?
lation. These facts uro understood by
the whole Legislature. No matter
what private interest this or that
member or section may desire to serve
In maintaining the present statutes,
all admit that the laws are unfair and
both can and should be remedied.
Why. then, should Virginia wait two
or four years more to undertake (his
pri sstng nil obvious reform? Why
should wo plve other States the ail- j
vnntngc of attracting capital and labor!
by reason of their better conception j
of the principles und practices of tax- |
atlon? Why should we penalize the i
whole state, and lay a burden on the !
prosperity of all its citizens in order
to perpetuate the private advantage >Y j
one locality? There can be no answer'
to this except that the power of the j
tew obstructionists Is greater than
Urn capacity or nil the adherents to
the cause of improved laws.
It would he a profound setback to
Virg'nta if. with ?11 that lies before it.
liie Legislature allows Itself to be
drawn off on sonic cross trail and loses
the opportunity to begin a systematic
and Intelligent reform of our tax |
system. And in making this Improve?
ment ih. Legislature cannot adopt
any untried experiment: the figures
and conclusions of the Tax Commis?
sion are before It. These figures
furnish a ground upon which the
Legislature can base its conclusions,
and lios,- ilguree?not the visionary
dreamlngs of untried experimentalists
- arc the guides the Legislature
ShOUli. adopt.
I AVIATION VALtiE IX WAH ULM OA.
STHATIOX.
An interesting demonstration of the ]
j practical Importance and value o? the I
j aeroplane In war was mudc two or j
ihres 'd?ys ngo by Captain Montu and!
I Lieutenant itossi, two aviators at
[ inched to the Italian army In Tripoli.
Those olh
Hing
Arabian c-ncutnpntcnl about which
nothing was known, except that II
: h?%
i Hit's
that,
! 111'!
.11 Ion
.oild
iide
ce. the Ar.ibs did
: at sig.-.t of lb*
the contrary, tlity
i of bullets, ?.? iih
lug slightly Clip
innately happened
and pulling four
ings of the era ft.
cvr. to the fact
ith the motor and
caused r'ihc engte to swoop too nc.tr!
On the streng ill of trte demon*tra-i
tlon. il Is claimed, arid with obv'ous
for. ', thut had the Italians In in? be?
ginning of the war had a c imp-tent
corps of bird men scouts, they would
' have ere this made vastly nnre pro
grest in the matter of penetrating n d
I pacifying the hinterland. Tha leek
I of Just .inch knovfledge a.'the Montit
I Itossi scout reve.aie.1 Is responsible
mainly for the blunder* mil rovirscs
' of and inability to press vigorously
land eoiilideiitly t":i? ? Interior campaign.
j tiii: vti.n: or gamk to tin:
r.iioiKit,
leaving out of. consideration the
I enormous value oi bird life to in*)
I farmer as. an agency of insect destruc?
tion, those specie!- Known as game birds
lax? themselves the ftouict oX area?
income when protected. This fuel can?
not bo doubted if llio conditions in
North Carolina und other Southern
States be Investigated. Thousands
upon Hiousuiids of acres of fanning
hind have hcen preserved hy city und
' non-resident sportsm in, wlioj In order
in htliit, air forced to pay Hit formers
for shooting privileges. Under the
general plan, the sportsman usually
leases the fanner's hunting rights, the
consideration being the payment by
the former of Hie latter's land tuxes,
the farmer becoming the game warden
of his own land. The land taxes fre?
quently amount to as much as 1" cent?
na nor* in the morj highly cultivated
districts.
Tlie fanners <>f North Carolina very
generally filvor this sySti in, for it re?
lieves lhem not only of a considornble
lax, but of the nuisance of large num?
bers of village and city people tramp?
ing through their woods, field* aud
pastures, a source .of inueh annoyance
in the . urn try. A section In which
land is taken op in this way by sports?
men soon becomes dotted with shooting
lodges, for the upkeep of which much
looni 'labor Is omploysd and large .
sums of money expended In the uoigh- '
borhood. Instead, therefore, of ndc
quate game protection, as proposed in
tin- Rutlierfoord-Moncurj hill, working
a hardship upon the farmer. It actually
? reales a resource of a real market
value, in addition to the economic vhlne
of the feathered farm hands, whit h
ceaselessly work for the welfare of the
crops. The farmer soon learns to re- j
Hard his shooting rights as a thing of
value. Just as he does his water rights,
his standing- timber, his ice pond, his
fishing rights, his surplus manure, etc.,
etc. ]
In the event he desiris to hunt or'
his own lund. he willingly pays $1 for
a county license, for it is that very
license which indirectly makes his own
farm more valuable and perhaps pays
his taxes. Then, too. Uvj license sys?
tem breaks up a larpe class of country
idlrrs. who do nothing for sever.i!
months in (he year but scour the Heids
and woods'when hunting is free to all.
In the South It forces hundreds of m- !
groes lo work on the farms for a liv?
ing, who otherwise cast aside legiti?
mate labor and earn a precarious live-|
llhuod as pot-hunters.
Any one who has ever visited th'3
country districts of Virginia In No-!
vemlior will recall how the roads and
woods and ilelds are thickly piopled |
with so-called hunters, nlnc-tentns of
whom are trcspassars, without this
slightest respect fur property of any:
kind. It is Impossible to estimate the j
loss in cattle and in forests due to the
carelessness of this class, for lo them I
hundreds of fires are annually due.
Aga|n, a passenger on any one ,>i
our rnJlway lines during the hunting!
season sees hundreds of city folks, j
men and boys, who, with cur dog and
sun. devastate the country districts.
This class pays absolutely nothing for
the privilege, and deprives the farmer
of what Is really his property. Why
should these people be permitted :o
hunt without contributing something
for Hie privilege? There are but six |
States In the Union where they can ,
do it. Hunting Is t.ot an inalienable
right any more than is oysterlng or
the ownership of water power. The
savages so considered it. but even they
were restrict-id to certain areas soon
after civilization took charge of the
country.
The effect of the proposed law would
he. In Virginia as clscwher?, that the
rural landowner and all who lived on
his land would still hunt thereon with?
out paying for the privilege, but that
the city man would either have in pay
the farmer for hunting prlvllcfr?s or
not indulge Ir. the sport. Tot it has
been said that this law would not he
fair to the farmer. I( Is s.uggested
that any farmer who is thus misled
write to some friend in North Carolina
or in Alabama and satisfy hlnis.'lf as
to tin conditions in those States.
Gaby Dealys has invented a new
nance. "Dccdle Dum Dee," that la said
to be wholly unmailablo under the
postal laws.
j Richmond's youthful would-be Ty
I Cobbs and Christy Mathewsona uro
warming up now on the vacant lots.
Tin great Northern migration Id
Richmond can bo accounted for t>nly
on the hypothesis that it is never cold
! here except in the summertime.
An ex-Richmond College professor,
! writing from Carthage, N. C, says that
sentiment In thai city is fast crystalliz?
ing for Wilson. Perhaps this will make
Harmon go around muttering every
?lay, "Carthage dclcnda est."
I The aeroplane could he put to ex?
cellent use by our Solons. Such it me?
thod of transportation would land them
safely at the windows of the Cipllol
and not force them to run the gaunt?
let, of the besieging suffragists.
Old-fashioned woman should be <-.nr.
ful nbout going to the Capitol. They
arc so rare there that they are. likely
to ?>o put In glaa;: cases in the museum
ds mm specimens of tho genus of no?
vo tcsforwomcn.
Brother Addition, of tho I,ynchburg
NCWS, w?t gumshoeing around in tho
Senate gallery this weak. He knew
full well that he dared not face the
friends of I>r. and VlcotJ'rosidont Ann::
Blount Young, of the Chicago Kquui
suffrage. Association, massed on the
first floor, seeking- whom -they might
enliven. j
The ''turkey trot" may he bad, but
the good old dance that used to go to
tin tune of "Turkey In the Straw"
wni tho best ever Invented.
Kvcry day in Itlchmond Is so much
like Christmas thai a lot <>r people
t have forgotten to take iown Iho holly
decorations.
I
On the. Spur of the Moment
?y Roy K. Moulton
SprHm.
(A ninn in Indiana claims to have
seen the first spring robin.)
The I'll.si new robin has born seen,
a ml so it's up to us
tu.>ur lyre (or maybe liar) and
make a little tlisi
About the advent, once again, of most
su 1 uljlions Spring.
Along about this inn. of year it is.
the proper tiling.
Oh. glorious Spring with chirping birds' ?
"lid sproutini; tree* and grass.
It's lime to get the rakO und lion und ?
start t|u. garden miss.
Oil. locaulc'oiia Spring: It's almost
time for wild flowers to be ripe -
Excuse us for a minute while WC thaw
a frozen pipe.
oh, wondrous Spring, we welcome thee i
once moro with open arms, ?;
We welcome theo .within our midst
?Ith nil iiiy varied charms.
tVc groel thee, charming season, with.]
a loud und joyful shout ?
We've goi t.i go down e. liar now. our
furnace flic Is out. ^
Oh. balmy Spring, we will ere long gel |
up each morn at daw n. i
To get tin- neighbor's mower out und j
manicure our lawn.
We're glad to see you once again. j
That's certain", but?Gee whiz! |
We've got to stop this verse right here, i
Our doggone ink has friz.
I'liUKht On the Fly.
An Eastern pupcr asks if poets make ;
good husbands. .Most of them malte
better husbands than they do poets. j
Mr. Bcljnwsky'a comet chose u poor i
time to visit the earth. There are too]
many counter attractions just now.
it would take a pretty lively mov?
ing picture machine to catch all the
details of that Chinese revolution.
Tii>' Whltloek Brand seems to he the!
brand that Tolodn likes.
A Connecticut minister has started I
:i crusade against rice throwing at i
weddings. Nothing, however, bus been I
said about Dntlrons and rolling pin
throwing after weddings.
Dr. Pearsons, the philanthropist, litis !
doelded to quit tobacco after using it !
for seventy years. It Is always wise
to slop n thing like 'hat before it1
becomes a habit.
Eddie Young, a California pugilist,
has gone Into the ministry. He will
mid a shrinkage |u the gate receipts.
It seems as though The Hague peace
conference should do ., little conferring
just about now.
'Buffalo Hill has. said farewell to the
sliow business forever until next sea?
son.
Vccordlng to ( ncle Ahncr.
Thern :s hardly a pat that objects
to bavin' a mustache "it her upper Hi
provtdln' It's the right feller's mus?
tache.
One <?f Hod Rink's daughters mar?
ried the advance agent ;'cr a show and
tin teller his other daughter married
didn't have much money cither.
it is gutting so tin- musical comedies
thin ain't advertlsln' some champugiie
or cigarettes is ndverllsin' seine break?
fast food or other.
Doc Hunks. the only practloner In
Ulis locality, |a thlnkin' some of njov
ln' to a new neld, and Undertaker Amos
Hints Is also thlnkin' some of movin'
to the same town, although he don't
know exactly where Doc Is thlnkin' of
moving to. He says the town that's
good enough for Doc is good enough
for him.
Any feller that win leave the cold
band on his seogar while he smokes
it is th.'' same kind ??< a feller that
will borrow a dress ' alt and wear it
to a funeral.
Nobody knows just how a married
couple can get along peacefully us
Well as do ? man and woman who
have been married?about two weeks.
Hank Tumms Is a good feller and
everybody knows it. ? xcebtln' his wife.
The feller that Invented the red rub?
ber cherry for the saloon cocktail was
a genius, but he hasn't pot n thing on
the feller that invented the rubber
oyster for lite church social.
Some Seasonable Hints.
When suffering from the hrut do'
not drink too much ice water.
If you do l ot perspire freely this
hot weather It is a sign that there is
something wrong with your system and
you should :;< ? a doctor at once.
Don'l exercise too much In the hot
sun. Once a i .-rson Is sunstruck It l^
tho same ns though he Is stngestruck.
He I? never the same afterwards.
Don'i forset to put sunbonnets on
the horses to protect them from the
fierce lient Of tie sun.
A very suitable tiling In the way of
underwear for this hot weather can
lie mado out of discarded mosquito
netting or out of old hammock.
QUERIES &
ANSWERS
Senntor Feat hern! on.
Will you le;i nie the height ami
weight of Senator Featherston, of
l.yncl.bnrg? G. II. I
Six feel six inches. 195 pounds.
Panama Exposition, |
When will the exposition at San 1
Francisco open? Will It celebrate the
opening of the I'.inamn Canal?
R. P. HOUSE.
"On or about January 1, Hllii." That
and the four hundredth anniversary of
the "discovery" of the Pacific.
f'Hrui.gle and Cnllrare*.
Whv is the name "Laird of Sklbo"
applied to Mr. Carnegie? What does
"l.alrd'' menu- What "Skiibo?" Is
there any reptl table college in the
United States |n which the degrees of
A. R. nnd H ?, may both lie taken in
live veins.' ' A SUBSCRIBER.
BocailKO In' (a "I.aird of Sklbo.'! I^aird
Is old Srotch for "lord," and Iho title
might be applied witti propriety oven
to the Duke of Argyle. while it Is
much more likely to be given to the
inhalier proprietors of lands. "Skibo"
is th-- name ol Scotch estate of Mr.
< 'a rncgle's.
There is scarcely a "reputable" col
leg,, jn tbi- . im try in which a well
prepared Ptud. nt rnny not take these,
two degrees in (i.e years, provided, of
course, the eolli ?. confers theae par?
ticular degrees.
Some foikp pay a compliment like
Ihdy expected a receipt. Th' feller
that's shori in Ina accounts Is allus
ivUfc on soniethln' clsiu
THE INEVITABLE TOPIC AT ALL GATHERINGS.
By John T. McCutcheon.
(Copyright: 1912: By Johg T. MoCutoheon.]
"Well, young uinn, what's the news today? What has
Teddy been doing?"
'No-.v, mind you. I.e'a done lots of things that I admire.
For Initanoe. hta rofusal to accept a third term was ?
splendid thing. He has tremendous energy; I give him dut
credit for that, BUT?
"The man lacks balance! He's always going; oft hnlf
oocked It's disgusting the way he la running around the
country talking to every Tom. Dick and Harryl W>.o
wants to hear hlmT Kot I, for one.
"He should stay at home, whers he belongs. Instead of
trying to stir up class feeling and preaching his aoolaUs
tto doctrines. He wants to bs king!
"He's too Immoderate!
BgOt* like a wild man)
It? anybody differs with him be
"I tell yon, he's a menaoa to this country. What we
want Is * man who ts conservative and who doesn't los*
bte temper,"
Voice of the People
Against Atavistic Argument.
To the Editor of The Times-Dispatch:!
Sir,?I a in informed that on Th?rs- i
day, the ?nth, in the Virginia Legisla-j
t?re, during Iba hearing by the Senate;
Committee on Public Institutions and I
Education, a telegram from South Caro- I
Una was read which opposed the bill I
for the co-ordinate college for women'
In the name of the University of Vir?
ginia nlutnnl of South Carolina, There'
la no general organization of Uni?
versity of Virginia alumni In th'a St:ite, '
ami the question of the woman's col-;
l?ge has never been dlscussod by the
chapters acting together. Accordlnglv.
any telegram purporting to give the
unanimous view of the. South Carolina
alumni represents merely the opinions
of the srndjrs and no more. So much
for tin- sake of the facts, which ought
to bo known In Justice to those of the
South Carolina alumni who were total?
ly misrepresented without ever b j'ng
consulted on the subject.
So much has been said on the other
side, so many passionate protests have
been directed against the proposed co-?
urdlnato college for women, that I can- '
not help raising my voice for It us an
alumnus of the University of Virginia '
as a teacher by profession, and as a'
Vlrg'nlan.
First of all. however, lot mo .say I;
do i,ol Identify the Early-Rlson hill
with tha cause of higher education for:
womm. Mr. Henry Taylor seems to1
have shown In his letter to Mr.:
Armls;oad Gordon some of the ilaws In I
the hill, und the possibility that, as
Its provisions now stand, they might:
be Interpreted to permit coedncntlon.
If they eould be so understood. I agree!
With President Alderman that the bill1
should he worded In explicit terms tol
for.'s'all any such objection. But that!
is not the root of tho matter with i
those of the Richmond Chapter of
Alumni who were most earnest in op?
posing the bill. Their objections go!
much deeper. What they rjully fear1
most is college education for women.
That Is why they hold up their hands |
In eloquent appeals to the sacred tra?
ditions of. the past, the Id r-als of Vir?
ginia, Hie danger of smirching the!
bloom of Virginia womanhood, and so!
on. It Is no accident that the same
legislature which must discuss the
ISarly-RtSOn bill must also discuss the
question of woman suffrngc. Much of
the. heat of the opponents of the col?
lege for women comes from their
knowledge that the two propositions
are equally the product of now beliefs
and new Interests in Virginia, und the
Richmond Chapter of Alumni is com?
posed largely of men who fear new
ideas on principle. They cannot read
the signs of Hie times. Speaker Byrd
I is report ed us saying that the four
h?rmal .schools now open to women in
Virginia should be sufficient, as not
enough women go to college to make
State provision of education for them
; necessary. A few y?nrs ago one nor
nialschool was thought suillcient, a few
I years before that none at all. The
fact Ih, whether gentlemen choose to
se; it or not, that Virginia girls go
to college in over Increasing numbers.
I said in all seriousness It was a
matter of principle with many of the
Richmond alumni to reject new ideas.
Lately I hav-j read many letters in
vour columns opposing equal suffrage
and college education for women, and
in many cases the only argument of the
writer was that such things are now.
to him or her unheard of, and accord?
ingly monstrous, and the sad thing
about it is that many of the weakest,
flimsiest views are voiced by the men
who should be tho leaders. The opposi?
tion of people who discuss propositions
on their merits Is never anything but an
advantage; It is another class of peo?
ple that present tho real difficulty. It
is tho gentlomcn who speak with the
authority derived from preclouu ser?
vices in the. past, and ralaa their voices
f to forbid any change Ih tho present?
it Is thev that wo of tho present gon
j eratl?n llnd hard to answer. It Js the
I ladies who wer-; born in a different
world from ourf., who wero trained for
quite other duties than thoso our Bis?
ters and wives face, the ladles who
have been told by Urs romantic novel?
ists and poets that the ante-bellum
typo of womanhood was perfect, and
who nctually and honestly bolieve the
ideal -pattern has bjen long ago sot
?thov arc the seriously difficult op?
ponents of the work of the present
generation in Virginia. It comes down
10 that in essonej.
Every generation has its work to
do. Our great - grandfathers founded
' tho republic. our fathers fought
through the War and rebuilt tho State,
and our task Is a dlff?rent one. Our
I ({.rout work la to teach the people of
Vlrrtlnla. all of thorn: to broaden the
basis of free government: to unite the
efforts of all th; Inhabitants of the
.State with those of the rest of the
country and the world to make human
life better. In a word, a still often
despised word In Virginia, it 1* the
mission of the present generation In
Virginia to work for democracy, for the
free, energetic, hopeful view -.f life,
which looks to the future, as against
the despondent, cold, exclusive view
which looks to the past.
As a boy In Virginia I learned that
the h'ghest praise for man or measure
was summed up In the word "conserva?
tive." and th; grentest evil thnt could
happen to any valuable thing, espec'al
ly education, was to "popularize" it.
I believe those phrases expressed a
rial creed, one that appeals still with
power to many. If not most. Virginians.
But conservatism is the Ideal of the
stand-patter In thought and coniuct
ar.d accomplishment. There is great
comfort in believing that firglnitf
needs no Improvement?it saves lite be?
liever much trouble. But the younger
generation is learning to think, instead
of following blindly the tradition of
the eiders, an.} when It reads and
thinks and travels. It discovers that
the old phrases about our civiliza?
tion having been the finest tho world
ever saw w;re only the loose superla?
tives of eoltora and orators and arc
now quite discredited by serious: think?
ers hero and everywhere els;.
All the mere appeals to the past to
decide the questions of tho present arr.
worthless. They speak one language,
we think another. Whom is your cor?
respondent, Mr. Robert Ueverley, rjally
speaking to when In opposing woman's
suffrage he seriously asks "If our re
lined women of Virginia think they
have anything to learn from the wo?
men of the West and North?" What
amusement the same question would
causo If addressed to the men of Vir?
ginia, who, as every newspaper shows.
J are busy learning how they ibox npples
in Oregon, govern cities In Texas and
Iowa, make Hhoes In New England,
consolidate country schools In Indiana,
build locomotives In Pennsylvania,
conduct State universities In Wisconsin,
?trnch G-reok In Maryland or Illinois,
j paint pictures and carve marbl'i 'n
Homo and Paris, and in general arc
? learning whore men know best how
i to do any of the infinite things that
I young Virginia wants to do.
j The young men and women of Vir
I glnla arj, lirat of all. men ami wo
! men, and only secondarily Virginians,
land characteristic of this age is the
I deslru to deal with facts and to value
i them wherever obtained. The time Is
? on? of change, of testing of old valuoF.
! The younger generation sees change
on all sides?religion is changing, poli?
tics Is changing, the farm, the- village,
and the city in Virginia, as you:- ex?
cellent Industrial Section shows, arc
steadily changing, and with thorn the
I conditions of life, the distribution of
! the population of the State, and the
' requirements of Its peopll, and their
habits. Where one man went to Now
i York from Richmond fifty years ago.
! now ten women go to London and
] Paris. And In the face of this, gen
I tleman tell us there Is no change, or
i rather there should bo none. They turn
I always to the past, and say to us with
j triumphant voices, but anxious hearts,
I "Look, in the great Virginia of the
j past these things wore unheard of.
What arc we coming to? The past is
! familiar and dear; the future 's ilhr
1 known; let us turn around, wrap our
! throadbare satisfaction around us, and
' pretend that tills is the past, not the
I prisent." And their feelings are
I wounded when we will not listen.
We do not know the future, and
! they do know the past, or think they
i know It. But one thing wo know: th !
i past of Virginia is a matter of three
centuries; her future Is infinite In
timi and possibility. In the '70's Vir?
ginians were barely persuaded to adopt
a general public school system. Only
tho wisdom of rtuffr.er and a few pre?
vailed over the <lead weight of thi
pats! and tho prejudice of many. Thf
next twenty-live years will .?co eqiisll
suffrage in Virginia. Ihl noXt lifter:,
????ill find uvery child in the .State re?
quired to attend school nine months In
the year; the next tea will see Vir?
ginia providing for women thl Same
advantages and opportunities for edu?
cation which she now offers her youne
men. L> P. CHAMUERLA YNK.
Unlveralty of South Carolina.
Columbia, South Carolina.
Kins Wllllnm's Army Post.
To the Editor of The Tlmos-Dtspatel,
Sir.?It seems tin editor of The
Times-Dispatch need* posting. There
Is a greater difference In following the
I Manns to the bloody fields of Moscow
I than by simply suggesting West Polat
as a suitable place for the United
stat?s Army and Navy to bo posted
I and learn the wonderful manoeuvres of
: modern warfare. Yes, this Is the same
I ex-Private William U. Turpin who made
] the suggestion, "All things arc possible
, to thosj who believe." and I believe
the United States Army and Navy have
becoine so well reconstructed (and In?
structed In the great school of th*
uncivil war), that they will behave
themselves In such a bcuutlful and
suitable place as West Point, tho gar?
den spot of King William, and King
William Is the Eden Of Virginia; Vir?
ginia is the Paradise of this lower
world. West Point Is the llrst spot tn
King William that Is kissed by th :
warm rays of the morning sun as he
; comes forth In all of hit, brilliancy
jfrorn the briny bay to gladden the
world.
If the army and navy do,not behave
In BUCh a lovely place, the boys and
girls, too. of dear old King William
will rise up In all their glory and r:
speclfully Invite them to leave "P. C'."
WILLIAM H. TURPIN.
Ex - Prlvato of Tomblln's Bloody
Itattallon.
Women Needed In Politics.
To the Editor of The Times-Dispatch;
Sir,?To ono who has read with in?
terest the numerous and sundry lettors
wrltien on the subject of woman suf?
frage It seema that tho stronger ano
fiercer the argument against It the more
norciisary it incomes that woman
should take an active part in the gov?
ernment of this great nation, certainly
if Its politics are in the filthy, slimy,
I polluted condition that somo of the
malp writers rcprisent.
Women have filled some very im?
portant positions In this world, and
I with credit, loo. Her rcllalng and purl
I lying influence always has Its effect.
One fimalo writer seems to be under
Hie impression that the political arena
Is the only place whore there is Strug
gle, hont.' dust, and toll, but she is
vastly mistaken, and some of h = r sis
tors could enlighten her. Virginia is
I not cntirclv free of crime, divorce and
i social evil, and glass houses are not
' safe whin one commences to throw
stones. She. also begs the Legislature
I not to rob them of the protection and
watchful care of man. I think if she
will stop nnd reflect for a moment
Hhc may r.M-all some cases in this
gratia old State when it was not even
1 safe to be under tho watchful cure
j of a man. She is also referred to as
j tho power behind tho th.oi'c. Perhaps
? the time is ripe when her power should
I show Itself. There 'is certulnly a time
for all things.
Previous to all this excitement. I
was opposed to woman suffrage, but
j even if they arc Che weaker vessel, they
may be abli to help out this deplorable
.condition without lowering the star<|.
aid of female purity and refinement.
SOUTHLAND.
Providence Forge.
RICHMOND, VA.
solicits your account, active or inactive, small or large. We
pay 3 Per Cent. Compound Interest on all savings accounts.
One dollar will start you. f
CAPITAL . - ' $1,000,000
SURPLUS - $600,000