Thursday, August 2, 1900
THE COURTS
It becomes our younger men, who are about to get control of the voting constituency or law making power of our government, by their influence as lawyers and members of our courts, from county courts to Supreme Bench, to give very special, exhaustive study to a question that has been recently sprung and is in a measure to be decided by the issues of the pending presidential election.
As matters now are, no one is ever dreamed of being qualified to be a judge unless he be a lawyer and has become distinguished in the practice of law, unless it be in the case of County Courts. And in this case, it seems to be agreed by common consent that in everything a county court does a lawyer is somewhere in it. A lawyer, it seems to be taken for granted, may be always looked for in the county court woodpile – unless granting liquor licenses be an exception.
The stupendous fact is becoming more and more apparent that the judiciary department – the courts – of our government is constantly increasing in power as it limits the power of the other departments, the executive and legislative, while there is no means provided for to review and revise its own power. Hence, there is more truth than poetry in what one of the formost orators of the day says, “the judges are the priests in the temple of liberty, while the lawyers are the acolytes that guard the sanctuary…
RELIABLE MEN
“One trouble with many young men who start out in business is they try to do too many things at once,” says Hetty Green. “The result is they don’t know as much as they ought to about one thing, and they naturally fail. The trouble with young men who work on salaries is that they are always afraid of doing more than they’re paid to do. When he does something that his employer has not thought of, he shows that he is valuable. Men are always willing to pay good salaries to people who will think for them. The man who only carries out the thoughts and ideas of another is nothing more than a tool. Men who can be relied upon are always in demand. The scarcest thing in the world today is a thoroughly reliable man.”
NEW HOPE, VA.
July with us has been extremely hot and dry, several persons were overcome by heat.
Mrs. Dare Smith, a daughter of Adam Nottingham, of Pocahontas, died last Sunday night at the home of her sister near Annex. She was buried at Asbury Chapel.
Miss Fannie Dieahl fell from a cherry tree and broke her neck, causing instant death.
A young man near Cave Station fell from a cherry tree and broke his back. He is now lying in a very critical condition with no hopes of his recovery.
W. B. Crawford’s barn was struck by lightning last Thursday evening and completely destroyed by fire. A fine horse was burned.
Chas. Morris, a desperate character, was lodged in jail in Staunton to answer the charge of murder.
We extend our sympathy to the sadly bereaved family of Jeff Houchin in Pocahontas.
We are sorry that the large town of Frost cannot secure a spot large enough for a post office.
In a recent issue of The Pocahontas Times, we read of the extended visit of Rev. W. T. Price to Virginia. We had hoped to have had the pleasure of seeing him among his friends in this part, but we were disappointed as we read of his return home some days ago.
We feel sorry that we have not read anything from the good people of Pocahontas about the relief fund for the starving of India. Several thousand dollars have been sent from Virginia, and we pray that the good work may go on.
THE LIQUOR LICENSE
Mr. Editor: Will you allow me space in your valuable paper to have a part in the question of today, a question that naturally interests every citizen, whether he be a law-abiding citizen or not. Now let me ask this question of Mr. Montague: Does he want to see Pocahontas County brought down to a level with other parts of the country in morals and crime?
What can be the benefit of license. We license a saloon that makes a man drunk; we pay policemen to remove the drunken men to jail; we pay the officers of the court high fees to try the prisoner; we pay a big salary to a judge to sentence him, and if he commits a crime, we pay the expenses of a penitentiary to shut him up in for years. We have to take care of the helpless one either by private donation or by the public fund. But we cannot save the immortal soul sent untimely into eternity through the influence of strong drink.
If the law will not stop the accursed speakeasies, neither will it control the saloon. I say give us clean officials and see the difference. Then, if a man loves milk, it is hard for him to starve his cow. Not wishing to take up too much of your valuable space, I will quit for this time, hoping Pocahontas will never have a licensed saloon
R. E. L. Doyle
