University of Virginia Library

Draft Doldrums

As the semester ends many are
reviewing the lessons that took
place in the lecture halls, but a very
important demonstration has occurred
in the General Assembly
that controls the tax supported system
of higher education in Virginia
and made a demonstration
of that control. The General
Assembly passed-without a single
dissension vote-an angry resolution
condemning those who protest
against the military conscription
act and calling upon the office of
the United States Attorney to
prosecute all who oppose this act.
I asked one member, who is a cut
above the average legislator and
not a mean man, "Why select out
of all the public laws this one as
being most necessary to promote
society when there has been controversy
on its merits all this
time?" I like the man and did
not want to ask why had the
Assembly taken part of its 60 days
that would have best been spent
reviewing the state's problems; or
why the about-face in praising
a federal statute-the graveyard
shakes-and calling on the Justice
Department for vigorous action-the
heads of the state NAACP
and AFL-CIO take two pills each.
But I like the man and so I try
to mind what manners I have.
I didn't even ask if it were
really fair to throw a stone at
George Mason College's Professor
James M. Shea to whose
honor the resolution was reportedly
intended. Armed with this resolution
a legislature can do
nothing. The man who introduced
it carries the thing in his hip
pocket, for padding, no doubt,
the better to slide into the Congressional
seat he now seeks. My
friend replied that he knows very
little about the draft act, but that
he and other members felt the
need for, "respect for laws because
once we loose this, our whole
Democratic process goes out the
window." A ghost now walks the
halls of the Capitol and points
a bony finger, and whispers
"SHEA;" and laughs at any sweat
he sees. In that sweat John
Randolph recognizes the waters
that once flowed in the Yazoo
River.