Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1830-02-25

4 AUQhEnttnn.
Nor Will say that in adopting this Dian thew
have chosen the best Que to attain 70 the A..
ssde'ostsa, as have conceived il to be. Nv
presentpurpose Is answered, if shcw thai.
upon free and full investigation by able
men from ali quarters of the State, material
ana lasting Improvements have been made in
the system. ~
i l. In the first place. all those who now ex-
1 ercise the right Of suffrage, win enjoy il un-
der the new constitution.
! Z. Every free white male citizen oter the
age OF twenty-one years, who is possessed. or
1 maose tenant IS possessed of any freehold in
terest or share in real property of the value
u 20, whether that interest OF share be in
divided or undivided property, in present pos
SESSION or expectancy, shall vote hereafter.
! .; Every holder of leased property, where
'ne tease was originally for Eve years, Of the
annual value IN rent OF $40, and
Lastiy-Every free white male citizen Of
age, VINO Tor twelve months preceding has
oeen house keeper aud head Of family,
and has paid any state tux within that time.
VIII have right to vote.
These three provisions, and especially the
last, maze most important change in the
qualification OF voters.
III farmer now leaves a large family Of
industrious sons, his farm must be very
small one, indeed, if all the boys have not q
vote, and the same may be said Of the sons Of
the mechanic, who may leave nothing but
his house and lot in town.
10 many parts of the State, persons are
living upon long leases for years, who viii now
come in as voters, but particularly by the last
precision, almost every man who can rent a
roof to cover his family will be brought in;
the renter who works other mems lands; the
merchant or Sanpkeeper who pays for a license;
every head Of family who drives bis own
wagon, cart or plough; the lawyer and doc
tor who has horse to ride to the courts, or
to visit his patients; and the resident mcchan-
&c who pays any tax to the State, will now be-
allowed to vote.
These provisions will at once admit many
thousands OF our respectable fellow citizens
to the privileges Of the elective franchise; but
this OF itself wouldnot lin myopinion, be doing
enough unless certain consequences should
follow this change in the Legislation Of the
country. These, of course, are only con- sc
tural; but still many may be fairly looked for.
The most important changes may be ex-
pected in those laws which affect especially
the interests Of those classes Of our citizens
who will now be admitted to the polls; and
these notifications will be made because
men will be sent to the Legislature aware of
the grievances. If any exist; and who will be
charged to redress them: and this will hap
pen, not because these classes will constitute
majority, but becauseif the evils are known
to exist, majority can always be found to
elect men who will be pledged to do justice to
the oppressed | will mention, by way of
example, one or two instances where the law
may be thought to bear hard upon the ex-
cluded classes
Any one, conversant with the law of Land
lord and Tenant and Of Distresses for rent,
may easily perceive that these laws have been
framed chiefly with a view to the security of
the landlord; and the reason is, because they
have been made by landholders. But now
the tenant who has felt the pressure Of the
operation Of some parts Of these laws will
give his vote to no candidate who will not
concur in his views.
The Road Lasrs are VIGOROUSLY oppressive
upon the laboring and the poorer classes Of
our citizens. They bear heavily upon their
time and their labor. The new plan Of suf-
frage will let in men who can speak loudly,
and from experience, of this burdensome obi |
cation.
pass by many features Of our Legislative
code that rise to my visw. such as the laws
relative to the collection Of small debts-the
Militia Laws-ihc management OF the Liter
airy Fund and the ike, and will mention but
oIre more instance:
The system of levying Pol faces, a mode
Of taxation which makes no distinction be-
tEeen rich and poor-between the landbolder
yxhd the laborer. This, with the county leyies,
lis the chief occasion of those lists of deEn
quents that are exhibited In such long array
BY our sherifis. A man well to do in the
world does not feel the payment Of his taxes,
(and certainly, in comparison with any other
people on the globe, we can hardly be said
to pay any thing,) bat still the man who lives
by his daily earnings, or even monthly and
yearly labor, sometimes finds it troublesome
to pay up his assessments.
Would net reform in the road laws, poor
laws, militia laws, Sc. carry with it the aboli-
ton Of this grievance, and introduce a more
equitable system Of taxationp VIII not the
extension of the right OF suffrage tend 40
bring about this reform? Would not more
extended, more equitable system OF State tax
alton be naturally resorted to-, as a substitute
| for this bur,iensome and partial mode?-And
would we not find our brethren OF the iosrer
country ready to join us in any system OF
State taxation which would make every citi-
zen pay to the support of government accor-
ding to his ability? -
| venture to say that we should, for this
reason:--that they have always paid more
than their share OF the revenue. stated IN
a former number that the people below the
Ridge paid into the State Treasury 50 to our
Il, and this, fellow citizens, is afaet-as GER