Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1850-01-07

:. 80 ~ ..-..-- ,ts.a
lit is~iupossibIe for them 10 hold concert or te
e know who intended to vote and who did not
4 even if they cared to know. This deed was
questioned by the Commissioners at the Pres
Dental election CT 1877; and the right only con-
: ceded to four to vote, Though greater number
did vote at the different precincis) that being the
J.. utmost point to which majority OF the commls-
S sioners thought thoseeunt'er this deed had right
! to vote--that if they were tenants III common
, they were such only of the interest conveyed tc
/ them and 10 more-abont 22l acres, ard tc
} which number Court OF Chancery must reduce
them upon IA division. That dicision assigned
/ 80 acres of uaimproped htnt to each OF the lour
and certainly was decision IN accordance with
honesty. H. contendetl that all had right to
vote in right of the whole land, as ii was undi-
vided but that is immuerial now, il shows one
thing (even admitting for the sake OF argument
that this was rght.) that any law which can be
used for-sueh ends is Il fraudulent law, a dis
grace to The Statute Book and atnntoerable out
rage upon popular rights. Admit tlle legality 81
snch deeds-'olerate the existence OF such fraud
ulent laws--and you may as well surrender all
hopes Of the purity Of elections, | denominate
all deeds OF ,l1is description, 'Pocket deeds" fol
in point of fact they areet the same 'kith and
kim of the foul brood ofiS4o. / might enrme-
rate others as odious as thse to which | have
REFERRED but it is not necessary am glad to
see some of the ablest journals OF tee State
laundering their anathenlas against them-the
:I.ynehburg Republican," for instance, is in
dignantlv deuonneing one OF those deeds recent
lv maste in Amherst. Bat these deeds useful,
they have awakened the attention OF the lntelll
gent of all parties in the State to the ridiculous
ness and odousness of the restrictions sought to
be imposed upon the highest prero9atlve OF free
men, the right to vote. Let all good mel tbs
unite to strike down these odious Restrictions and
proclaim the :.gIatl tdngs'' of1mirersal suffrage
to the freelnen of Virginia. do not deem it
necessary to trouble you with a further discus
sion of tiiss,ibect, my last two letters to You
were deliberately devoted to it,
The subject of Reform is before a Special
Committee of the Legislature, at this time.
hope prudence and wisdom will rule the conn-
sells OF all true reformers, and that all honest
and lust compromise may harnonlZe all clashmg
interests and secure reform. | hope such re
formers as that excellent man. Samuel Price OF
Greenbrier, Shelley, Patrick and others may not
refuse to enter into just compromise Most
sincerely do wish could get the white ba-
sis from fine Legislature Tut il we cannot get it
there, we can at the polls, III the election OF del
egatt4s to the Convention.
/ have taken occasion several times In the pro-
gress Of my Correspondence with you; to aude
to the position oi Our present able Governor upon
tlle subject Of Reform his message 10 the Le
oslature confirms lie justice OF all tbs: enc otnl-
lns hch have passed upon him. beg leave
10 conclude my discussion of the extension OF
the right OF suisfa &c BY quoting one or Two para
graphs from. that able Slate paper-the message
of Gov Floyd:
.Dut the most elaring wrong perpetrated up
on the rights and intelligence OF the people, is
to be met with in those provisions touching the
right of suffrage. The role controlling that high
privilege, now, is a purely arbitrary one The
princiIae governing the right Of suffrage under
The old constitution is discarded, because too
restrictea-and the reason for it, discarded also
1t is a rule now, without principle, and without
reason to support it, seis-less and Insulting III
the distinctions hch it draws, and most peril
cious in the Consequences whlch.now from 1t.
The abroaation of This provision of the consitu-
ton and the substitutes" OF the proper one Ill Its
stead, would, i'll my opinion; well justify the ey-
pense and trouble consequent upon he call OF
Conventions The GROUND upon which the old
constitution placed the right was distinct and
definite 1t went upon the idea, thft the own
ers of the soil should not only govern that but
should govern every thing else beside. The alb
surdtv of that idea has long since been exploded;
and it is now repudiated BY the enlightened
Statesmen of every State in The Union.
"1he principle of universal suffrage ought to
be adopted Justice require it, and the splri.
of the ace demands it at the hands of the Com
monwealth Every free White man, citizen
of the State, over twenty-one years OF age,
should be allowed to vote in the county where
he resdes-but nowhere else. The right TO vote
in as many counties as can be reached bya man
holding real or pretended title to land therein,
is an insult TO reason and nautlaee upon popular
rights: it is calculated to give to the cities and
towns control over the interests otthe surround
ing country, whiehcan rese.tFaneAothng but m
iuTv and discomfort This is one of the crying
eyils-a nuisance rendered sacred by conststn-
tonal enactment, which the public mind revolts
at, sand will have femedled,"
| shall devote my next letter to you to bret
discussion of our Judiciary system, especially
the. County Court system.
Very respectfully
Your ob't~servt.
Dec. 18th, 1910. POTOMAC.