The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1871-08-10
Popular Enthusiasm Aroused!
ELOQUENT SPEECHES AND EARN.
EST APPLAUSES!
Speeches by Mai, N. Fitzhugh, of Ka-
nawha, and Col. A. T. Caperton OF
Monroe.
ARGUMENTS LOGICAL, PLAIN
AND CONVINCING.

At The ringing of The bell goodly number
of the citizen, Of Mason County repaired to
the Court House, and on motion of h. Sehon,
Esq r. Beale, Esq. was elected President
and Mr.. Geo. W. Tippett was elected Sore.
tary Mr.. President then introduced Maj
Filzhngh who made clear and demons,n,
tive argument, in favor Of the proposed Con
stitutional Convention. He first proved that
the Constitution was vicious in some Of its
parts and illegally adopted, because the Con.
slitution expressly provides that "the powers
Of Government reside in all the citizens Of the
State, and can be righlfully exercised only in
accordance with their will aud appointment"
He fully proved that ut the ratification Of the
present Constitution that the majority of the
people Of the State neither voted for OF against
That in the year in which il was voted
on, The State then had a population Of about
4OO,OOO, giving popular vote of about e5,oOO,
aud this Constitution was adopted by vote
Of something like $4,000, less than one.third
entitled to vote thereon; and his argumentlo log
icall y concluded that il the Constitution was
good and the people desired to retain it, that
The instrument should be readopted: on the
other hand II it was obnoxious, they should
have like right of expressing their feelings.
and that n new Constitution should take Its
place.
The system Of County and Township organ
izalions came next. and when contrasted with
the expt nses of tho County under the system
of 1860 it was found that in that year, Mason
County paid her officers fraction over ~ OOO,
and that in 1870, under the County and Town
ship system, it cost the County $4,000, or
about 1925, where in go ii cost ST. The
School money is not embraced in this estimate.
In Kanawha, by contrast in the same manner,
It's about eleven to ono, and 80 OH through
tho . cnnnties whose estimates were furnished
him. In these pine,een count;ss. The taxes
for county purposes aggregated $S2,oeU IN
1860, and that in 1870 it amounted to $9O4,'
O0O-a difference Of more than tw, to one
This is exclusive Of all school monies.
Figures do not lie. Under the present
system we have about eleven officers TO pay,
where IN 1860 we had one. He cited one in
stance Ralvieh County, where in 1860, % OF.
fcers atentedto the business Of the county ;
in 1870 it required 266 to do the same work.
Another defect in the Constitution sthe man
ner therein prescribed in Art 6, Sect ID, That
Judges may be removed by the concurrent vote
of all the members elected 10 each branch Of
the Legislature, If an unconstitutional, OBJ
noxous and oppressive law is passed, and a
citizen suffers by it, his redress is in court
Of Justice. liza Judge decides this law illegal
and void, unconstitutional, he may be removed
from office for doing what he has sworn to 40.
lion the other hand he is a tool in the hands
Of party, people arc forced to suffer the con-
sequences Of vic Gus legislation.
dc then went on TO show the mlsapplance
Of money appropriated for education; and in
Mason County, there is in the year lsIO,
$9OOo receipled for, OF which We have had no
benefit. The Constitution Of this State as 1t
now is, keeps down the desire for Free Schools
and the Democratic and Conservative party
are not opposed to it: but are in favor OF 1t,
where 1t can DC regulated so that the money
may answer the ends lot which II was appro
priated In This State in the year lslO, there
were received from all sources $3.50 ,oOo Tor
school purposes, Of which there were expeni'
ded for schools S!6O, oOO; leaving unexpend'
ded and unaccornted for s3O5 ,OOO in that year
The speaker said by adopting aconstllullon
which will retain the parts Of the old constllu'
ton which are conducive to the interests OF the
citizens and providing for an economical ex
penditure Of the public money, and necessarily
re luclion Of taxes you will secure perma-
nent Free School system and also secure your
money in way which will far more than pay
the expenses Of Convention.
eynpnses renorted 10 the Legislature of this
Slate a. tho nronosed call far n Convcn,ion 10
ndont our present Constitution, that the ex.
noNsss would In as SOO and m the last day
r. RI ,Lo s"s.;on i was fnunJ ,hot = surnlms "a
u, ". '' wh;ch v,s d;sno.ad orbv = mpt;on If
AZ. Tamh of Whoo,;mT ''N VI y ''''0'
W. A.; " E;, ~ snasch u.s oh,r,o,orivod NV
~" rnraIIo rpum"r,s and h;S a,ao"on,
"n '' I anon. o-o,o,y y" o"so,,;ons war;, mad,
a,'J '' i Eua,r no;n, O" oomv;oo;n
"nu Nv, w. ,n,hos;, r arnn"n, =. sm,r0s
p'y uon ~ roncy,oa SamJlod tbn sam os sub
o tiV which Ms; r;,, J gh hod ' ARMED a"d
vGI "1' aaso o and "nnS5onc" ,ru,s grs,iv;ng
W. ' h,d b e", soI;c,ad ,o come to ,hs section
ii' au pv' and s ,ho o.rsst cn,roa.v If Ls
~ :; Ma "u "' , riH moro oarrul The neo
~, - ~. sa,,, aro Nv, f,lly alive 10 the
m, r.. y, ,9 y, saLs IN m bonr like this and