The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-24

and particularly about certain class O
officers they said were Of no consequence
whaLever-the State Superintendent o
Schools and county Superintendent
they said the boards Of education and
trustees ofschOol districts tookmore inter
est IN the children and we could have aE
equally energetic organization and dis
pense with those officers, some sixty In
number, What did they lO when they
got into power. Why they turned OIL
the old Superintendent and putin another
IA very good Democrat and very CleyeI
man, But was that redeeming the pledge
| didn't hear word said about il. The
party that was turned out Of power
was well nigh abOllshing those offices
and made sure from the promises made
they would be abolished, and their salaries
saved when the Democratic party came
in,
Suppose that nj the election when We
came into power, we had proclaimed
thai one oil our measures would bO As sOOn
as we got into power 10 call COnven'
ton. Do you suppose my friend Gov
Jacob and his associates that supported
with great deal Of pleasure would be 10
the Permanent Seat to-day Not ono Of
them We could not have touched bot
tom Aud yet, ~ soon us we got into
power, the very first step was To call Il
Convention,
Mr., BRowN then, with few apologize
remarks for the length Of his speech, mud
expressing wish to hear from some ono
else, took his seat, having been frequently
and warmly applauded. .r zee.
Calls were made for Hon BEN, STANTON
and that gentleman came forward and
said
GOy, SrANTON's SPEECH
Mr.. President and FtIlOD Citizens: This
Is subject TO which | have given no
special reflection, having been so engaged
and engrossed with gas, insurance com.
panics and one thing and another OF that
sort, that / have not anything arranged to
say to you on this occasion. will, how.
ever, submit some crude and undigested
views that have occurred TO mo as proper
for the consideration Of the people on this
subject. Aud propose IL speak to you
mainly rs citizens Of Wheeling and the
special interests which the people Of this
city have in the proposed Convention.
My own Judgment Is that the call for
this convention Is purely partisan, have
no idea you would hear anything about u
Convention, or that anybody would want
a Convention II II were not that Con.
venlion is expected to sweep ont oil the
present officers and give chance for put
ting others in their places, There is a
number Of worthy gentlemen In this
county who would like to be shGritts and
Judges and clerks, and oil that, and those
gentlemen are anxious for II Convention,
because II would give chance for Il new
deal for the offices and that Is one of the
strongest pressures brought to bear on the
people here. II operates throughout the
State. There Is quite number Of gentle.
men who aspire TO various places Mr..
Faulkner would make an excellent judge
of the Court Of Appeals, and so would
Mr.. Ferguson. These cons dcrations
operate all over the State, and they are
the handspring from which the impulse
for q Convention comes. 1t Is Considera.
tons OF personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT and pro.
motion tina. are at the bottom OF this
movement. Ut.
As 10 any necessity Tor any modification
Of the constitution the pretext for II Is ex.
ceedingly small, because there Is an easy
and ready mode prescribed by the Consti.
tutor for any changes popular opinion
may desire or the public good demand;
and that mode Of changing the constltu-
tlOn llasi thisspeCial advantage over one by
Convention, that the people have an OPP.
portuni.y Of voting directly and slngly on
each proposition submitted to them, II
you have IL Convention they frame n con-
sttution, md If they submit II to you at
all 1t is US u whole, and you are
compelled TO take the good and
tho bad together; 80 that II Is
removing the questions ii constitutional
provisions further from tho people than II
they adopt the constitutional mode aud
submit their amendments one by one. II
they want the Constitution amended so rs
to have Ciu cOce voting, let the LCglslA'
turc submit that question to the people.
So, iHthey want any other change in the
Constitution, such rs increasing the sala.
rics Of judges or the pay of members Of
the Legislature. But that would not sat.
isiy these gentlemen These amendments
probably would not carry II submitted
singly; but lfthey can be incorporated with
other provisions that may be popular and
the Constitution can he submitted, they
may oil be carried through together. That
Is tho difference between the two modes OF
amending.
AS my friend said the question Of OK.
pense Is not insignificant. A Convention
will cost you at least 100000. You will
not get Constitutional Convention these
times that will sit less than six months.
or tint 100000 Ohio county will pay
$4,000. Can the taxpayers here SEQ
where they Are to be reimbursed the $l2,.
900 they will be taxed for this COnsltu
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