The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1871-12-27
Tbe Copveption and its Duties.

None more illustrious and dis
tinguished for craftsmanship aud q
thoroughly cultivated political expert
ence will participate in the deliberations
of the Constitutional Convention now
soon to assemble at Charleston, than
you are, sir. The eyes Of all who
desire to have an impartial Cons,itu-
ton formed for our State are fixed more
upon YOU than any other member OF
the Convention. You alone belong TO
q class ofstatesnen that once held high
and illustrious positions in the civil
service of our government; and with
few exceptions, the statesmen who for
more than three fourths Of q century
directed the helm OF State, are now by
a wicked and partizan prescription are
excluded from and denied participation
in the political interests of the nation.
A proscriptive policy will soon over
whelm with defeat and positive ami
hilation, any party enforcing it, and
especially under a Republican form of
government. 49,.
The present State Constitution was
framed by the smallest, bitterest and
most narrow minded men ever known
in the annals OF political history. 1t
was made exclusively to retain the
minority party (RadicaD in power in
definitely, and to prevent for ever in the
future, the opposition from acquiring
the control of the State. ,
The opposition party were required
by unjust legislation to bear their share
of the burdens of government without
the right of suffrage, and the legal
remedies of the courts for the enforce
ment of business contracts. We can
realize the change wrought in five
wears, and tell its cause. :.
Prescription has accomplished this
mighty revolution. Public opinion has
been too strong for prescription. Sps,
tanned, as it was, by the courts, jurles,
tails, and even the State prisons IN
many instances, yet it has fallen with
a mighty crash in this State, and the
party that pretended to hold every
county in the State subject to them by
their iorrid test oaths to-day finds itself
without friends and power. Proscrlp'
ton alone worked this great result Tor
the people Of the State.
With nine gears OF deSp0ttSm as our
portion, the Convention ciH not, 1 i"ag
inc, be very sloo IN blotting ont The
,ghole batch of iniquities kao~a as or
present Constitution. .,,
This, then, after organization, will be
the first duty OF the Convention, and ii
should be performed with Lightning
speed.
Now comes the next and most inn
nortant of all the duties discharged by
that Convention-the framing and
substitution OF a better Constitution IN
its stead. An impartial Constitution Is
what we want. This embraces the
whole duty of the Convention. Now
we propose the following as a part, at
least, of what the Convention should DO;
In order 10 give more responsibility
and efficiency to our supreme judiciary
we should have five, instead of three
Judges. About this change, we think
there is not much difference Of opinion;
We believe in a general school
law, bv which all the children
of the State will be compelled 10
have a liberal English education
The schools should be protected by
law, 80 as to be continued in session ten
months in the year. If we have not
some such guarantee in the Constitution
| fear that our educational system
would amount to nothing. and wouic
be no better than the old Virginia sys
tenn was prior to the war, and unde'
that. VIC all know, it benefited thu
people h Us liberal, sure and systematic
school system, above all lse;-[or in
telligence is the last and safest hope o
q free people.
Our present system can spare many
OF its official incumberances, withou
doing damage to its efficiency. W.
want to see the children of the laborins
men in the State educated. as well a.
the children of those who live withou
labor. Under the old Virginia law
it was almost impossible to see a Chile
that had learned its alphabet at th'
States expense; and consequently, you
could find whole families that didn
know letter in the alphabet.
We urgently invite your attention tc
this part OF your duty as a member o
that Convention. We want a genera
law, one that will benefit all classes
sects and conditions Of our people; moi
one that will allow any one religion:
sect to have any preferences or advan
tages not to be enjoyed by another
This will be sheer justice to us all. AL
our children should meet in the same
places fixed by law for them, without
regard to the religious tencts of their
parents.
We are in favor OF the ballot as the
form and medium Of expressing our
political sentiments at the polls. We
are opposed to the rira v0cc mode sim
ply because employers use it to .coatrol
the votes Of those working for or under
them. We all know this to be true
who were voters. in the old Common
wealth, when you were before the PEG.
pie for their sufragcs; and having lived
at Romney, Hampshire county, and
being once one OF your constituents IN
that district, | know something about
its working. Many poor men lost
their positions of employment under
that system of voting, which under a
we'll protected ballot system, will not
cannot, be the case. Therefore, give u:
the ballot for our protection.