Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-07-15


Contention -Saeceason's Estimate Smashed
Jy Stevenson. ancient Calculation Of The
Lightning Calculator "a Cheap Conven-
ton IA 1861 t-Rhole E+pexse Sl6.5OO'-
Remarkable Rise in Ten Years The
Rankings Of Radical Ritsmetie.-Read
and Remember :
At the last session of the Legislature, lsays
the Charleston, Fest Krginia Courier Gov
ernor Vim. +. Stevenson sent to that body a
message containing his estimate OF the cost of
holding a Convention to alter the Constitution.
He flung his figures aboRt with reckless zeal,
aud after the most frantic manipulation Of his
statistics, reached the startling conclusion that
the total cost Of Convention would be $685.,
292,27 Upon that estimate, the Radicals
have based their opposition 10 Convention
and acting upon the idea that falsehood may
be made fact by repetition, have repeated
"the wondrous tale" with incessant and We
hement clamor. Fer their special entertain
ment and to illustrate the reliability Of their
"lightning calculator" we here reproduce an
estimate of the cost Of Convention, made in
1861, by Hon. William E. Stevenson, Of
Wood county, and by him reported to the
Convention Of 1861, Of which he was mem
Der, and of whose Expenditure Committee he
was chairman;
Extract from the " Journal of the Constitu-
tional Convention of West Virginia.
MONDAY, December l6, 1861.
On motion Of Mr. Van Wrinkle, the follow
Ing resolution was adopted;
Resolced, That the Committee on Printing
and Expenditures, report an estimate of the
sum which will probably be required to pay
the members and officers and defray all other
expenses of this Convention, based upon a
probable session of sixty-fvo days, in order
that the same may be laid before the Legisla-
turo for their government.
TUESDAY DECEMBER II, 1861
Z" Mr.. STEVENSON, of Wood, llate d" 10y
al Governor of the State of West Virginia.
Chairman Of the Committee on Printing and
Expenditures submitted the following report ;
The Committee on Printing and Expendi-
lures having been instructed to report an es-
innate of the sum which viii probably be re-
quired to pay the members and officers and de-
fray sll other expenses of the Convention,
basedon a probable session of sixty-fve days,
in order that the same may be laid before the
Legislature for their government" would re-
spectfully report that they have made such es-
innate and find that the probable expense Of
The Cawmtioa for nrty.fre days wiH be SIN
TEEN THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED
DOLLARS. All of which is respectfully sub
mitted.
w. /. STEVENSON,
Chairman.
On motion of MIR. Van Wrinkle, the follow
ing resolution was adopted
RcsOlcea, That the report of the commit
tee be accepted and that the President of the
Convention inform the Legislature that the ex-
penses Of this body will probably amount to
sirtcen thousand fire hundred dollars, and
request that the said sum be placed at the
disposal Of the Convention.
Here we have Stevenson's estimate Of the
cost of Constitutional Convention, reported
by himself, and accepted and endorsed by the
Convention Of which he was q member. That
was for Convention he favored Ten years
later for a Convention he don't want,
he mauls the multiplication table until
lie hammers out result of three hundred
thousand doiiars, as the cost for the Same pur-
pose. The elasticity of the loyal conscience
is bewilderius