Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1871-10-21
From 'hs Mariinsburg Statesman.
HON. G. J. FAULKNER
HEDGESVILLE, Berkeley COUNTY.


hour within few miles of Hedgesville,
the Hon. c. J, Faulkner in pursuance OF
an appointment, appeared in that pros
porous and thriving town at o clock
on Saturday evening last, to address 'iie
voters on the Convention issues "a
large and respectable crowd awaited HIS
arrival, which was soon increased U!
some of our farmers from the northern
and eastern end of the county Ill
short time the large Academy room on
the east ofthe town was niieo 10 us Ut
most capacity, whilst many stood at the
door and At the windows. Mr.. Faux
nor commenced his speech about half
mast o'clock and spoke for about two
hon. We can only give brief and
n,p,cer sketch of some Of the prominent
noinis of his speech, and such as may
interest those who are to cast their votes
on the 10Th of this month.
He began saying, that he understood
there was some feeling against him III
that township growing out of his active
agency in procuring the subscription by
the county to the Martinsburg and 20
tomac Railroad. He was aware that
the township of Hedgesvillc had given
q solid vote against that subscription,
but he had hoped that the opposition of
that township had ceased with that vote.
He had nothing to regret or recant IN
his course on that subject; he believed
the road would prove great blessing
to the county that the subscription was
wise and iudicious on the part of the
people, and that the farmers about
Hedgesrlle would partake of its bene-
fits as fully as the farmers about Mar
tinsbmg or any other portion OF the
county. He presented i'll some detail
several interesting views Of the progress
and advantages Of the road
He alluded TO his nomination for a
seat in the Convention announced HIM
self democrat, but repealed strongly
and sternly the idea that party could eX-
erc;se any influence over him as mem
Der OF that body. If elected, he would
90 into the Convention with the single
idea of framing a Constitution Of Gov
ernment best calculated TO protect the
rights, and advance the Interests OF
every citizen of West Virginia without
regard to AGE, sex, condition, color or
party; constitution that would alike
guard the rights of minorities as well
as maioritieS, and he would despise him
self, and hold himself unworthy OF a
seat in that body, if in framing a single
provision Of that instrument, he could
be controlled by any considerations OF
4 party character.
He then proceeded to indicate the
changes that ne wished TO see engratted
on the new Constitution; these had been
80 often referred to, that it WAS only
necessary to state that be was III favor
of a provision that would forever forbid
the Legislature from authorizing arei-
rosDec,ivs political test oath; Provl-
sion that would limit the powers OF
spfciaI Legislation He favored 6,en-
niai sessions and strongly urged the I'm,
portance Of rcndering the Judiciary less
dependent upon the Legislature.
lie declared himself in favor Of the
omen system of voting to which he had
been accustomed all his life. lie re
garded suffrage as aP"6hc fr"S' to he
exercised by the voter under due res
possibility to the community OF winch
he is a member lie had never SO Tar
cast secret ballot in his life. lie had
never known single fraud prepetrated
under the open system of voting, whist
he referred to many striking instances
of the most startling frauds practlced IN
the cities under the secret ballot. lie
denied that the independence OF the vo-
ter ia this State was better assured un-
der the secret ballot than the open ticket,
vet he believed from careful survey OF
public opinion in this State, that very
LARGE number of the voters, both Demo
cratic and Republican, preferred the
secret ballot to the open ticket, proba-
blv majority. In many of the coun-
ties there were large bodies of opera
tircs in the mining and manufacturing
business who regarded their indePen-
dence as voters. threatened by the open
ticket He could not comprehend how
this could be- lie thought capital was
more dependent upon labor in this state
than labor was dependent upon capital
lie did not believe that any capitalists
would dare to interfere with the free OK
crcise of the elective franchise among
those in their employment. But 1t
seems they think otherwise, and many
agree with them. Under such circum-
stances he was not disposed to press his
individual views upon the convention.
In an agricultural region like ours few
reSorted to the secret ballot to conceal
their votes Men were open and above
board III the frank avowal Of their opiu-
ions upon all political questions, and un-
ike crowded cities, as it was in our
power so readily to detect and guard
against frauds i'll the ballot-boX, he
deemed any particular mode of voting
comparatively too unimportaut are
form, to imperil It's adoption. the Con-
stitution that will be submitted to the
People.
He looked with entire confidence to
the Convention to frame a system OF
County ORGANIZATION suitable to the
wants of the people, lie was not for
blindlv borrowing the systems Of New
York and Pennsylvania, Ohio or even
Virginia. He expected to see the states
men ofWest Virginia combine their IN
tellectual power to advise system a