South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1871-08-11
Constitutional Reform.


Co"st7"ttcHdt I6cfornl. the subject az pres
ent probably engaging the most philosophi
cal and best cultivated intellec,s. through
out our State. Ii the call COR = Convention
snail, as 1t ought to, be sustained. It's lepit-
Innate purpose, Of aseertdiniag and scar
m,9 az Just, adequate, and saIutary
changes and amendments Of orr present
State Constitution. will perhaps be most eff
iectually promoted by an pie discussions free
lnterehanges of opinion, and that cores
pondeuee OF views obtainable only through
expeditions in and by the Press. and the
method Of direct iRquisifion be found ex-
ceed'ngiy desirable aud even necessary. in
or9ar to secure the services Of True Rcore.
SeRfdtre moe IN that highest field of Leris-
iahon. The present Constitution of our
State was formed and adopted under unusu-
al circumstances, certainly aItoretber unfa-
vourabIe to the calm, philosophical tone aud
i oeral pullanthropical spirit which should
ind expression in tie Orgoaic Lar of u
Free State enjoying oil the blessings of an
enlightened, Christian age; while its vital
defects are simply the natural outgrowth ,f
Its altogether revolutionary character. It's
trainers, possessed with the one desire of
eHec'ually divorcing cur State from Civil.
Social and Political Relations with her old
mother--the Commonwealth Of Virginia
sought earnestly and eagerly, in the systems
OF other States, whose institutions, habits,
modes OF feeling, thought and life were en-
urely foreign to our own, new and strange
provisions, for cngrafturc upon this Consti-
tuhonas anomaly Of their handiwork. Take.
ior a conspicuous example, THE Z0icnshiD
.SyS'rr', with ito multiplication of officers.
lnhnitude OF annoyances, and perpetual, ac-
tive sources of corruption and extravogapce
fraud and official malversation--for these
edo follow, as the night the day." the in
crement OF oficia's-a system trans3lanted
from Northern soil to flourish feeblv and in
ausplciously among people who have not.
ana VIII not become reconciled TO its work
lngS IN practice, nor ever be satisfied Of its
uuhty IN or adaptation to our State govern.
mental machinery. There is one, among
many e7iiS,) arising from this TOWNSHIP
system thut should prompt the anxious wish
Oh every irue-hearted, patriotic citizen to
see tins Yankee exotic extirpated from our
soil. II Is simply the tendency fostered be
multiplication of officers to enccnder here
greater Gumbcr Of politicians professcd. and
mat morbid appetite for office which ever
like the daughters of the horse-eech. is cry
ing "Glyc-Give!" and still remains unsn-
'lsiicd Observe again another strange de-
wee IN the substitution of The Secret Bal
lat for the old, time honoured, well.tried
Ilr0 IDce Suffrage of Virginia, which Is
attended, of course, with only unmixed e.
wi, consequential of its inevitable tendency
90 corrupt the integrity and morality of the
Hiate, and inhniiclyto drpress our once ex-
oi'cd standards of Independence, honour
lud due sense Of individual responsibility.
Certainly, 10 pronounce his vote openly ard
independently, 10 tho very faces Of man and
Heaven. w0S oBcc anil &iouH net be tho
PRIDE as we'll as the prerogative Of free
H"H while that man who TREMBLING would
shrink bacli from this assertion of his RIGHT
and honest performance Of his duty. or IRE.
fer concealmont Of its mode of exercise in
all this darkness visible" of the secret bal
lot, should as well be in name. as already he
Is 10 Decd Stare > Let rs not have lon
ger occasion to dcp'ore some gyo,r;ng scaa
efdlGradatiou tina. justifes the Poets sad.
~ prophetic strain:
"iIl fares the land, TO fastening ills prcv
Where wealth accumulatcs, and ,aen- aecqy r'
These striking and familiar examples com
pI,fely illustrate the character Of inuova-
tons naie in violation Of the very spirit Of
FTginian Institutions, by those "'prcntice.
hands that framed the oriyinaI. cxistipr
If West Virginia. those bold
lconocIasts whose labours merely verify tho
Oft repeated adag', that II is casjcr H. de-
stray H1,t tn construct!
By the theory of Republican, kopreeep-
'a'ive Government, as cxpounded by wise
.ieory Mason, who w~ro the Original Bill
Of K -"s ct Virginia, its legitimate func-
tons were distributable between the Exec
uiive, Legislative & Judicial Departments.
as co-oydiaoies Instinct L,ou, anil iadc,eu-
leuf eob ofHc oHcrs.
But Is this wise aud Just discrimination
or even partially observed in the
Constitution Of West Virginia
Pray begin with the Executive. II needs
but cursory examination Of The Constitution
20 ascertain that our Office II Governor j.
but mo'h.mgJcsU after oil, ike poor Lear's
sun of kingsbip nightly sborne Of its
beams Now the Executive being directly
charged with The due and righteous admin
istraron Of the laws, is 10 in any sense un-
reasonable, that in him there should be also
further reposcl O VITO Pou,r, under proprr
by which the ha-ty. intemoe-
rate, unequal and oppressive legislation. that
we so often have occasion vaiuly TO regret.
might De checked and even partially re-.
trumcI Above oil, the judiciary, tho
zponents aud interpreters Of laws, should
be oI'ayrbcr Hdepepdcut Of either Of the
other branches Of Government, 10 order that
rights may be protected and wrongs redress.
ed, and thc crmino Of that Justice be- kent