The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-07-12
More Democratic Objections TO a
Convention.

From the Monroe County Register (DemcTaUc.)
The Convention speeches delivered on
The Goth ult in Charleston, by Col. tilZ'
hugh and Hon. Jas. II. Ferguson, being
considered exhaustive OF the convention
ISIS plea, demand the attention OF a care.
full criticism.
Col. Fitzhugh starts with the principle
that the free choice of the people is nee.
essary foundation for the organic law;
that this feature is lacking TO our COnsti-
tuition, inasmuch as at the time Of It's
1853 no freedom Of opposition
was tolerated by the military, while 2s,-
sos votes only were given Tor, and 512
against ii. We say that was a larger pro.
pOrtional vote than the recent one on the
Flick Amendment; the j72 votes were
permitted TO oppose; those who did not
vote were either Indifferent or in posi-.
ton of armed hostility; while the freedom
OF suffrage compares very iayorably in
that case with the terrorism exercised on
the secession vote. The taCit acceptance
of the people since the war Is enough, and
the coming election will prove It. There
have been no popular complaints Of any
u'in ,'nio Wv H. I, rp,, I;SmoSad w" W
'''' naso,. %'u ,"" "dn,;, " ,bo,.
sufficient TO Justify complete recODstruc.
ton and the risk Of an infinitely worse
constitution to be framed by the agitatOrsg
Let lis have rest; the people wantit. Col.
+. objects TO the insecurity oil the judicia
nv while subject TO removal by A concur.
rent vote OF both branches OF The Legisla.
tnre. lie wants the rule of A twO.thirds
vote of each branch.
II is right TO give a majority of the
Monies rGnresrntatiyes the mower To re.
move obnoxious officials. and even under
the rule il Is very hard 10 do that. as the
case of Jndpe Harrison proves, Under
the two.tbirds rule II would be practically
impossible, and A bad Judge could snar
his fingers nj the pcople.
orr Constitution while insisting or
some system of Frls Schools. leaves ali
The details 10 the Legislature. Col +. oh.
iccts TO that because our present system
has heon badlv managedI lie wants Inc
Constitution 10 fix The details
That il simnly absurd. the legislature OF
ripht. has the formation and management
ofthe School system. We pass over bis
talk about the expense ola convention, be.
cause, II the movement Is proper and
necessary, any suitable expense is justilia'
bic; lift Is not proper, one dollar Is toe
much TO spend on it. lie makes ObjeC'
ton to the Township system because o.
the great number Of offices, the increased
expense us compared with the old county
Court system in 1860, and the populations
OrOlllCe.bOldCrs. There arc only six Off
GERS authorized in each township by the
Constitution; we cannot dispense with any
OF these under any system; the cost Of thu
county government proper, Is only ten Of
fifteen hundred dollars, and the increase
OF the levy Ia due to the Free.SchoOl sys
TEN, which II properly managed by Oul
best citizens, as 1t should be, would justi
Iy any expense.
Tho county court system world throw
,ha county iItS Tho Clutches of n C'onri
house cii9,,e md il were better that Mi
nerish than allow the sheen 10 he deyour
ed Inv such A pack of wolves. So mucb
for Col. Fitzhugh. The Democratic party
will, we assure him, correct all abuses o.
management, and that will suffice.
Judge Ferguson, the special pleader Of
the COnventlonists, opened with the SAINT
objection 10 the freedom Of election in
1863. lie objected to the feature Of de-
tail appearing in many articles; to the
ballot system, the annual Legislatures The
wants them bienniaD; TO the qualification
of age for Judges, TO the white basis Of
apportionment and representation, and t.
the Limitation of legislative sessions al
daya\